The Star Trek Thread

[Scruff Dog]

While they don't have money I think they still have some kind of energy allowance for the use of replicators, holodecks and things. Assuming those are in use in this time period. So they may have to do some kind of work for their energy allowance.

[conon394]

While they don't have money I think they still have some kind of energy allowance for the use of replicators, holodecks and things. Assuming those are in use in this time period. So they may have to do some kind of work for their energy allowance.

Although you never see anyone borrowing ECs. Overall I think Stark Trek writers more or less prefer to ignore the paradox that key pieces of Federation technology make more or less most things people do redundant.

Theoretically most People in the Federation should be in Star-fleet and it should be a very aggressive organization. Think about the Prime Directive its a bit silly and its spun in the show(s) but OK fine - but the Federation provides a peaceful techno paradise to its members and allows primitive cultures to develop on their own - great. But the Romulans, Klingons and what have you don't, and they have the same technology that more or less eliminates any need for an extractive empire to provide a high standard of living. Given all the excess manpower in the Federation its seems to me should really hyper anti conquest and drive back imperial cultures to their home wolds where they can practice their own culture under quarantine.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

That would kind of logic used by the Bad SF officer in the movie would certainly have the movie more interesting - How can the Feds just stand by while the Klingons enslave people who likely never had the capacity to exist who are certainly having there culture altered when one of the fundamental principals of the Federation is to avoid that. In fact if you think about the Federation is a democracy surrounded by autocracies and oligarchies and as Demosthenes warned that is not a good thing they will come for you and so you better try to go first. The Bad Admiral is really kind of right the Federation should have attacked the Klingon Empire liberated its subjects - His error was circumventing the law and of course using you know who to do it

[Condottiere 40K]

I think there are stratas of Federation society. Probably closer to DS9.

The complaisant ones stay in the core worlds, probably producing art works and cutting edge research. The more adventurous and/or disaffected ones move to the frontier and those who through ideology (whether religious or otherwise) reject the Utopian template they were born under, isolate themselves in remote systems.

There's probably a welfare system that provides a basic stipend sufficient for a dignified existence, any further resources requires some form of useful social employment.

[Gaidin]

You know, that would be an awesome show. A West Wing style show set in the Federation. But hell, they'd never do that.

[Condottiere 40K]

If it's a democracy, it will probably all come crashing down eventually, as the religious nutters tend to be the ones who produce the most offspring.

[Slaytaninc]

Then again I always thought that Federation society was really set out kind of half-assed.

In all reality, we mostly only see how Starfleet operates. Of course Starfleet can run it's operations without having its crew worry about money, as a star ship has rationing anyways.

Additionally, it seems like everyone in Starfleet has something to prove, a chip on their shoulder. Always talking about people patronizing them.

[AqD]

I think there are stratas of Federation society. Probably closer to DS9.

The complaisant ones stay in the core worlds, probably producing art works and cutting edge research. The more adventurous and/or disaffected ones move to the frontier and those who through ideology (whether religious or otherwise) reject the Utopian template they were born under, isolate themselves in remote systems.

There's probably a welfare system that provides a basic stipend sufficient for a dignified existence, any further resources requires some form of useful social employment.

Probably on a planet-scale only. There are mentions of people in remote planets turned aggressive and became criminals against each other due to lack of resource.

[Sar1n]

So...I just saw Into Darkness.

I don't think I'll see a serious movie with so many shout outs ever again. And not just ST, there were even Star Wars references and I'm sure I missed some on first watching. But it took me until one of last scenes with admiral Marcus to realize that those imperial uniforms, especially Section 31 one, that needed just proper rank insignia to pass as bridge officers of Star Destroyer, aren't just giant shout-out but actually meant to represent the change of Starfleet into military organization.

But overall...not bad movie, but too many shout outs and...well, it came up as unoriginal. No big surprise, only I expected Khan and his crew to be dropped off at Ceti Alpha V instead of being kept in storage indefinitely. They spun the story so closely to TOS movies that it was readable minutes in advance.

And two things about Klingons. First, they were nothing like in previous movies. Some facelift could be expected, but this...and did anyone noticed that Praxis was already blown up? It's not necessarily a spoof, it looked more like the whole disaster happened earlier as both them and Federation are preparing for war. It might also explain why the part of Qo'noS looked like after a nuclear war.

[Lord Rahl]

Long time, no priority one subspace communications, my fellow Trekkies!

I've been gone for some time, but I'm back for the time being and that means talking a bit of Star Trek, if resurrecting a thread.

If y'all didn't know, Robert Orci, one of the writers for the previous two Star Trek films, will be directing the next movie and he has said that it will be about the beginning of the "five year mission", about exploration in deep space. While I think I've lost most all of my hope for an actual good story for the next, and probably final, Trek movie, this at least gives me some hope. There are two other writers for the next movie. They are both new and don't have much experience in Hollywood, but I read an interview with them and they really know their Trek. Anyway, here's an article with Orci: http://www.cinemablend.com/m/new/Sta...ace-43641.html

And I was on reddit in r/StarTrek and the discussion went to talking about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. One redditor said the movie sucks because Shatner directed. Well, Shatner was watching and called him out! http://np.reddit.com/r/startrek/comm..._roots/ciiugzm

[Hobbes]

Yeah, Shatner frequents that place... Also, holy , you're back!

[Lord Rahl]

Hopefully, I can stay back on TWC to be a top contributing member again. This August will be my tenth year!

Robert Orci also perused the same reddit thread. A redditor said he hopes the Borg aren't ruined. Orci said, "Too late." Haha. By the way, if you're on Twitter, I recommend following @MikeOkuda (Michael Okuda). He worked on a lot of VFX and did scientific/technical consulting for many a Star Trek series and movie. Most of the time when I ask him a question about something Star Trek, he'll reply.

[G-Megas-Doux]

Oh man I loved that great reddit find.

I actually enjoyed Start Trek V myself. The bits that don't work are more due to the studio wanting Shatner to do something different then what he intended to do. Star Trek V > Reboot Star Trek when it comes to plot. There actually is a plot and it works a lot better.

[Lord Rahl]

I agree. A lot of it looks like a cheap movie, which it was, but the emotional elements are done very well. My two favorite parts are when Sybok tries to win Bones and Spock to his side and Kirk's defiant speech, and then Kirk challenging "god" and the latter's need for a starship.

[G-Megas-Doux]

So much was done through out the original series with the characters that you can see they respect each other and for me I love the care that Shatner showed Uhura and Scotty on the bridge or Chekhov and Sulu lost or Kirk, Bones and Spock camping. At no point in the reboot do any of the characters appear to respect each other. Most of the time they barely tolerate each other on a begrudging basis.

I don't know if you heard this but after Enterprise was cancelled J. Michael Strazinsky of Babylon 5 fame swallowed his pride and went to Paramount to pitch a Star Trek reboot with new actors as a series. I would so loved to have seen that and could have got behind that. Just imagine how well written it would have been. Oh the sadness. Still there is always the fan made phase two.

[Lord Rahl]

That's one of the biggest reasons why JJ-Trek turned me off so much. The characters don't act like the characters we know of. Nor do they act like members of a crew of a starship that necessitates intelligent and cooperative officers, especially when it comes to the two most important characters in Star Trek, Kirk and Spock. Spock is emotionally compromised half the time, allowing the emotions get the better of him - which is a failure of him being mature rather than showing his "human" side. Not only that, but he acts like an arrogant dick - not excessively, but still - with his knowledge rather than demonstrating his superior intelligence and being matter-of-fact about it.

Then you have Kirk, who acts like an immature teenager around females and authority figures. He doesn't act out of cunning or bravery, but out of sheer ignorance and a " it!" attitude. We're given no reason to trust any action or decision he makes because he doesn't demonstrate that he even knows what the hell he is doing himself. He shows no apt ability for guile, decisive action, strategy, or (most importantly) leadership. Kirk is supposed to be the Enterprise's captain, Starfleet's most legendary, and for good reason, figure because he faces every challenge and always comes out on top (because he acts like a great leader). And all he wants to do in the reboot movies is do things his way, damn the irrationality and damn any consequences, because . . . because. Let's not forget that he seems to only want to argue with Spock rather than work with him to come up with the best, most informed decision.

And where is Bones left in all of this? He's left to tell Kirk how dumb he's acting, which is true, and how green-bloodedly Vulcan Spock is, also true. Bones is supposed to be the ethos, and I've said this so many times to people since the JJ-Trek movies have come out, in the pathos-logos-ethos (spirit-logic-ethics), Kirk-Spock-McCoy triumvirate that was the heart of the TOS characters we loved so much.

I was alright with the triumvirate not being there in the first movie, but it was barely recognizable in the second. They still argue more than cooperate. There seems to be barely any trust between them other than they have no other choice because that's where the plot has them stuck. The story might be a lot better in the next movie. Maybe they'll have an actual sci-fi story that challenges our minds and hearts, but if the main characters continue to act as they do, with Uhura's annoyingly-forced love for Spock thrown in there, then it won't be enough.

/rant

[Condottiere 40K]

It's anime in live action with better dubbing.

[Lord Rahl]

OMG UR RITE

[Mangalore]

JJ movie making apparently is creating such a mind numbing cluster that your brain is too busy with all the explosions, lens flares and shaky cam to realize that the story is inherently broken and devoid of any consistency or logic. Was true for the first Trek movie by him, was even worse with the second.

[G-Megas-Doux]

How to make a J. J. Abrams film

Step 1. What would happen if we gave stupid people authority and really expensive complicated weaponry?
Step 2. Hey kid hear is a torch point it any place you like whilst we are filming.
Step 3. What would be really cool too do that fits into the plot? Hey you know this is not needed he could just do something simple? No it must be spectacular. I want the audience to think wow I've never seen anyone get a coffee like that before.
Step 4. We must keep showing how great at problem solving our heros are. (How stupid our plot is)

[Luke Evans]

Idk about you guys but I'm going to get some brewskies listen to rush and watch battlestar galactica