Seems like everything else has been changing in the books, why not the uniforms? Naturally, it's not like we'd really "see" the new uniforms with any kind of regularity save for a book cover here or there, but I've never been a big fan of the First Contact uniforms and it's getting to be 13 years since those uniforms debuted. What do you think?
I like the FC uniforms. Also, it may have been 13 years in real terms but much less than that in in-universe terms.
I thought that was the great thing about imagination, why don't you just imagine they have new uniforms?
I've always dug the FC uniforms and I don't think that they should be changed. If anything, the combadges should be updated to the ones seen in the Voyager episode "Timeless" ("Captain" Geordi LaForge was wearing one while still in the FC uniform in 2390) and the TNG finale "All Good Things...". But as it was stated above, what does it matter? We'll hardly ever see a representation of it. Maybe on a book cover now and then but that's it....
^Really ? The "All Good Things" uniforms reminded me of the uni's worn in the first two seasons of TNG. They look like an uncomfortable onepiece. Kind of ugly to boot... What is it you like about them?
I'd love to see the characters photoshopped (on the covers) into the Star Trek Online/Countdown uniforms. The "All Good Things"/"Endgame" uniforms are super-fugly, imo. The USS Kelvin outfits (no doubt much more expensive) are what those should have been.
The First Contact uniforms are the 2nd-best Starfleet uniforms we've ever seen (right after the Wrath of Khan uniforms). One of the things I hate about onscreen Trek is that it seemed like Starfleet was changing its uniform every few weeks for a while there -- first it changes from the modified TWOK-era uniforms into the TNG spandex, then from the TNG spandex to the TNG Season 3-style, then from the TNG S3-style to the DS9/VOY-style, then from the DS9/VOY-style to the FC-style. Before that, the TWOK uniforms stayed for at least sixty or seventy years, with some modifications. Let the uniforms stay for a while longer.
The TWOK uniforms make Starfleet look like Mounties in space. And when changing a uniform means "walking to the replicator and back", constant (if OTT) updates are much less wasteful than they would be nowadays. Each costume is still recognizably Starfleet.
1. I think that the dress uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police looks very cool, very powerful, and very professional. The idea of a Starfleet uniform resembling them is just fine by me; it made them look like an actual military force rather a bunch of guys in pajamas. Yeah, so? It's still stupid to change what works all the time. It's a waste of time, a waste of energy, and it hurts Starfleet's ability to build a long-term, recognizable professional image.
I agree with Sci and Christopher. After keeping the TWOK uniforms for decades (only eventually removing the turtleneck), Starfleet then goes and changes the uniforms three times within 10 years. I say stick with the FC uniforms for as long as possible. As to Riker's new uniform, I think it makes for a great Captain's Variant of the current uniform.
I do believe that the uniform we see Captain Riker wear on the cover to Synthesis is the same variant we saw Captain Picard wear in Star Trek: First Contact and Captain Sisko wear in "Rocks and Shoals."
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the TNG "Future Imperfect"-style commbadges being incorporated at some point (only because it's my favorite commbadge design, mind you), but otherwise I'd like to see the First Contact uniforms continue for the foreseeable future...
Wasn't the idea on DS9 that their uniforms were meant to be more like work clothes rather than a new Starfleet uniform. When they visited Earth in the Changeling two-parter, Sisko changed into the TNG uniform. The problem is that in Generations and Voyager it became the new uniform, whereas both of them should have had the TNG uniform.
^I think the term would be "fatigues" rather than "work clothes." And yes, it did seem that they were meant to be a less "dressy" variant of the standard uniform; we saw both uniform styles used interchangeably in DS9 and GEN. But they seemed to catch on as the standard uniform by the time of VGR. One of the things that bugs me about the TWOK uniforms is that they're way too dressy for everyday use. I could buy them as dress uniforms for formal occasions; but for everyday use, they should've ditched those ridiculous double-breasted jackets and just gone with the turtleneck and slacks, much like the pilot-era uniforms.
^ I have the same problem with most of the uniforms. They're just not practical for anything other than standing around at a station talking technobabble. TMP (with its variants, field jackets, etc.) and the DS9/VGR uniforms went a bit toward addressing that, but even those weren't all that practical for field conditions (especially the footwear). The current 24th century uniforms are okay for shipboard/garrison use, but I'd like to see a utility uniform for away missions and other conditions where you might get dirty. You know, something functional, with pockets and stuff.
Which is what TWOK introduced, too. Useful jackets for away missions, hazard suits for engineering, armored suits for security personel, different uniforms for non-commissioned personel, and those nice red uniforms for officers aboard a starship. I dig that. In TNG they totally forgot about that, and they always wear their non-functional jumpsuits for everything.