The Explorer2 bridge was partially inspired by Shik's Gaia design, with the forward consoles flanking the viewer and multiple levels, and partially by a system of waterfalls in a Japanese garden I was once at. I envision this one as a fleet combat kind of bridge, with a necessary Strategic Ops station for fleet coordination and communication. If there's one thing I find odd about this design, is that it's got waaaay too many angles. If it ever gets built, I'll have to remember to bring sandpaper.
The Cruiser bridge is the opposite of the above; it's almost too round. Anyway, I wanted to have the Captain and crew really squished in together to facilitate command decisions, resulting in the final design. The "Aux Sys" console is mostly a monitoring console, and is there for when the captain wants to look at something his chair-mounted mini-displays won't show. He can stand there (almost as if it were the wheelstation on a sailing ship) and give orders without everyone being too far away. One neat thing about both this and the Explorer2 bridges are that the Conference Lounges are forward fo the bridge - gives people a better view of where they're going, rather than where they were.
Finally, the Transport bridge is my minimalist design as far as bridges go. I figure that there really wouldn't be much to do on a cargo freighter, and so the Captain doesn't even have a chair - he'd man the Sensor and Tatical console in combat, were that ever to occur. Otherwise, he'd either man the Ops console himself or come to the bridge only when really necessary for communications or special circumstances, and would man the centre console then.
Thoughts? Opinions? Ego-inflating praise?
Mark
[Edits to remuv speelink ehrrurz]
[This message has been edited by Mark Nguyen (edited February 14, 2001).]
posted
The Freighter bridge is really quite neat. We've seen alien frieghter bridges, but never any Federation and/or Starfleet, and I think this fits in with everything that has gone before, while maintaing a distinct look. It's cool, and small, and non-cluttered.
The explorer II bridge also rules. It's very angular, which provides a neat, menacing, militaristic, and utilitarian look to it, the reciprocal of a Galaxy-type explorer bridge.
Good work.
------------------ "...screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" - Omega.
posted
Maybe not, but at warp the stars'd be rushing towards you instead of away from you. That's a switch, at least. Plus, imagine the mosquitoes that'd be splattered all over the forward lounge windows at FTL speeds..!
Mark
------------------ "Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"
posted
We did see a Starfleet freighter in a really bad first-season DS9 episode, IIRC.
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Forum Member Who Shall Be Nameless. 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001
posted
I definately like the Explorer-2 bridge. Magnus was right, it is functional in appearance. And for those of you that don't have good visualization skills, it gives the bridge a auditorium look. I assume that the main view screen is gimongous, yes?
I'm also curious, what is the size of the Explorer-2 bridge?
------------------ Beverly: "I have a patient here who wishes to see you, captain. Picard: "Welcome aboard the Enterprise-E, Mr. Worf. Worf: "Thank you sir. The Defiant?" Picard: "Adrift, but salvagable." Riker: "Tough little ship." Worf: "Little? It's 170 meters long." Riker: "Don't be rediculous, Worf, everybody knows, after careful study of certain screencaps, that its under 120 meters long." Worf: "I suppose now you'll tell me it is a Valiant Class vessel?"
[This message has been edited by The Antagonist (edited February 14, 2001).]
I did this quick-and-dirty comparison with a Galaxy-class bridge layout I found online. The GCS picture is more than a little inaccurate, but you can get a general idea of the scale of the thing.
And yes, you can see that the main viewer is not big, but HUGE. TV production may restrict the size of the thing on shows (smaller screen = less need for greenscreen on most shots) but here we've no such restrictions here. I've always hated tat about Voyager - the viewscreen is really really tiny, and yet ALL the stations on the bridge are made so everyone can look at it.
Mark
------------------ "Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"
posted
Coolness! Um, one minor problem I foresee, though. It looks like, despite the huge size of the main viewer, the Mission Ops I & II, Tac II/Security, and Strategic Ops/Comm stations might have some trouble getting a good view. Generally, it might be better to make the forward two stations, (Sci I and Eng.) further recessed than the Tac II and Ops stations. That way no one is blocking anyone's view. The Mission Ops people just won't be able to see anything right next to the viewer like that.
In terms of scale, I always use comparisons to get a feel for the size of a thing. Chairs are generally 2' by 2', doors 3' in width, turbos anywhere from 7' to 10' in diameter, etc. Not like that helps anyone, just a misc. comment.
posted
Damn your scanner! Damn it to hell! I command it to work - now! These sketches need company, and YOU WILL PROVIDE! All of you, start sketching NOW!
[ahem]
About viewing the viewer - the M. Ops guys aren't supposed to. They *never* have a good look at the viewscreen, be it on the E-D, Voyager, or Defiant. I guess I'm keeping the tradition.
The Tac II and Strategic Ops guys can look at it if they crane their neck, but they don't really have to - on the Defiant, the Tac people don't get a good look at all. But for my guys, they don't really have to - primary fire control and target tracking / analysis would be handled by the Tac I station, while Tac II would be doing stuff like weapons status, damage control, internal security, etc. The Strategic Ops person would be doing mostly communications and fleet status stuff, and wouldn't use the main vuewer excet to relay fleet communiques or strategic plans or something.
Mark
------------------ "Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"
posted
Okay, to prove how much I liked your Explorer2 bridge (and to pacify my obsessive-compulsive tendancies for absolute perfection), I cleaned up your original drawing to the best of my abilities. There may be a few things off, but we'll just call it artistic liscense for now, okay?
posted
Wow, cool! Consider me officially flattered.
And in case anyone was wondering, the little grid things were replicators, and the panels between the forward sets of doors are pretty much like those vertical light panels on the E-D - the ones taht flash the alert colours. Tiny little MSDs could be there too (as on the E-D).
Anyway, a big thank you to Tag for this! It's nifty!
Mark
------------------ "Why build one, when you can have two at twice the price?"
------------------ "Lately I've noticed that everyone seems to trust me. It's really quite unnerving. I'm still trying to get used to it." - Garak, "Empok Nor"
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