This is topic Why does Ops need a window view? in forum Starships & Technology at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.


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Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
 
By the time of Voyager, they seem to have wised up have put the viewscreen at the centre of the guy who most needs to look outside to fly a ship (which itself is debateable, but I digress). However, through TNG the Ops position seemed to have one of the best seats on any given bridge to look outside.

Following on this interesting discussion on TrekBBS, how would an Ops manager's responsibilities necessitate him to be able to look outside, or have a good view of whatever was on the screen? Why should he have a seat up there, and not, say, the tactical officer, as suggested to be a better idea in the Bridge Commander game?

Mark
 

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Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
 
I'd bet that they didn't really have a good idea of that yet when they designed it. The irony is that as the years progress tactical seems to get a worse and worse view
 

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Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
 
Yeah but Tactical you need to use your instruments to fire on someone who is firiing on your aft section and unless the viewscreen is pointing to the aft, why bother having a good view? Unless they are showing Dracula 2000...

I've always thought that you can always move people around with the LCARS system... wait we're talking about OPS... On DS9, Jadzia was the Science Officer and ran OPS at the same time?
 

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Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
 
Wasn't O'Brian the Ops 'officer' on DS9
 

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Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
 
"Ops," on DS9 and "Ops" on a starship are different things.

Really, the ops station is essentially where the various science-related plot points come from. Its other duties (largely unseen and only refered to in places like the technical manual) sound really important (probably enough to demand someone with a little more experience than an ensign) but also quite bueracratic; the sort of thing that's very important to running a complicated operation but which doesn't lend itself to drama.

As to the question of who needs to look out a big window, well, it's really rather silly, isn't it? I mean, no one does, if you want to think of it that way. You don't want to be relying on the naked eye when trying to figure out, say, what sort of metals are in an object. (That is, given the uses we tend to see. Presumably, "real" viewscreens are usually showing more useful information, like charts and graphs and maps and diverse neat technical overlays.)

[I do think that having a more or less realtime view of the visible spectrum would have its uses, psychologically if for no other reason, and seeing something with your own eyes can certainly put things into a perspective that other data can't always provide.]

{And for an example of at least one real life spaceship commander eager to have a "main viewscreen" available, check out the often dry yet surprisingly compelling logs of the International Space Station. Though I can't seem to find the exact mention I was looking for, and which Tom pointed out to me years ago.}
 

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Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
 
Unfortunately, the ISS's cupola isn't scheduled to be installed until 2009.

B.J.
 

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Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
 
But they do have a huge-ass window in one side of the Destiny lab module, which is in essence their "bridge". There's another command post in the Zvezda module, but for the most part I believe most of the important stuff is done from Destiny these days. If anything, the Zvezda command facilities are more of an "engineering", where propulsion is managed, than the main science duties. Regardless, they don't have a big window either.

Mark
 

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Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
 
Um, I don't think modern wetships have the Tactical people parked next to the window when most of tomorrow's battles will be fought past the horizon with missiles. I'm betting they're reading their radars and satellites.

Here's another one. Why do Starfleet ships have their bridges installed in the most vulnerable point in the saucer, right on the most shallow point of the top? I'd put it in the center of the ship. The 1701-D battle bridge had it right, IIRC, wish they would've gone with that.

The only problem I could foresee was that it would be harder to film good transition/establishing stock shots when the bridge is in the bowels of the ship. You know, those slow-zoom xtreme closeups of the Voyager bridge preceding every "meanwhile, on Voyager"-scene, the french-horn-section going "Waah-waah-waaaah...".
 

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Posted by Captain39 (Member # 1001) on :
 
I believe it's more of a tradition than anything. Besides, if the captain and company were hiding within the ship it would probably have an impact on the moral of the rest of the crew.
 

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Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
 
That and Gene wanted to see the bridge ontop of the Enterprise-D.
 

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Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
 
"Hiding" within the ship? I suppose they'd be happier if the brave captain lashed himself to the high-gain antenna? "No, no suit for me, Riker; for I must present myself naked to the universe and set our course by the thrum of distant pulsars."
 

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Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
 
To answer the question....

Why, the better to see you with my dear....
 

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Posted by TheWoozle (Member # 929) on :
 

quote:

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Here's another one. Why do Starfleet ships have their bridges installed in the most vulnerable point in the saucer, right on the most shallow point of the top? I'd put it in the center of the ship. The 1701-D battle bridge had it right, IIRC, wish they would've gone with that.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sol System:
"Hiding" within the ship? I suppose they'd be happier if the brave captain lashed himself to the high-gain antenna? "No, no suit for me, Riker; for I must present myself naked to the universe and set our course by the thrum of distant pulsars."

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