Data's station switch

Sketcher · November 20 2012, 11:48 PM

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but what were the in-universe and real reasons for the ops and helm stations being switched around after Encounter at Farpoint?

Minuet · November 21 2012, 12:35 AM

This isn't a complete answer, but in terms of an in-universe explanation, it's likely that the two forward stations are interchangeable anyway due to the completely touch-based LCARS interface. We've already seen that the far-back stations are modular like that, since they can each individually be set for different departments. It makes sense that either forward station could be helm or ops depending on the preference of whoever is in command.

Picard perhaps realized that he preferred it the other way, for whatever OCD reason.

MacLeod · November 21 2012, 12:43 AM

Well it's only proper that the driver is on the left side.

Minuet · November 21 2012, 12:45 AM

Right, and Picard is European! It all makes sense.

Trekker4747 · November 21 2012, 12:49 AM

MacLeod wrote:

Well it's only proper that the driver is on the left side.

I'm sure you mean "right side" since that's where the Helm station is and where it driver's seat is on European cars.

Anyway, I don't think there's any "in-universe" explanation and there may not even be a decent "out-of-universe" explanation either. The closest I can think of is that it was different from TOS which is what they were going for in TNG's early season? To be as un-TOS as possible?

It's meaningless anyway, the idea is that the consoles on the ship are interchangeable, if Picard wanted his helmsman to stand in the horseshoe railing and the weapons officer at one of the aft stations he could have it set it up that way.

T'Girl · November 21 2012, 01:16 AM

From a production point of view, putting Data on the port side of the bridge, put him on the same side as the two turbo lifts, and the door to the ready room. After the first season the helm was largely occupied by a dialog-less extra (and Wesley), who sat next to the unused door to the emergency turbo lift.

In terms of camera angles, moving Data made a lot of sense.

Trekker4747 · November 21 2012, 01:33 AM

T'Girl wrote:

From a production point of view, putting Data on the port side of the bridge, put him on the same side as the two turbo lifts, and the door to the ready room. After the first season the helm was largely occupied by a dialog-less extra (and Wesley), who sat next to the unused door to the emergency turbo lift.

In terms of camera angles, moving Data made a lot of sense.

Very true.

MikeS · November 22 2012, 08:31 AM

Perhaps LaForge was left handed? He asked for the displays to be swapped after he came on board from Farpoint.

Captain McBain · December 5 2012, 08:34 PM

MikeS wrote:

Perhaps LaForge was left handed? He asked for the displays to be swapped after he came on board from Farpoint.

The episode "Ship in a Bottle" shows that Geordi was right handed.

MikeS · December 6 2012, 01:50 PM

In my head, I like to imagine that the two weeks it took for your response were spent busily sifting through all available material in order to prove/disprove my outlandish theory.

Teh Cannonz!

Xhiandra · December 6 2012, 02:33 PM

Trekker4747 wrote:

MacLeod wrote:

Well it's only proper that the driver is on the left side.

I'm sure you mean "right side" since that's where the Helm station is and where it driver's seat is on European cars.

No, just UK cars. Even then, not sure about Northern Ireland, they might drive on the right as well to align with Ireland.

MikeS · December 6 2012, 03:19 PM

Both N.I and Ireland drive on the left too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_...t-hand_traffic

DrBeverly · December 11 2012, 02:31 PM

There are several episodes of S1 TNG that feature Data (at his usual left-hand-side ops panel) being ordered to set a course, so it's indeed likely that the systems are interchangeable, and that many operations can be performed from multiple panels.

Similarly, I'm sure communications and weapons etc have occasionally been handled from different panels to the tactical position.

November 20 2012, 11:48 PM	#1
Sketcher Commander	Data's station switch I'm sure this has been discussed before, but what were the in-universe and real reasons for the ops and helm stations being switched around after Encounter at Farpoint?

November 21 2012, 12:35 AM	#2
Minuet Lieutenant Commander Location: The marvelous progressive utopia of California	Re: Data's station switch This isn't a complete answer, but in terms of an in-universe explanation, it's likely that the two forward stations are interchangeable anyway due to the completely touch-based LCARS interface. We've already seen that the far-back stations are modular like that, since they can each individually be set for different departments. It makes sense that either forward station could be helm or ops depending on the preference of whoever is in command. Picard perhaps realized that he preferred it the other way, for whatever OCD reason.

November 21 2012, 12:43 AM	#3
MacLeod Vice Admiral Location: Great Britain	Re: Data's station switch Well it's only proper that the driver is on the left side. __________________ On the continent of wild endeavour in the mountains of solace and solitude there stood the citadel of the time lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe looking down on the galaxies below sworn never to interfere only to watch.

November 21 2012, 12:45 AM	#4
Minuet Lieutenant Commander Location: The marvelous progressive utopia of California	Re: Data's station switch Right, and Picard is European! It all makes sense. __________________ "What's a knockout like you doing in a computer generated gin joint like this?"

November 21 2012, 01:16 AM	#6
T'Girl Vice Admiral	Re: Data's station switch From a production point of view, putting Data on the port side of the bridge, put him on the same side as the two turbo lifts, and the door to the ready room. After the first season the helm was largely occupied by a dialog-less extra (and Wesley), who sat next to the unused door to the emergency turbo lift. In terms of camera angles, moving Data made a lot of sense.

STAR TREK

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ABOUT US

November 22 2012, 08:31 AM	#8
MikeS Fleet Captain Location: Liverpool, UK	Re: Data's station switch Perhaps LaForge was left handed? He asked for the displays to be swapped after he came on board from Farpoint. __________________ One day soon, man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in... some sort of spaceship.

December 6 2012, 01:50 PM	#10
MikeS Fleet Captain Location: Liverpool, UK	Re: Data's station switch In my head, I like to imagine that the two weeks it took for your response were spent busily sifting through all available material in order to prove/disprove my outlandish theory. Teh Cannonz! __________________ One day soon, man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in... some sort of spaceship.

December 6 2012, 03:19 PM	#12
MikeS Fleet Captain Location: Liverpool, UK	Re: Data's station switch Both N.I and Ireland drive on the left too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_...t-hand_traffic __________________ One day soon, man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in... some sort of spaceship.

December 11 2012, 02:31 PM	#13
DrBeverly Ensign	Re: Data's station switch There are several episodes of S1 TNG that feature Data (at his usual left-hand-side ops panel) being ordered to set a course, so it's indeed likely that the systems are interchangeable, and that many operations can be performed from multiple panels. Similarly, I'm sure communications and weapons etc have occasionally been handled from different panels to the tactical position.