Background In the last three years, there have been three sci-fi movies or series where a crew member controlled a ship with a joy stick. They are: Galaxy Quest, Farscape, and Insurrection.
Enterprise Enterprise is now joining this group. Along with the joy stick, we have a steering wheel.
"Steady and straight"-Capt. Archer
Source: TrekToday
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
Helm: "Watch me fishtail this bitch Cap'n!"
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Where's the picture of the steering wheel? Posted by targetemployee (Member # 217) on :
The steering wheel was seen by visitors to the set of the bridge yesterday.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
In the past fifty years, there have been probably hundreds of sci-fi shows and movies that involve a spaceship of some sort. Uh-oh. ENT has one of those. Damn them!
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
But TSN, even you have to admit that the joystick in Insurrection was just plain dumb, and a steering wheel is...even more so. Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
Well, Enterprise has both, so that makes it double-dumb...
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
The joystick in Insurrection was dumb because it was nothing but a store-bought computer joystick, and it just popped straight up out of the floor on a four-foot-tall pedestal. There was nothing wrong w/ the joystick in Galaxy Quest, though.
Besides, joysticks and steering wheels are useful means of navigation. That's why we use them. As long as they don't look goofy (like in Insurrection), I don't see the problem.
Posted by HappyTarget (Member # 670) on :
Yah, I mean what the heck was up with that? Did the Writers and Executives go to the special effects department and say we need a joystick for the enterprise in "Insurection", what do you got? Then the SFX guys looked aroud blankly for a second or two. Then one got a flash of insight. "I got a great stick for ya, use it every night on my own pc, ill bring it over tomorow." And thus stupidity found a home! If you want to use a joystick (silly, but fine by me) at least attempt to modify it a bit. Maby it was a product plug, like some movies get paid money by cola companies to use their product in the movie. Still silly though. Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I'm still trying to figure out the need for a steering wheel, though. I mean, it can be of some use for sublight speeds and thruster maneuvers, but at warp speed that's not a very useful device. Accidentally bump into the damn thing and the ship warps into a sun. Plus, the only real way I can see this steering wheel being useless at sublight speed is if it has an airplane's steering control; you know, turns left and right and pulls in and out.
By the way, Hobbes, that is one of the funniest things I've read all night.
[ July 17, 2001: Message edited by: Siegfried ]
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Hobbes: ROTFLMAO!! Posted by Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
Hopefully the steering wheel will be just a Tom Paris/Delta Flyer type gadget that serves no purpose except for just set decoration.
And once the gimmick wears off, it'll probably be gone after a few episodes (hopefully along with Porthos).
[ July 18, 2001: Message edited by: Dukhat ]
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Don't forget Andromeda. It has joysticks.
Posted by Mr. Christopher (Member # 71) on :
And Chang's ship from TUC. It had a steering wheel. Posted by Stingray (Member # 621) on :
And Starship Troopers had a 747 style wheel/joystick controller thinger, IIRC
Posted by Wes1701E (Member # 212) on :
I do belive the Joystick in Insurrection wasnt meant to be taken that seriously. I think it was just a little joke to keep up with the lighter feel of the movie even durring a battle.
Its placement was meant to look goofy.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
It's a good thing no real vessel is controlled by anything as silly as a wheel. Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Well, Sol, we're comparing submarines with starships. Submarines are more sluggish, travel slower, and travel through a thicker medium than a starship. A steering wheel is feasible for submarines, cars, and planes. For a starship though? As I said above, maybe for sublight but not for warp.
On the other hand, I'm not so sure that pic is for real. That middle seaman has what looks to be a cup a Starbucks sitting in the console cupholder.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
I don't know about anyone else, but my steering wheel, in my car - doesn't allow me to go in the z-axis... nor even in the y-axis - the acceleratrix and the velocitator does that. ;o)
AANNNNNNDDDD my car doesn't go in the x-axis directly - it does a TURN... why would a space-ship need to do a three-point-turn in space!?!
Why a long arc!?!
Thisi si such a dumb gimmicy idea.
Maybe they are gathering as many fan annoyances from Voyager and Insurrection and using them in Enterprise (plus that is a STUUPPID name for a title... get ORIGINAL please)
Deep Space Nine - fair enough... but then VOYAGER and then ENTERPRISE - getting old.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
What would you prefer they call it? Eric Spiegelman's Incredible Racing Adventure?
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
What makes you think the steering wheel is going to be something that the helmsmen keeps both hands on in the 10:00 and 2:00 positions while using it to make turns? It;s entirely possible that it serves some real purpose while looking like a steering wheel.
After all, the other ships are flown w/ buttons. In a car, buttons control the radio, heater/air conditioning, and open the trunk. Is that therefore what the buttonson the E-D helm controls must do, also?
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Personally, I always assumed that some of the helm buttons on the Enterprise-D led to secret computer files of Wesley Crusher's porn collection. Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
We don't know for sure that it's a steering wheel, maybe it's some sort of gauge or a release for something. Like something they'd have on a submarine to seal the doors. But maybe I'm wrong and it is in fact a steering wheel. How lame. :-\
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
DeadCujo, according to TrekWeb the steering wheel is next to a joystick on the helm console. So it looks like it is for flight control and not as a valve or door-lock mechanism. I dunno, maybe they'll make it fit in and work okay. If not, the helm station can be engulfed in explosions in a future episode and be replaced with a new module minus the wheel.
to seal the doors. But maybe I'm wrong and it is in fact a steering wheel. How lame. :-\