News Starfleet Academy Coming to P+

[Rhodan]

They've been announcing casting and planned shooting dates. Not sure what else would be shared at this point.

OK, I meant virtually anything about characters, save to two. Maybe its normal at this stage, though.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Mirror Georgiou is a terrible character. I find it absolutely bonkers that Star Trek... ESPECIALLY Discovery, which is the entry in a franchise that has always been left leaning is the most on-the-nose and unashamedly left... wants us to be sympathetic to Space Hitler. The actual fuck, Discovery?!

But... she's Michelle Yeoh. If you have Michelle Yeoh, you use Michelle Yeoh.

I think what Disco was trying to say was that in the prime-verse, Mirror Georgiou gets a second chance, because she hasn't committed crimes in "this" universe.

 

[The Wormhole]

I've generally headcanoned that at least in the earlier period, pre-Generations, the uniforms were two different divisions of Starfleet. We know there is an "Exploratory Corps", which I assume would be where the E-D is assigned. DS9 may be a different division and received different uniforms, sort of like how the Lower Decks utility ships are clearly a different division as well. On a side note, I also think Voyager wasn't Exploratory Corps, but was something more related to DS9, given their mission was to go hunt criminals in the badlands rather than... exploring.

The original intent was that the TNG uniforms were for starships, while the DS9 uniforms were for space stations. This does get adhered to somewhat faithfully throughout DS9, whenever we see a starship visiting the station, their crews wore the TNG uniforms.

The issue gets muddled because of Generations, where they had planned to introduce new uniforms, which were used for the first couple of days of filming before being abandoned. Because they didn't have time or budget to make another new uniform design, they decided to go with the DS9 uniforms to give the movie a different look from the TV series. And even then, they only had enough money to make tailor made DS9 uniforms for Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner. Jonathan Frakes had to wear Avery Brooks's uniform, while LeVar Burton wore Colm Meaney's. There weren't any DS9 uniforms available to fit the others, creating this weird situation where both uniforms are being worn on the same ship.

For Voyager, the original plan was they would wear the new uniforms from Generations, the idea being those would have replaced the TNG uniforms as they Starship uniform. Presumably this would mean we would have seen the Generations uniforms worn by officers from the ships visiting DS9, and Sisko would have worn that when he visited Earth. But when the Generations uniforms were abandoned, they decided to use the DS9 uniforms due to a combination of them being newer and they looked better on the actors than the TNG ones.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

The original intent was that the TNG uniforms were for starships, while the DS9 uniforms were for space stations. This does get adhered to somewhat faithfully throughout DS9, whenever we see a starship visiting the station, their crews wore the TNG uniforms.

The issue gets muddled because of Generations, where they had planned to introduce new uniforms, which were used for the first couple of days of filming before being abandoned. Because they didn't have time or budget to make another new uniform design, they decided to go with the DS9 uniforms to give the movie a different look from the TV series. And even then, they only had enough money to make tailor made DS9 uniforms for Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner. Jonathan Frakes had to wear Avery Brooks's uniform, while LeVar Burton wore Colm Meaney's. There weren't any DS9 uniforms available to fit the others, creating this weird situation where both uniforms are being worn on the same ship.

For Voyager, the original plan was they would wear the new uniforms from Generations, the idea being those would have replaced the TNG uniforms as they Starship uniform. Presumably this would mean we would have seen the Generations uniforms worn by officers from the ships visiting DS9, and Sisko would have worn that when he visited Earth. But when the Generations uniforms were abandoned, they decided to use the DS9 uniforms due to a combination of them being newer and they looked better on the actors than the TNG ones.

Honestly, I just assumed that TNG S6 / DS9 S1 had established there were two uniforms to choose from, and it was the starship captain or station commander's choice of which to wear.

 

[Firebird]

OK, I meant virtually anything about characters, save to two. Maybe its normal at this stage, though.

They only began filming a couple months ago. That's way too early in the production of the first season of any live-action series to info dump your main characters.

The issue gets muddled because of Generations, where they had planned to introduce new uniforms, which were used for the first couple of days of filming before being abandoned. Because they didn't have time or budget to make another new uniform design, they decided to go with the DS9 uniforms to give the movie a different look from the TV series. And even then, they only had enough money to make tailor made DS9 uniforms for Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner. Jonathan Frakes had to wear Avery Brooks's uniform, while LeVar Burton wore Colm Meaney's. There weren't any DS9 uniforms available to fit the others, creating this weird situation where both uniforms are being worn on the same ship.

I've always thought it was funny that Playmates didn't get the memo in time to revise the Generations action figures. That was the only way we saw those uniforms.

​

Honestly, the actual costumes themselves look rather underwhelming, so they made the right call to change over to a mix of the TNG and DS9 unis:

 

[Tomalak]

Those costumes were terrible and it's a relief they were abandoned. Imagine if Voyager had been stuck with them?

I always thought it would have been cool if the Equinox crew had worn the TNG costumes. Not only would it have been a nice visual indication that they had been in the Delta Quadrant longer, it would also have been easier to tell the two crews apart.

 

[Tosk]

I've always thought it was funny that Playmates didn't get the memo in time to revise the Generations action figures. That was the only way we saw those uniforms.

The long lead-time on figures is what caused it. When the change was made, Playmates knew they had been royally screwed but there was nothing they could do about it and still make the deadline.

And then it happened to them again on the First Contact Enterprise.

 

[NCC-73515]

The FC concept ship is at least display canon
The Playmates FC spacesuit figure also looks like the concept drawing and not like the final design.

 

[Tomalak]

Their Borg drone is also based off the concept art and doesn't really match what was seen on screen.

 

[The Wormhole]

I always thought it would have been cool if the Equinox crew had worn the TNG costumes. Not only would it have been a nice visual indication that they had been in the Delta Quadrant longer, it would also have been easier to tell the two crews apart.

Voyager seemed to exist in some weird bubble where everyone in Starfleet wore the DS9 uniforms during 2371-73. Case in point, in Non Sequitor Harry is assigned to Starfleet Command where he and everyone else there are wearing the DS9 uniforms. Then a few months later on DS9, Sisko switches to the TNG uniform when he goes to Starfleet Command, which everyone else there is wearing.

Curiously, everyone is also wearing the DS9 uniforms at Species 8472's fake Starfleet Command, though that has its own issues surrounding it that could really derail this thread.

 

[Tosk]

Their Borg drone is also based off the concept art and doesn't really match what was seen on screen.

Although it matches very well to the column of dead Borg we see on Voyager.

 

[evilchumlee]

The original intent was that the TNG uniforms were for starships, while the DS9 uniforms were for space stations. This does get adhered to somewhat faithfully throughout DS9, whenever we see a starship visiting the station, their crews wore the TNG uniforms.

The issue gets muddled because of Generations, where they had planned to introduce new uniforms, which were used for the first couple of days of filming before being abandoned. Because they didn't have time or budget to make another new uniform design, they decided to go with the DS9 uniforms to give the movie a different look from the TV series. And even then, they only had enough money to make tailor made DS9 uniforms for Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner. Jonathan Frakes had to wear Avery Brooks's uniform, while LeVar Burton wore Colm Meaney's. There weren't any DS9 uniforms available to fit the others, creating this weird situation where both uniforms are being worn on the same ship

It's muddled to though because when we see space station personnel in TNG other than from DS9, they're wearing the TNG uniforms...

I'm totally fine with there just being a transition period of two uniforms. Starfleet may have originally intended the DS9 style to be a station uniform, eventually moving to it being an option for everyone, to just outright replacing the TNG ones with it being more popular.

I kind of feel like... in-universe... the TNG-style uniform was kind of hastily thrown together. They used the Monster Maroons for so long and then went for a dramatic shift in their uniform design, but I feel like there was some kind of Lost Era impetus for them to do so. I think it's beyond just the uniforms too though, the whole early TNG aesthetic is a stark contrast to Lost Era stuff... phasers stop looking like guns and turn into dustbusters... big ships start looking Space Hotels... they were going for like, a kinder, gentler Starfleet and kind of threw together the pajama uniforms quick. It's no surprise they got so many revisions over a short period of time.

Voyager seemed to exist in some weird bubble where everyone in Starfleet wore the DS9 uniforms during 2371-73. Case in point, in Non Sequitor Harry is assigned to Starfleet Command where he and everyone else there are wearing the DS9 uniforms. Then a few months later on DS9, Sisko switches to the TNG uniform when he goes to Starfleet Command, which everyone else there is wearing.

Curiously, everyone is also wearing the DS9 uniforms at Species 8472's fake Starfleet Command, though that has its own issues surrounding it that could really derail this thread.

I think it just speaks to the two uniforms being an option through the 2370's. I've suggested through observation that at least for awhile, the TNG-style may have been a slightly more formal option, so people like Leyton and Sisko would wear them on Earth due to their positions... while the people Kim was working with at Starfleet Command while important, weren't quite on that level and tended to for the more "work" uniform.

8472's fake Starfleet Academy probably doesn't factor into this much. Nobody from Voyager fell for it and believed it was really Starfleet Academy, so they could absolutely have gotten things wrong and it doesn't matter.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's muddled to though because when we see space station personnel in TNG other than from DS9, they're wearing the TNG uniforms...

Those examples are all from before DS9 began though. You'll note, we never see space station personnel on TNG after DS9 started.

I'm totally fine with there just being a transition period of two uniforms. Starfleet may have originally intended the DS9 style to be a station uniform, eventually moving to it being an option for everyone, to just outright replacing the TNG ones with it being more popular.

Although it should be noted, the TNG uniforms were never actually replaced. We continue to seem them all throughout DS9, even after the switch to the gray FC uniforms.

 

[evilchumlee]

Those examples are all from before DS9 began though. You'll note, we never see space station personnel on TNG after DS9 started.

I'll give you the benefit on that one because i'm too lazy to confirm.

Although it should be noted, the TNG uniforms were never actually replaced. We continue to seem them all throughout DS9, even after the switch to the gray FC uniforms.

I mean, they're eventually replaced.

I like to try to think of in-universe reasons why. The real world answer is boring. Maybe those TNG style uniforms were just repurposed into another division of the fleet, or that different division just never switched over to the FC uniforms.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They only began filming a couple months ago. That's way too early in the production of the first season of any live-action series to info dump your main characters.


I've always thought it was funny that Playmates didn't get the memo in time to revise the Generations action figures. That was the only way we saw those uniforms.

​

Honestly, the actual costumes themselves look rather underwhelming, so they made the right call to change over to a mix of the TNG and DS9 unis:

I have the Picard figure somewhere.

 

[The Wormhole]

Maybe those TNG style uniforms were just repurposed into another division of the fleet, or that different division just never switched over to the FC uniforms.

We always see them in group shots among people wearing the FC uniforms. Including a battle strategy briefing during the war.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Voyager seemed to exist in some weird bubble where everyone in Starfleet wore the DS9 uniforms during 2371-73. Case in point, in Non Sequitor Harry is assigned to Starfleet Command where he and everyone else there are wearing the DS9 uniforms. Then a few months later on DS9, Sisko switches to the TNG uniform when he goes to Starfleet Command, which everyone else there is wearing.

Curiously, everyone is also wearing the DS9 uniforms at Species 8472's fake Starfleet Command, though that has its own issues surrounding it that could really derail this thread.

Uniform of the Day

 

[evilchumlee]

I have the Picard figure somewhere.

I had the Geordie, and when I was younger it always confused the hell out of me. I didn't understand why he was in a weird uniform.

Although... honestly I don't hate the almost-Generations uniforms.

 

[Jayson1]

Those costumes were terrible and it's a relief they were abandoned. Imagine if Voyager had been stuck with them?

I always thought it would have been cool if the Equinox crew had worn the TNG costumes. Not only would it have been a nice visual indication that they had been in the Delta Quadrant longer, it would also have been easier to tell the two crews apart.

I don't know. I think they would have looked okay once on people and of course with movie lighting. After all these years though I am still waiting for a Starfleet uniform that comes along and does it better than the TOS movie maroon uniforms. Still my favorite after all these years.

 

[Jayson1]

I have the Picard figure somewhere.

I think I had a Picard and Data. Wish I knew where they are now.