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How would you improve the bridge?

Right, right, so, we’ll get rid of the neck, you see, and make it more like Voyager! Squat and stretched, that’s cool, yeah? But dont make it a little fattie like Voyager. We’ll remedy that with the Prometheus design later. It’s going to look so cool. You’re going to love it. And it’s going to break apart in THREE ships and blow shit up! Think of the toy possibilities! Oh, and the “Equinox” (equal parts light and dark, get it?) too. And we’ll make that crew murderers, and they’ll be lead by Captain…Ransom! Perfect. And stretch the E long so it looks awkward when it’s doing anything but moving forward or you’re looking at it in a picture. And turn the weapons up to 11! The new Federation flagship is going to be a battleship, and it’s gonna fire quantum torpedoes at the last second and destroy the Borg in the big moment! Yeah. That’s right. And no families allowed on it either. Families are so gay. Anyway, yeah, and it’s gotta be a fraction of the size of the D (and maybe the C) because small is cool, like the Millenium Falcon, that’s what kids like. No labs and other adult stuff. But it has to be longer than all the other Enterprises because size counts length-wise. …yeah, anyway, I love the Seven catsuits. What do you think about putting a Vulcan supermodel in one for the next series? And let me tell you about these naked de-con gel rubbing scenes I’ve been thinking about!

Berman era Trek in a nutshell. :guffaw:

People go on and on about how bad "nu-trek" is while acting like Berman did so much better. At least Alex Kurtzman and his team are willing to take a few risks.
 
Here's how Rob Bryan and Stage 9 studio imagined the "ramp" connecting the Bridge to the Observation Lounge:

Enterprise-D-Observation-Lounge-ramp.jpg


Enterprise-D-Observation-Lounge-ramp-1.jpg
Amazing
 
How about changing the color-design of the bridge?

I'm thinking of some livelier colours...how about a combination of mauve, mint and salmon?
 
I...or the “head” (if that’s what it is) next to the door to it. Or the head in Picard’s Ready Room…what exactly do they use in the future? Do they take a pill once a week or do they in fact still use a toilet?
So you want to see what exactly? Captain Picard sat on a toilet reading a newspaper?

Why do you (and others) think that characters in Star Trek don't have or have to use toilets? Because we've never seen Riker and Geordi stood next to each other at the urinals having a piss?!

What an odd thing to want depicted on screen.
 
So you want to see what exactly? Captain Picard sat on a toilet reading a newspaper?
That’s rather crass and unimaginative of you.

Why do you (and others) think that characters in Star Trek don't have or have to use toilets? Because we've never seen Riker and Geordi stood next to each other at the urinals having a piss?!
Well, different societies prioritize advancements in different kinds of technologies. If there’s one I’d love for us to make advancements on in the future, it’s making going to the bathroom less of a thing. And when you’re talking about people who have mastered artificial gravity, matter/energy conversion, antimatter power, and FTL propulsion, making pooping easier is not something that might be beyond them. Thanks.

What an odd thing to want depicted on screen.
I’d rather they take a pill once a week. But, see: Tywin Lannister’s final scene. Master of the Universe meets his fitting end.

Everything in life is part of it and can be explored artfully when done right.
 
I always thought the waste was beamed out of them.
Same could be said about dirt and grease and such, making showers obsolete, except as luxury items.

But then what people like the Gorgon Pulaski who refused to be beamed?
 
The bridge in Generations looked great
Having the side consoles from Day 1 also keep the action/actors closer together and facing forward, had Data been the science officer (or Wesley instead of taking the Conn from S2) then I suspect they might have opted for these stations to ensure he was always in a prominent place.

Instead of chairs for the command officer, put in a bench. That also solves the original question of there not being enough chairs in the center in case all command officers are present.

Andrew Probert explored this option in one of his early designs for the Enterprise-D bridge:

Enterprise-D-bridge-concept-art-2.jpg

Enterprise-D-bridge-concept-art-5.jpg
I've not seen this version of the bridge and have to say I like it, it's not as outlandish as the first concept and makes it slightly more functional rather than just some sort of lounge where the senior staff all hangs out.
 
I've not seen this version of the bridge and have to say I like it, it's not as outlandish as the first concept and makes it slightly more functional rather than just some sort of lounge where the senior staff all hangs out.
The biggest problem I have with this design and the previous one are the console couches. Can you imagine trying to work but a couch is attached to your console and people are literally sitting there having a conversation 30 inches away from you? Or the other way around, you sit there enjoying the view drinking your earl grey and some ensign is breathing down your neck hammering commands into his console?
There's a reason we don't have airplane seats with integrated monitors in the back in offices, it's annoying outside of specific short term situations.

I would improve the bridge by taking the Generations version and making some additional changes. I'd ditch the two front stations and replace them with a single larger pilot station like Voyager's, the horseshoe can stay because it gives the bridge a distinct and interesting look but it would not be a regularly manned console. I would also reduce the number of consoles in the back to three to make it look less cramped, imagine five people sitting there next to each other on the regular TNG bridge, there'd be a lot of elbow bumping.
 
Having everyone face forward as on the VOY bridge doesn’t make sense. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like the GEN bridge. It’s good for TV, but in-universe you don’t need every random station looking at the camera. This is one way in which TOS and TNG were more realistic.
 
the horseshoe can stay because it gives the bridge a distinct and interesting look but it would not be a regularly manned console. I would also reduce the number of consoles in the back to three to make it look less cramped, imagine five people sitting there next to each other on the regular TNG bridge, there'd be a lot of elbow bumping.

I've sometimes thought that the horseshoe console should have less the Tactical Console specifically and more of an "Duty Officer Station" that gives a junior officer in command enough console to bring up information as needed (and give a decent overview of rest of the bridge), but doesn't by default present enough information to distract.

As far as the rear console bank goes, to support the above I'd have most of the bank devoted to a large screen Damage Control panel ala the Intrepids and the early Excelsiors, flanked by two smaller consoles for specific engineering functions.
 
I think the Generations bridge pretty much nailed it, if just because it finally gave Worf a chair.

Though I've noticed recently how awkward it looks when people walk down the ramps on the side, so maybe steps would've actually been better there? I know the ramps give it an unique look but there's probably a reason no other bridge has them.
 
I think the Generations bridge pretty much nailed it, if just because it finally gave Worf a chair.

Though I've noticed recently how awkward it looks when people walk down the ramps on the side, so maybe steps would've actually been better there? I know the ramps give it an unique look but there's probably a reason no other bridge has them.
It has ramps because it's the future! But no seriously. Stairs are a tripping hazard. They're like the hallways on DS9 where you're constantly having to step over raised floor. You're tripping over your own feet in a red alert. On the D bridge you're (theoretically) gliding gracefully up and down the upper and lower parts of the bridge.

But looking at the GEN bridge, the platform the command chairs are on now to me looks like they're trying to hard. It's what SIsko said of the prefect's office in "Emissary" about Cardassian design -- it's elevated so that everyone else has to look up. Also, look at the two stations on each side facing forward....exactly who is sitting there, and why are they looking at the view screen? Is that Environmental Control? Why is the air-conditioning guy trying to stare down Tomalak?

Meanwhile, I mean, come on...
 
To be fair it's only elevated enough so that everyone's not looking down on their captain. And you could also ask why the guy at Ops is staring down Tomalak. (Let's face it, everyone's looking at Andreas Katsulas when he comes on screen no matter what direction their console is facing).
 
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