Reads rather like an invasion to me, a beachhead, base of operations on foreign soil, defending against local species. You'd need to put some context in to explain exactly what the fed were doing there other than simply expanding aggressively
Trek set in an intergalactic level
- Thread starter Voth commando1
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Well, another galaxy might have a different character if dominated by artificial intelligence. A formidable machine civilization(s), in which the original AI rebelled against its biological creators. Similar to The Matrix or NuBSG.
That can be one of the questions of the show. Writers generally take what is known, or what is happening today and put it in science fiction to talk about it or examine it. If the Federation was to attempt to explore Galaxy M33 with starships, they would need space that is safe for their ships to be repaired and a long term presence should travel to and from that galaxy take long periods of time. Even if it does not take centuries, there would need to be a location and infrastructure present for Starfleet to operate. This would almost by definition be an Invasion of M33 by the Federation even if all they want to do is explore and meet new civilizations. Then there is the potential of a continuation of the Federation culture as being so far beyond what it once was (the First Season TNG evolved humans ideology) and the harm with good intentions that could happen week to week by either not interfering with the locals, or injecting their ideals at other species to justify their presence in the region or their not taking a side in a local conflict they happen to be passing through. Thus you start to question the Federation's character, much like today we question Western Civilization's character on other cultures (where as before Western Civilization seems to be what lead into the United Earth and contact with Vulcan and was quite visable in all existing Star Trek) . Is the Federation's goals worthy? Are they just imposing themselves on other civilization and thinking they are not, or just helping? Is their thirst for knowledge too great that they are expanding too much? Is there a limit to how far the Federation can expand without seeming like an invasion, either militarily or culturally?
Depending on the next decade or so, a writer might have a lot to say about how large modern powers interact with each other or smaller nations, or how a nation might behave differently from its traditional norm because of any number of reasons. Or even a backlash from a long term Federation policy that has gotten under peoples skin for one reason or another. While any number of those can be done locally with the Klingons or the Vulcan, or any number of known species across the centuries of known Star Trek lore, the lone distance exploratory colony setup without the ability to travel home (without the chance of adventure since there is not so much between galaxies) would require something outside our galaxy, since both DS9 and VOY show that in the Milky Way, even for a ship that is lost, or a station on the frontier, they can find adventure and/or make due with a trip home, be it 70 years to the Federation, a year to cross Federation space, or two weeks to Earth. An M33 series with some random tech travel between galaxies that takes many years of very boring travel to get from one to the other means that the local ship/station/crew can't go back as the trip back would be all ship based shows for season upon season, while also having to keep the route open for potential other ships to arrive in the future. The rest of the series would be normal Star Trek aside from the times the audience or the characters have to question just why is the Federation out there, and what they are doing locally.
It is but one idea. Most ideas don't need another galaxy to work, but there are things you can do for storytelling if the crew is not only a long way from Earth, but also cannot reasonably go home, nor be shown to be going home since even f they can go home, that basically ends the series or forced a massive time jump for the characters and world setting (I suppose that could be like the difference between Seaquest DSV and Seaquest 2032). Therefore they have to stay and explore or defend or reflect whatever the writers come up with in terms of social commentary of the decade.
Depending on the next decade or so, a writer might have a lot to say about how large modern powers interact with each other or smaller nations, or how a nation might behave differently from its traditional norm because of any number of reasons. Or even a backlash from a long term Federation policy that has gotten under peoples skin for one reason or another. While any number of those can be done locally with the Klingons or the Vulcan, or any number of known species across the centuries of known Star Trek lore, the lone distance exploratory colony setup without the ability to travel home (without the chance of adventure since there is not so much between galaxies) would require something outside our galaxy, since both DS9 and VOY show that in the Milky Way, even for a ship that is lost, or a station on the frontier, they can find adventure and/or make due with a trip home, be it 70 years to the Federation, a year to cross Federation space, or two weeks to Earth. An M33 series with some random tech travel between galaxies that takes many years of very boring travel to get from one to the other means that the local ship/station/crew can't go back as the trip back would be all ship based shows for season upon season, while also having to keep the route open for potential other ships to arrive in the future. The rest of the series would be normal Star Trek aside from the times the audience or the characters have to question just why is the Federation out there, and what they are doing locally.
It is but one idea. Most ideas don't need another galaxy to work, but there are things you can do for storytelling if the crew is not only a long way from Earth, but also cannot reasonably go home, nor be shown to be going home since even f they can go home, that basically ends the series or forced a massive time jump for the characters and world setting (I suppose that could be like the difference between Seaquest DSV and Seaquest 2032). Therefore they have to stay and explore or defend or reflect whatever the writers come up with in terms of social commentary of the decade.
I'm still waiting to see an example of how setting Trek in another galaxy would improve or be different than what we have today. Instead of complaining about people being cynical, let's see some support for the idea beyond "this is a good idea." Tell us why it's a good idea. Convince us. Win us over with facts or even opinions or ideas. Tell us why this is a good idea.
This. Tell us how it fundamentally changes the drama or storytelling.
This brings us back to the tech level. TOS was originally (on paper, prior to what we saw) supposed to be like this. Modeled after the British Empire and navy of the 17th and 18th centuries. Far flung colonies and outposts. It takes months of travel just to reach these locations. Supplies are limited and need replenished on a regular basis. The Enterprise was to serve as this supply ship as well as protect the colonies and trade route from hositles. Even some of the TOS we saw depicted this. Delta Vega was isolated. The Craters were on an isolated dead world and needed the Enterprise to check up on them and bring supplies. The miners in Mudd's Women were isolated on Rigel. Alone, isolated, living on your wits and not being able to quickly get help from the mighty Federation.
Voyager was supposed to be like this, on paper prior to what we saw. Stranded 75,000 light years from home at maximum warp. No Federation support. No starbase for repairs. Having to land on planets to resupply - much like a 17th century ship would find an island with fruit trees and resupply.
These ideas can be told in the Milky Way. It was poor writing or lack of imagination on the part of Voyager that they didn't pull this off. They abandoned this concept fairly early in the first season. They never really explored the idea to it's fullest. Which is a shame.
Your idea would bring this atmosphere to Star Trek if the writers could pull it off and resist following the same blind alleys that Voyager followed. It seems that technology level in Star Trek is what prevents this from happening withing the Milky Way. Or maybe its just bad writing.
You could tell this story by going to Borg Space or someplace else like it in the Milky Way.
And this story sounds like Deep Space Nine. The only major difference is your idea of a multi-year shortcut into the different part of space, instead of the multi-minute shortcut of the Bajoran wormhole. Again, you could set this kind of shortcut up within the Milky Way. And again, the writers would circumvent this shortcut with the discovery of a new, faster one the moment they got tired of writing the same kinds of stories every week. Nothing will force writers to remain committed to some original concept of a show, short of their own interest in the concept. Voyager made contact with Earth in the later seasons and Deep Space Nine's crew went back there regularly because the writers wanted to write about Earth (whether for good or ill is debatable), not because those shows were set in the Milky Way.
Okay new question could Trek do this in novel form? Without the inherent limitations of tv would it work say in a regular pocketbooks novel?
I agree with the sentiment behind this position. In fact, I think that in fiction generally, not just science-fiction, relatability is too often privileged over imagination and the empathy that imagination requires. But I don't think 30th-century Trek characters would be any more or less relatable to us than 24th-century Trek characters, unless the writers created clumsily artificial difference for the sake of difference that pushed the situations into the realm of fantasy, rather than science fiction--because in science fiction, the characters don't have to be relatable to me, but their situations do have to be relevant to a world governed by science. Otherwise, you get Doctor Who or Star Wars, which are enjoyable but not really science-fictional in more than their furniture and nothing like Star Trek.
Conceivably, with some very talented writing, but I'd venture it would be far more effectively done outside of the trek franchise, outside of established expectations and linear storytelling.
Long space voyages have been show effectively in movies, TV and novels;
2001, BSG are examples, Iain Banks on several occasions played with the ennui and fatigue involved in prolonged journeys in his Culture novels.
However, to keep on showing that week by week would tire very quickly. BSG made it work by focussing heavily on the interactions between characters and factions within the fleet, but to do that would not be what you are proposing, nor would it gel readily with the storytelling style much of the fanbase would expect, using alien contacts as allegory for real world issues.
I can picture this as a movie even, but again away from trek where movies are largely synonymous with increasingly fast paced action, not high concept sci fi (TMP and possibly TVH aside)
Again, it all comes down to the story. If there's a story requirement where you can only tell this story if it involves a different galaxy, then yes, it can be done in any medium, TV, movies, novel, video game.
Or seeing what a Kelvan actually looks like?
Star Trek has alway been a big chunk of fantasy, with a light sprinkling of science fiction on top.
It's pretty soft sci fi with a dabbing of fantasy throughout.
Sci-fi and fantasy are the same thing. Sci-fi just insists on having rational-sounding explanations for its horseshit, while fantasy is okay leaving it at "a wizard did it."
Of course Star Trek is science fiction. ST does exactly what SF is supposed to do... it starts with real science, and extrapolates from that what yet-to-be-discovered or invented science might be. That includes making sure things don't happen which could ONLY happen by magic, things we know to be scientifically impossible, which would be fantasy.
Soft science fiction is the core of science fiction. It's what most of SF is. ST's not hard SF, where we know all the science is real, and it's not fantasy, where supernatural beings cast spells, or whatever the hell they feel like throwing in. It's right inbetween, the mainstream of SF.
Soft science fiction is the core of science fiction. It's what most of SF is. ST's not hard SF, where we know all the science is real, and it's not fantasy, where supernatural beings cast spells, or whatever the hell they feel like throwing in. It's right inbetween, the mainstream of SF.
