Star Trek peeves

[Tracy Trek]

The last time she had been seen wearing a uniform before Jellico commanded was the mini dress in season 1. And that might have been just in the pilot. They showed some extras wearing those too (even a man IIRC ). And I think Yar was seen in a mini dress in one scene.

 

[cultcross]

Not hanging up Combadges:

The use of comms generally is wildly inconsistent in 24th century Trek and required a computer that was very intelligent at realising when people wanted to transmit and not.
Sometimes they tap their combadge or a panel to start talking, other times they just say 'Sisko to Dax' into thin air. Sometimes they tap to answer, sometimes they just say 'Worf here'. Sometimes they 'hang up' by word or gesture, other times they'll just say 'on my way' or similar and somehow that cuts off the transmission.
And it is never clear how private the comms are - the implication from the audio is that the incoming sound is just broadcast for all to hear - which as well as being very bad at handling sensitive or private information would make a busy ship deafening. Imagine how bad mobiles would be if they only had speakerphone mode.

 

[The Wormhole]

The last time she had been seen wearing a uniform before Jellico commanded was the mini dress in season 1. And that might have been just in the pilot. They showed some extras wearing those too (even a man IIRC ). And I think Yar was seen in a mini dress in one scene.

The "skant" uniforms were worn by many extras throughout the first season, and yes, even by a man.

 

[stardream]

The use of comms generally is wildly inconsistent in 24th century Trek and required a computer that was very intelligent at realising when people wanted to transmit and not.
Sometimes they tap their combadge or a panel to start talking, other times they just say 'Sisko to Dax' into thin air. Sometimes they tap to answer, sometimes they just say 'Worf here'. Sometimes they 'hang up' by word or gesture, other times they'll just say 'on my way' or similar and somehow that cuts off the transmission.
And it is never clear how private the comms are - the implication from the audio is that the incoming sound is just broadcast for all to hear - which as well as being very bad at handling sensitive or private information would make a busy ship deafening. Imagine how bad mobiles would be if they only had speakerphone mode.

There was one scene depicting Tuvok and Kim having what amounted to a private conversation on the bridge. I can't remember the episode but the conversation was along the lines of "Don't do that. It makes people nervous."

 

[tim0122]

Self-aware holograms.

Fuck off.

This may have already been talked about in this thread but what is wrong with self-aware holograms? As long as you program them with that information and/or allow them to learn from their environment, what's the problem? How are self-aware holograms any different than Data being self-aware? For tech based beings like that, it's all in how they are built and programmed.

 

[Paradise City]

This may have already been talked about in this thread but what is wrong with self-aware holograms? As long as you program them with that information and/or allow them to learn from their environment, what's the problem? How are self-aware holograms any different than Data being self-aware? For tech based beings like that, it's all in how they are built and programmed.

Self aware holograms is a road that they shouldn't have gone down - unless they got some alien to screw with the software. Now any Starfleet computer with a few words from a half wit can now create an infinite number of sentient people. At least with the positronic brain, it's tough to build, so not every jamoke can do it.

 

[Admiral2]

They failed to sell the decision of 'Strand yourself to prevent the slavery of a defenseless race' well, but that doesn't mean it was a stupid decision.

What makes the decision stupid was the utter lack of consideration for options that worked for both sides. Even in her damaged state, 24th century technology should have afforded Voyager the ability to arrange for the array's destruction after the ship returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Tuvok even said he could make the damn thing send them back, so use it and leave torpedoes with delay timers to blow it up. That means no series? Fine by me. The resulting series sucked anyway.

But if you're desperate to have a series, take the decision out of the crew's hands. Either make it suffer a catastrophic failure or get moved and hidden by the Caretaker's spouse or some automatic system or whatever.

The failure to sell the "strand yourself" premise comes from a simple fact: it was a situation where stranding themselves wasn't necessary. There is no way to properly sell an action that nobody needs to take. Writers getting paid to write TV shows ought to know that and not base entire shows on the utter foolishness of the main character.

(Unless we're talking Archie Bunker or Homer Simpson, but they ain't Trek.)

 

[tim0122]

My ST peeves:

- No money.

- "Look how evolved we are, that makes us better than you."

1. I've always thought that the Federation must have some sort of money system for special occasions and for dealings with species who do still have money (such as the Ferengi).

2. To be fair, I think they got much better with this after the first two seasons of TNG.

 

[T'Girl]

Even in her damaged state, 24th century technology should have afforded Voyager the ability to arrange for the array's destruction after the ship returned to the Alpha Quadrant.

IIRC, the Kazon were closing in, it would have taken time to figure out how to send Voyager back, and Voyager likely could not have stood up to the Kazon ship while defending the array.

And Janeway didn't want the array to fall into Kazon hands.

So where was this option to leisurely research the array, plant delayed explosives, send Voyager home prior to the array's destruction?

Likely something like the Enterprise Dee could have done this, but not Voyager.

.

 

[hux]

This may have already been talked about in this thread but what is wrong with self-aware holograms? As long as you program them with that information and/or allow them to learn from their environment, what's the problem? How are self-aware holograms any different than Data being self-aware? For tech based beings like that, it's all in how they are built and programmed.

Self aware holograms is a road that they shouldn't have gone down - unless they got some alien to screw with the software. Now any Starfleet computer with a few words from a half wit can now create an infinite number of sentient people. At least with the positronic brain, it's tough to build, so not every jamoke can do it.

Yeah that^

Sentience shouldn't be achievable simply by saying "computer, create an adversary capable of defeating Data."

But If you insist on doing it then at least explore what it means. If Picard came across a planet of sentient trees, he would have taken their sentience seriously. Moriarty, he put in a box then went for a shit.

 

[tim0122]

Yeah that^

Sentience shouldn't be achievable simply by saying "computer, create an adversary capable of defeating Data."

But If you insist on doing it then at least explore what it means. If Picard came across a planet of sentient trees, he would have taken their sentience seriously. Moriarty, he put in a box then went for a shit.

He treated it a bit more seriously than that. From what we're told, he did tell others in Starfleet about it and people were working on ways to get holograms out of the holodeck. He didn't even put Moriarty "in a box" until his second appearance, when he hijacked the ship and threatened them all.

P.S. I always wish I could see a story where they revived Moriarty after Voyager returned home, because if they were willing to make more holo-emitters, it would be nice if he had gotten one.

 

[Richard Baker]

P.S. I always wish I could see a story where they revived Moriarty after Voyager returned home, because if they were willing to make more holo-emitters, it would be nice if he had gotten one.

By that time Moriarty and his companion would have spent several years exploring the simulation Picard created for them when he put them into a box.
Just imagine the issues these two would have had when they discovered everything they had experienced was a lie but now here is some more technology which would free them just like before only it is real this time, really, it is real, we promise...

 

[hux]

Did we ever find how the Duchess became sentient? I mean it's bad enough that La Forge's words could make a sentient Moriarty but we're supposed to believe that Moriarty can also whip up a sentient girlfriend.

Why not also give him a talking dog that tells saucy anecdotes.

Pu-lease.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The Doctor was one of the most interesting characters on VOY, so I'm glad they did go down the road of sentient holograms.

 

[Paradise City]

Yeah that^

Sentience shouldn't be achievable simply by saying "computer, create an adversary capable of defeating Data."

But If you insist on doing it then at least explore what it means. If Picard came across a planet of sentient trees, he would have taken their sentience seriously. Moriarty, he put in a box then went for a shit.

Our heroes treat Moriarty like he's a hamster. They put him in a box and give him to Barclay as a pet.

You think as a sentient being the Prof would get a trial or even be entitled to press charges himself!

It's like what they do to with Lore. They dismantle the guy and stick him on a shelf. He doesn't get much legal protection. Kinda puts Picard's big speech in the Drumhead episode in a new light.

 

[Cate]

The fact that command codes don't get changed as soon as a captain or xo leave the ship - eg Chakotay in Maneuvers

Why they all have a problem with Will and keep firing at the poor bugger.

 

[Paul Weaver]

Moriarty returned in the novel "The Light Fantastic", which also revisted Lal, the androids from "I, Mudd", and the Roger Korby type androids

 

[Admiral2]

IIRC, the Kazon were closing in, it would have taken time to figure out how to send Voyager back, and Voyager likely could not have stood up to the Kazon ship while defending the array.

And Janeway didn't want the array to fall into Kazon hands.

So where was this option to leisurely research the array, plant delayed explosives, send Voyager home prior to the array's destruction?

Likely something like the Enterprise Dee could have done this, but not Voyager.

.

This situation is not a problem as long as the Kazons want the array intact. You go to option B: let them have it.

Leave the system for long enough to make repairs to the ship and give Tuvok a chance to study the array data he already has. When you've got the key to the array and fully functioning weapons, you come back and take the array back from the Klingon wannabes

BTW, Voyager's weapons and systems were supposedly more advanced than Ent-D's, so Voyager not being a Galaxy-class is no excuse.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well, no. But then the US Navy also doesn't have a flagship either.

Actually the US Navy has a few, not just one.

Entire organizations don't have flagships. Specific Admirals have flagships. That's the point - a flagship is any vessel on which an Admiral has planted his/her flag.

So for example, the Enterprise in TWOK was a flagship - because Admiral Kirk was in command.

Therefore the phrase "flagship of the Federation" makes no logical sense, but the writers use it anyway, I guess just because they think it sounds cool.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Security guards who have a phaser in hand and can easily fire and stun the aggressor from a distance, who instead walk up to him for some unknown reason and get laid flat.


Federation starships that seem (pre mid D.S.9. and Voyager) to have no maneuvers. "Attack plan Omega!" and the ship doesn't appear to do anything.


"Fire all phasers" or a battle where firing more weapons would have been greatly beneficial, and what happens? One or two torpedoes are fired and maybe one phaser array will be used. If the Enterpise D could get over the enemy ship, that's at least four phaser strips it could fire at once (that I recall on thue bottom).


Why are people still carrying heavy objects all the time? In TWoK we saw officers breifly using hover carts to push around objects.


Doesn't anybody ever have to use the bathroom while on Bridge duty? Even Data can and on rare occassion would consume liquids, which in turn would have to be dispelled, so even he on rare occassion has to "pee".


Why in the world is a ship's counselor always on the Bridge?


The complete inability to use the ship's internal defense systems to block or even contain an intruder or escapee.
Worf: "Captain, intruder alert, deck 12, section seven!
Picard: "Oh, that's bad."

What Picard Should Have Said: "Mr. Worf, erect level ten forcefields at sections nine and thirteen, all connecting cooridors therein, and lock all doors. Once you get a lock, beam the intruder into the Brig. Picard to Brig, enable a holding cell forcefield and prepare for a guest."

Or disable the gravity on that deck, or erect the forcefields and remove all the air inbetween, until he sufficates, then beam him to sick bay and bring him back, or beam him away as soon as a lock occurs, etc. I can only recall one time they used forcefields to stop somebody in the cooridoors, and it was Wesley. A good choice, but still.


If you can use a site-to-site transport inside the ship, how come characters always have to run to someplace in an emergency? Take, for example, the Enterprise D is nearly about to be blown to pieces and only Barclay can save them, in "The Nth Degree", yet with only a few minutes, what does he do? He jogs at a brisk pace to the holodeck. Emergency transport!