BOTF Release date Anniversary

[JeanLucPicard1]

Off Topic

They were originally intended to be a (the?) major adversary in TNG.

Yeah, but the time BOTF came around. Hasbro and everybody else knew that the Ferengi were a disaster.

Off Topic

The Cardassians were also never quite in the same league as the 3 majors.

They weren't as technologically advanced as the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans but they were able to hold their own against the Federation and Klingons for decades. The Obsidian order was a ruthless, dangerous organization and the Cardassians typically deployed their warships (mainly the Galor-class) into attack wings. We all know about the massacre at Setlik 3. The Cardassian goverment had no problem lying to their troops by telling them the outpost was a staging ground for an assault on Cardassian space. It motivated the Cardassian militia to commit an atrocity believing they were doing it to defend their territorial sovereignty. A Federation admiral also mentioned that the Federation wasn't able to sustain another sustained conflict with the Cardassians even though the Feds had ships like the Galaxy and Nebula which were superior to the Galor.

[Kurn]

A Federation admiral also mentioned that the Federation wasn't able to sustain another sustained conflict with the Cardassians even though the Feds had ships like the Galaxy and Nebula which were superior to the Galor.

In TNG 4.12 Admiral Haden said: "Jean-Luc, I don't have to tell you the Federation is not prepared for a new sustained conflict. You must preserve the peace, no matter what the cost. Haden out."

This makes sense. Starfleet was weakend after the battle of Wolf 359 in TNG 4.01.