Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Favorite Bridge?

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Of all the bridges we've seen in "Star Trek", from the TOS bridge, to the different movie bridges, to Star Trek: TNG, DS9, and VOY, what are your favorite bridge designs?

I think the Star Trek V/VI bridge is my favorite, although I prefer the darker tones the bridge was painted in ST-VI.

Along the same lines, I liked the Excelsior's Star Trek VI bridge (I hated the ST-III bridge), as it showed the familiar design and layout that we'd come to expect from the TOS movie bridges, but combined with features we'd seen on TNG (the individual conn/ops posts).

I hated the bridge from ST II and III. So ... dull.

I liked the TNG bridge, but it seemed very open to me. I much prefered the "Generations" version, with extra computer posts (didja know they were originally going to do that during the 4th season or so? How cool would thata been!)

Defiant is another good bridge design. Not a lot of wasted space. Hell, the entire Defiant is pretty damn cool!

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Posted by Treknophyle (Member # 509) on :

Star Trek 8-9. That thing has to pretty much fill an entire soundstage!

It's the first one I've seen that could actually hold enough people to handle a true space battle.

(Of course, I'm a Honor Harrington fan, so I like 'em big)

Posted by trekfan2k on :

It's a toss up between TNG and Voyager, but I think I would go with Voyager, based on the fact that TNG's bridge was two bright.

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-Captain James T. Kirk to Captain John Harriman

Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :

In my mind's eye -- the original pilot bridge from "The Cage", except with a budget and more contemporary production values is far and away the nicest bridge. But for actually seen -- Star Trek V. ST V also had my favorite Red Alert klaxon...

--Jonah

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--Col. Edwards, ROBOTECH

Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :

1.) Enterprise-A-Bridge in ST6 (great movie, great story, great ship, great bridge, etc.

)
2.) Excelsior-Bridge in ST6 (I like the blue chairs)
3.) Enterprise-B-Bridge in ST7
4.) Enterprise-E-Bridge without joystick
5.) Prometheus-Bridge (MiaB)

I'm not sure, but I think the E-C-bridge looked cool too. Has anyone pics of it?

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Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :

I like the E-C, E-B and E-A from ST 6.

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Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :

My favorite bridge belongs to the Enterprise-A from Star Trek VI. I felt that the stations' panels and computer screens were remarkable, and I absolutely loved the blue/green/black panel color theme. The general color theme for the bridge I felt was nice and well-done. In the same vein, the Excelsior's bridge from Star Trek VI and the Enterprise-B's bridge from Star Trek VII were also wonderful. The only thing I disliked was the weird "tea table" thing that sat in front of the command chairs. Reminds me of a TV tray.

The Enterprise-D's bridge from TNG was all right, but I always felt it was too open, too spacy, and too undermanned to be the command center for a such a large starship. A lot of those problems were corrected, in my opinion, during Star Trek VII. I just wish those added stations had not looked so much like an afterthought (it seemed to detract a bit from the overall design) and all been labeled "Communications."

The Enterprise's bridge from Star Trek I/II/III (basically the same thing but with different station locations) was a good design. I liked the gray utilitarian feel to the bridge. It seemed so appropriate for the physical buttons, switches, and keys on the panels. The walls had character.

Voyager's bridge is okay, but I feel that there is underused and wasted space. Especially around the viewscreen and front bridge area. Plus, the viewscreen is tiny. The Defiant's bridge I felt was visually boring. But the command chair's side panels and the work area at the back were interesting design elements.

The Enterprise-E's bridge I liked better in Star Trek VIII than in IX. It seemed more lively and colorful. Star Trek IX's bridge was flat. However, I really don't like the brown color theme (I would have gone with gray or dark blue). I don't like those two freestanding consoles that seem to block the path to the turbolifts. And tactical should be closer to the command area and give the tactician comfort. Give them a darn chair! The Ops/Conn stations I love split up and in the design in ST 8/9.

The Prometheus' bridge from "Message in a Bottle" was another example of vastly wasted space. Plus, for a deep space tactical command whatever, the bridge seemed understationed as well as too light and cheery. Perhaps it was simply a test module? The Hathaway's bridge from "Peak Performance" had the interesting element of an Ops-like tactical console right next to the command chair. Very interesting. The Dauntless' bridge was a big ol' waste of space, but the side stations had a very cool and visually fascinating look to them.

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ICQ Conversation From January 23, 2001.

Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :

I LIEKE TEH PROMOMORTHONEUS BERIGDE!!!! IT IS TEH GOODEST OF ALL TEH BRIEGES ON TEH STRA TRAKC!!!11##@!!!IT HAS TEH MULTIMEBTCOR SEPERTAIONE IS MOED ITNO TEH MENY MENY ARTACK PRats!!!! IT HAS TEH QUADRO-ISO-PHASMER-PLASFMA-CANTONTONIC-SURPER-DURPER MANY GOOD PAHSHESR!!!!!! IT SHHOT TEH SHIPS!!!! YOU ARE MOST CERTAINLY ON THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION!!!!

In all actuality though, and if I can muster up enough fanboy-ism to answer this thread, I'd say the ST-VI Enterprise, and the Enterprise-B were two asthetically pleasing sets.

[This message has been edited by Ultra Magnus (edited February 16, 2001).]

Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :

Damn... I think the general feel is that the ST6 bridges were the best or at least one of the best.

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Predict the unpredictable, but how do you unpredict the unpredictable?

Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :

It's the Blue/Green LCARS, baby!

I've got an urge..

I GOT THE BLUE GREEN LCARS POWERUP AND DESIGNED THE BRIDGE!

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"...screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" - Omega.

Irony ensues.

Free Jeff K

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Yep, still got it.

I say the Galaxy class battlebridge. No nonsense, just tactical, sensors, officers and a screen. NOT a goddamn disco-floor. Must be more shielded as well, tucked in there inthe gut of the ship, instead of ten feet from outer space. Where EXACTLY is the b-bridge placed, anyway?

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Here lies a toppled god,
His fall was not a small one.
We did but build his pedestal,
A narrow and a tall one.

-Tleilaxu Epigram

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Wait, don't answer that, found the battlebridge. Damn, that's not any better at all. Very exposed.
Can anyone tell me what advantage there is to placing the bridge at the highest point of the ship, and the closest to space???? Hell, if the shields go a rock can finish that windowed ceiling, like in Generations...

Oh, and which set did they shoot the Lakota bridge-scenes in?

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Here lies a toppled god,
His fall was not a small one.
We did but build his pedestal,
A narrow and a tall one.

-Tleilaxu Epigram

[This message has been edited by Nimrod (edited February 16, 2001).]

Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :

There can only be one proper bridge - that of the E-nul in TOS. All others are pale imitations. The Defiant is completely boring and vastly over-rated. I've liked some of the imaginative things they tried to do to the E-D TNG bridge - the dark alternate one in "Yesterday's Enterprise," some of the ones in "Parallels" (and even the "AGT" one), and the "Generations" refit - the original TNG bridge itself was horrible.

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Posted by Tech Sergeant Chen (Member # 350) on :

TOS rules! NCC-1701, no bloody A, B, C or D!

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Well, Roddenberry wanted the bridge on the top of the ship so that people knew where it was, and could easily identify it. The rationale behind *where* it is is basically that the shields took care of everything - in short, without shields, it wouldn't really matter where you were - weapons would go right to it regardless of location.

As for the Lakota, her bridge was not one of the usual sets. We *barely* see any of it, and for less than a minute. But what we do see of it is wierd, as Benteen's seat is partly in front of some floor-ceiling post, and has some sort of concole in front of it. My guess it was slapped together from pieces of existing sets (possible the Defiant's engineering set), a couple free-standing consoles, and a close camera angle.

Mark

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"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :

Oh yeah - my favorite bridge! I'm quite partial to the E-B bridge myself, despite the fact that it has waaaay to many chairs. People were rubbing elbows all the time.

That, and the alternate-continuity E-D from "Yesterday's Enterprise". Lots of stations, lots of people. And all those side stations weren't labeled "Communications".

Meanwhile, what's everyone's LEAST favorite bridge? My vote's for the Sovereign. It's big, but very cluttered and with lots of free-standing consoles that look like they'd fall over if you looked at the wrong. The forward stations were separate, but were so close together that that didn't matter. There're TWO doors to the conference lounge for no real reason, compounded by the fact that the lounge has no other exits - it's even wierder that the doors are only a few feet apart. Finally, all those free-standing stations have really sharp angles (placed obstensibly such that the bridge looks as "fast" as the ship). You could puncture a spleen if you walked into one of those - and given the clutter of the set, it's not unimaginable. At least in Insurrection they did away with Riker and Troi's consoles, but that makes even less sense as now they're given nothing to do except sit there. I think I'll stop complaining now.

Mark

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"Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"

- Carl Sagan, "Contact"

[This message has been edited by Mark Nguyen (edited February 16, 2001).]

Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :

I swear that the side stations on the port side of the Enterprise-D bridge in Star Trek: Generations were all labeled "Communications."

I'm not sure about the starboard side (did we ever see those clearly?).

And what was the deal with all those stations turning blood-red during red alert? That would have to hurt the eyes after a while.

The bridge set from TOS was okay, but I did have some "issues" with it. Those screens that were high up on the walls could have been put to better use. We only saw them being used, what, once? And the helm console bugged me. Whenever Sulu's scanner popped up, it came up through his main console of buttons.

ICQ Conversation From January 23, 2001.

[This message has been edited by Siegfried (edited February 16, 2001).]

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

I'm not sure about favorites, but there a few design elements I especially like. I like the way the Tactical and Ops stations on Voyager are set off into their own semi-alcoves. Makes sense, considering how much work seems to be involved in those jobs. I like the Conn/Ops setup on the Enterprise E. From a purely aesthetic viewpoint I really like the sweeping arch Tactical was on in the D.

Of course, my favorite bridge of all would be commander Balok's, of the First Federation vessel Fesarius, as it was apparently just a nice comfortable lounge with retractable minibar.

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[This message has been edited by Sol System (edited February 17, 2001).]

Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Minibars!!!!

Of course, we must put 'em on every new Starship bridge.

Actually, I wonder how the E-D's bridge would've looked if they'd decided to go ahead and put the conference table on it like they'd first thought ...

Posted by The Talented Mr. Gurgeh (Member # 318) on :

I liked the Enterprise D bridge from TNG, the Tactical area allowed access to more personnel if needed in battle. I think that bridge could have done with one or two more stations in the sides ie. where those computer core things were, between the turbolift and the captain's ready room.

The Voyager bridge is good, but I'd agree with Siegfried in that there is a lot of unused space. Those "fence" things look a bit dodgy too.

I think the Defiant bridge is very functional, with seated stations, which makes sense, as I think standing in the same place for long periods of time would get uncomfortable, this is a major shortcoming of many of the other bridges.

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*Bed made from solid stone explodes*
Fist of the North Star

[This message has been edited by Gurgeh (edited February 17, 2001).]

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

That, and the fact that you fall over when the Defiant get's hit... Every bridge should have seats for the stations, like in reality. They should have four-point seatbelts with a really simple mechanism so you can get away fast.
Of course, that, coupled with actual foolproof fuses for the consoles and armor for ceilings, to prevent falling debris und cables, would render Trekships usable. Can't have that, we need some casualties...

Come to think of it, there must be numerous ensigns and crewmen developing phobias for consoles. We've seen state-of-the-art ships getting steam and shortcircuits after the first hit, with shields only dropping to 80%.

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Here lies a toppled god,
His fall was not a small one.
We did but build his pedestal,
A narrow and a tall one.

-Tleilaxu Epigram

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

I also like Defiant bridge the best. Not just because of the seats. But also because they actually have an extra 'grip-bar' for when the ship makes some type of sudden move.

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Terry: "I forgot."
Max: "Come on, Clinton was the fun one, then came the boring one."
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Posted by Psi'a Meese on :

Purrr....

I have always preferred the Enterprise bridge designs from ST's: I-IV. They were modern improvements to TOS tv bridge. I prefer the lighting scheme shown at the opening of ST: III and the touch-panals -- with original Okudagams as shown in ST:IV. I also liked the silver wall-supports of that bridge-as a homage to the silver used throughout the bridge in 'The Cage'.

As much as I enjoyed the ST:VI bridge, I could never grapple with its size. Perhaps it was the way it was filmed, but I thought it was too big to fit in the space as shown on bridge module (the same one duplicated for the Excelsior model).
I also despised the 'graphic-equalizer' controls for the Helm console.

As far as just picking a bridge design, without consideration of the actual starship, I found that I liked the Prometheus layout and color-scheme.