Hi everyone! I'm the "new kid on the block" so to speak, and I'd like to ask a few burning questions if you have the time.
Why is the bridge on most ships in such an exposed location? It's right on the top of the saucer section, making it more vulnerable to attack!
I've noticed a strange circle with a cross in the center on many consoles...I first noticed it on the transporter console, but then I saw it at tactical, ops, navigation (or helm, whatever it's called). I was wondering...does anyone know what that control does?
Also, why when ships get fired on do the consoles blow up so easily? Wouldn't they be more protected than that? They should have some way of rerouting the energy and directing it back to the target...
I think that's all for now...thanks again for your time!
Sorak First Year Cadet
Posted by Cherry Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
Welcome to the forum.
To answer your questions:
1. It's no different than the bridges on naval vessels. Plus, just because the bridge is in an exposed position doesn't mean that it's the smartest place for an attacker to hit. I would go for the ship's engines, which are equally vulnerable, before the bridge. Plus, adequate shielding should be efficient enough to ward off attackers anyway.
2. I have no idea what you're talking about.
3. Because if consoles didn't blow up, the FX guys would have nothing to do.
Posted by Colorful Cartman (Member # 256) on :
3a) Because circuit breakers have gone out of fashion (as many a fried redshirt can attest to).
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
The bridge is in the center of the top of the saucer because Gene Roddenberry wanted it there. I believe he wanted it to indicate that the ships were exploring, not looking for a fight, so to the command crew weren't cowering down inside the bowels of the ship.
The only time I recall seeing that round set of buttons used was on the helm console to control the thrusters.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
The position of the bridge was later rationalized with the invention of the bridge module. The bridge is replaceable, to allow for relatively easy upgrades of main control systems.
Posted by Tahna Los (Member # 33) on :
As well, the "cross" buttons are used for a variety of purposes, from thrusters, to torpedoes, etc.
This thread should actually be in Starships. There it goes.
Posted by Magnus Pym Eye (Member # 239) on :
Not to mention a wonderful method of navigation on most LCARS-based websites!
It's classy stuff.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
I think the best analogy for that cross is that it's the LCARS equivilant of a set of cursor buttons. So it can probably do all sorts of things.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Yeah. Almost all the display/keyboard surfaces in TNG, DS9 and VOY Starfleet hardware were customized for the purpose - it was cheap and simple for Okuda to churn them out in unique configurations. Yet they all had common elements, and this "cursor key" cluster was one of them. Okuda just copy-pasted it to the spot where the actor's hand would most likely rest.
In early TNG, and in the late TOS movies, the panels often had a bright silver baseball-sized hemisphere in a corresponding spot. It was more expensive to build, but it was even more clearly a motion control device. A futuristic combination of trackball and joystick or something. It seemed to be the primary control of shuttlecraft in ST5 and in the type 7 shuttle interior of early TNG.
The bridge is on top because of Roddenberry's explicit say-so, yes. He probably wanted a visually interesting configuration where the camera could zoom in on the known location of our main heroes. An extreme version of this was done in the first TOS pilot where the camera zoomed all the way in through a ceiling window.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by Cadet Sorak: I saw it at tactical, ops, navigation (or helm, whatever it's called).
Wrong and double wrong sir. You lose.
It's called "conn". Short for "flight controller", it's an amalgamation of the old helm and navigation consoles done when they realised that with the massive technological sohpistication of a starship, it was pointless for one person to say "we should go this way", and for someone else to actually do it.
Extra note where I become a nerd!
You quite cleary see Picard use the cursor pad in "Booby Trap", to fire the the port and starboard thrusters.
Posted by Guardian 2000 (Member # 743) on :
i think thats called 'continuity' Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
More fresh observations that were certainly never made 37 years ago: Did you notice that starships don't have seatbelts? And there should not be sound in space. Also, sometimes Kirk talks about Space Command, but sometimes UESPA!
But I kid because I am happy. Welcome to Flare, Cadet Sorak.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"It's called 'conn'. Short for 'flight controller'..."
I never really understood that. The entirety of "flight controller" has only one 'n' in it anywhere. Where did the other one come from?
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Oh, those LCARS cross things were also used by Riker in Insurrection to move the ship around. When that didn't shake off the Son'a, he brought out the joystick.
Welcome to the forums... you'll need to buy asprin btw.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN:
"It's called 'conn'. Short for 'flight controller'..."
I never really understood that. The entirety of "flight controller" has only one 'n' in it anywhere. Where did the other one come from?
Quiet you.
Posted by Cadet Sorak (Member # 874) on :
Thank you ALL for your informative answers!!! I look forward to interacting with you in the future!
(Runs down to the drugstore to get some asprin)
Oh, one more thing...I've noticed in other forums and chats, the Voyager series, and now the new Enterprise, have been really beat up on! People keep saying how lousy they are, etc., when I've watched them and can't find anything wrong with them! GFX and SFX are better than old series', the acting is fine, there are good plots...what am I missing here?
(thanks again!)
Posted by Cherry Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
quote:GFX and SFX are better than old series', the acting is fine, there are good plots...what am I missing here?
The writing.
Basically, both shows had an interesting premise which the writers & producers ultimately couldn't realistically live up to. They ended up utilizing soap-opera, cliched, technobabble-filled scripts.
Wait, I shouldn't go that far. Enterprise only has one season under its belt, so I shouldn't be prejudging its potential. But that's basically your answer. Not that anyone would agree with me. But some would. So there.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Or, more generally, I find the following axiom to often come in handy: People like different things.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
No they don't. Stop being silly.
Posted by Cadet Sorak (Member # 874) on :
I just thought of something else...if all the consoles are touch-screens, what do they need a "cursor" for??? (The little round thing with the cross in the center)
Yes, it took me that long to think of that...what are you staring at?
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
So they know what bit of the screen to touch...?
Posted by Cadet Sorak (Member # 874) on :
quote: "It's called 'conn'. Short for 'flight controller'..."
Then how come when a captain leaves the bridge, he says to his second in command, "you have the conn" sometimes?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Only Kirk and other pre-TNG captains said that, back before they had a "conn" position. Presumably they meant "conn" in the sense of "control of the vessel".
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