This is a cool program i found
http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Science/Asteroids.html

by this calculator a full power phaser from the Enterprise D at optimal range could destroy an asteroid made of nickel iron with a diameter of 850 meter depending giving a Galaxy class star ship a firepower of 4.5 megatons

While one energy bolt from an ISD can destroy the same type of asteroid with a diameter of 591 meters that would take 1.5 megatons of energy

now just because an ISD's weapons are 2 1/3 that doesn’t mean the Empire is out of the fight I’ve calculated the total fire power of an ISD at somewhere around 42 megatons (28 TL's) where as a Galaxy class got about 36 megatons (8 phaser arrays)

heres the site with all my info http://www.st-v-sw.net/STSWhi2.html

vote in poll to

and if you dispute me please offer evidence

argh, i hate math!!!! *reels over dizzy*

SO i'm a nerd and proud of it

so you agree with me then?

I propose this become nerd central

yep
and you think the lasers are too STRONG that's a first i mean normally people are like
"Oh a ISD turbolaser is like 600 gigatons of energy"
but you think my estamante of 1.5 megatons is too LARGE?

i agree with you because it hurts my head if i don't

I know that Darkwing i was actually asking Mr33

oh, sorry, i'll go back to being dizzy

Well how I see it is star wars lasers are actually plasma based. So the would be similar to the plasma cannons of the enterprise area. although since they have relied on that tech for thousands of years it would be more powerful. I've always figured a single turbolaser at about equal to a shuttles phaser. But since it pulse fires, and they have upwards of 60 or so on a SD, I've always figured and SD as having more firepower when talking about energy weapons.

actual an ISD has the same power out put of a intrepid sized federation ship (Very tired very bad spelling)

Yeah, but the Empire has more ISDs then the feds have...ships. Although I say the feds have much better shields.

There hull strength is about the same except the feds is about 3x stronger pound for pound meaning that an ISD has 3x thicker hull.

also the range is where the feds have a huge advanetage

IE 200,000 meters to 5500 meters maximum
90,000 meters to 1000 meters optimum
1000 meters to ~ 100 meters normal