If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done differently?

[PhoenixIreland]

Ok I havn't posted here in a while so I hope people will forgive me for starting threads on the same topic in a few different categories.

I read this thread:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=76186

and people came out with some really interesting suggestions, so I was wondering what people would come up with if the same was done for TNG, DS9 and Voyager.

In this case TNG.

Personally I've already suggested a few things here before that I'll recap and combine with some new suggestions:

• I think they should have stuck more with the idea of deep space exploration in new territory and cut out a lot of the boring diplomatic missions like magic women kept in special eggs in the cargo bay, the ship was designed for deep space missions of 5 years or so anyway, and since it was basically a floating palace in many ways it was ideally suited for a long range mission. This doesn't mean they stayed out there forever, they could still come back semi-regularly and do the good stories like the Klingon Civil War etc
  
• I would have drastically changed Westley, no wizkid, I don't think I need to explain why If we kept him on I would have developed the cadet story more along the lines of what they did with Nog later in DS9. They did one episode with the flight accident that follows this kind of model and they had Picard mentoring him a bit, I would have explored that more.
  
• I know this is a small point but I wish they would have shown more respect to Tasha after she died, this whole "empty death without purpose" theme they had going bugged me. She was killed trying to get around the creature to rescue Deanna, thats hardly "a death without purpose".

So, suggestions?

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

They definitely should have kept the deep space exploration angle.

Kept the initial Leslie Crusher idea instead od changing it to Wesley.

No Alexander and less Lwaxana.

Allowed for at least some conflict between the crew. Not anywhere near DS9 levels, but more was needed.

Definitely ditch the whole saucer seperation idea, which always came off as a bad toy tie in.

Much like Voyager, TNG needed more fleshed out secondary characters. Only DS9 excelled at this.

More focus on some of the neglected primary characters like Crusher and Geordi.

 

[Vic Sixx]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

I agree with the deep space exploration, more interesting.
I doubt I would have cast Patrick Steward in the lead, probably would have made the Captain someone more like Riker or Riker.
Would have made Wesley younger, and no genius.
Would have kept the Klingons as a threat. Not the noble savages.
Would have made a female command officer (not the Doctor).

 

[Red Ranger]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

People,

Some good suggestions. The one I most agree with is making the Enterprise far more a long-range exploration vessel, returning to starbases less frequently. I won't reiterate the others made here.

As for my changes, from the beginning, I would've given Troi a more fleshed-out role -- had her in uniform, already a bridge officer, and second officer. I would have also established more clearly that not only was she the ship's shrink, but that her skills and background made her a specialist in exosociology, that is, a diplomatic and first contact expert.

I would've also established a rotating duty officer position, which would have been a de facto third officer, so that characters like Data, Tasha, Geordi, and Worf would've taken turns in command of the ship when the captain, first officer, and second officer were off the ship. That would help shift the spotlight around and fleshed out those characters.

Red Ranger

 

[RyanKCR]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

First: Drastically redesign the Enterprise-D.

Second: Focus more on Sci-Fi stories that affect the "humanity" of the crew and less on the diplomatic, soap opera like stories that can be told anywhere.

Third: Stop making the B-stories drown out the main A-stories.

 

[Aquehonga]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Ok I havn't posted here in a while so I hope people will forgive me for starting threads on the same topic in a few different categories.

I read this thread:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=76186

and people came out with some really interesting suggestions, so I was wondering what people would come up with if the same was done for TNG, DS9 and Voyager.

In this case TNG.

Personally I've already suggested a few things here before that I'll recap and combine with some new suggestions:

• I think they should have stuck more with the idea of deep space exploration in new territory and cut out a lot of the boring diplomatic missions like magic women kept in special eggs in the cargo bay, the ship was designed for deep space missions of 5 years or so anyway, and since it was basically a floating palace in many ways it was ideally suited for a long range mission. This doesn't mean they stayed out there forever, they could still come back semi-regularly and do the good stories like the Klingon Civil War etc
  
• I would have drastically changed Westley, no wizkid, I don't think I need to explain why If we kept him on I would have developed the cadet story more along the lines of what they did with Nog later in DS9. They did one episode with the flight accident that follows this kind of model and they had Picard mentoring him a bit, I would have explored that more.
  
• I know this is a small point but I wish they would have shown more respect to Tasha after she died, this whole "empty death without purpose" theme they had going bugged me. She was killed trying to get around the creature to rescue Deanna, thats hardly "a death without purpose".

So, suggestions?

Woah!

Deja vu!

Me thinks me`ve seen this here topic befores yes

 

[Finn]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

^It doesn't pop up often like those Tuvix threads over at the Voyager forum.

 

[mirandafave]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

In a way I'd be sorely tempted to drop the whole Wesley character - but definitely the whole whizz kid at the helm controls in the midst of a crisis. Picard ought to have been sacked for allowing that to happen. But I figure character required to explore the whole family on a spaceship thing. Maybe have a whole Crusher family and how they interact and cope etc. Jack Crusher could be killed off then at some stage and we see them try to cope with the aftermath etc. His can be the empty death instead of Tasha's
Maybe security officer or could be XO and we see Riker take step up to XO position meaning his tenure as XO not so long considering supposed to be super talented officer material.

The introduction of the Romulans could be built up more at the time it almost was lost with the Borg story [in my fuzzy memory anyhew].

Troi not a counsellor because limits her usage as a character unless we visit the therepy counselling sessions. Instead she is the First Contact Officer or some kind of ship based diplomat/ambassador that put her in conflict with Picard sometimes.

Agree others flesh more secondary characters and more stories for Geordi and Crusher. They did more with Pulaski in her short than they ever did with crusher.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Ok I havn't posted here in a while so I hope people will forgive me for starting threads on the same topic in a few different categories.

I read this thread:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=76186

and people came out with some really interesting suggestions, so I was wondering what people would come up with if the same was done for TNG, DS9 and Voyager.

In this case TNG.

Personally I've already suggested a few things here before that I'll recap and combine with some new suggestions:

• I think they should have stuck more with the idea of deep space exploration in new territory and cut out a lot of the boring diplomatic missions like magic women kept in special eggs in the cargo bay, the ship was designed for deep space missions of 5 years or so anyway, and since it was basically a floating palace in many ways it was ideally suited for a long range mission. This doesn't mean they stayed out there forever, they could still come back semi-regularly and do the good stories like the Klingon Civil War etc
  
• I would have drastically changed Westley, no wizkid, I don't think I need to explain why If we kept him on I would have developed the cadet story more along the lines of what they did with Nog later in DS9. They did one episode with the flight accident that follows this kind of model and they had Picard mentoring him a bit, I would have explored that more.
  
• I know this is a small point but I wish they would have shown more respect to Tasha after she died, this whole "empty death without purpose" theme they had going bugged me. She was killed trying to get around the creature to rescue Deanna, thats hardly "a death without purpose".

So, suggestions?

Woah!

Deja vu!

Me thinks me`ve seen this here topic befores yes

It may be that I've made those three points now and then on separate threads on different topics in the past.
Also, of course it's come up before, EVERYTHING has come up before

 

[WillsBabe]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Like a few folks have already mentioned, I would have changed Troi's focus. I really enjoyed her role in the few eps where she was more active in researching alien cultures and contact, so I would have made her first contact officer, or xeno-anthropologist. That kind of thing. Also, I would have had her leave Riker for the sake of her career, rather than vice-versa. I'd have had them resume their relationship in fits and starts, but with more consistency than we saw in the aired show.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Some suggestions for a re-imagination of TNG:

- Make Riker a woman. Think Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds".

- Make Troi male. Both the XO and the Counselor are still ex-lovers though. Over the course of the 1st season their relationship would be slowly renewed and they would get together again.

- Keep Wesley Crusher. But don't make him so "perfect". Let him screw up like in "First Duty". Let him suffer from the pressure and high expectations, which are caused by his status as a "genius".

- Make Beverly Crusher more like a Pulaski-like character.

- Have Geordi as Chief Engineer from the beginning.

- Keep Data's original background as a product of an alien, highly-advanced civilization. A recurring story arc could be Data's search for his creators (that's why he joined Starfleet in the first place: to get on a deep space exploration vessel).

- Don't kill Tasha Yar.

- But what about Worf? Could he work as a Conn officer, for example? In the actual series he did not become a "complete" character until he was promoted security chief. So Tasha's death was a necessary step in Worf's development towards a fully fleshed-out character. Or maybe we put Tasha at the Conn and make Worf the security chief from the beginning?

- I would also try to keep more story arcs in the series. For example, the alien parasites from "Conspiracy" were orignally supposed to be send by the Borg. And "The Neutral Zone" was supposed to lead to the first contact with a Borg ship. Maybe the "Conspiracy" parasites could be machines instead of creatures. Then we would have a story arc that spans from "Coming of Age", "Conspiracy", "The Neutral Zone" to the Season 2 premiere (first contact with the Borg).

 

[WillsBabe]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

- Make Riker a woman. Think Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds".

- Make Troi male. Both the XO and the Counselor are still ex-lovers though. Over the course of the 1st season their relationship would be slowly renewed and they would get together again.

Oh, good idea. I'd like to write that as a fanfic, but I don't think I'd keep it straight in my head!

 

[Alrik]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

The introduction of the Romulans could be built up more at the time it almost was lost with the Borg story [in my fuzzy memory anyhew].

Being this far removed I guess it kind of sounds like a good idea, but I very vividly remember when it first aired and the Warbird de-cloaked, my thoughts were 'here we go'. Then again, I had been a Star Trek TOS fan from the age of 5, so I already knew who the Romulans were. As a matter of fact, I remember that I was visiting my parents the first time I saw this ep and went to get my mother (who is also a TOS fan) during the commercial and told that she needed to come "and check this out". Also keep in mind that at the time we didn't know it was a Borg story, just a mystery that peaked with the face off with the Romulans. So in a nut shell, the way that it originally was handle worked well for me.

 

[mirandafave]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

The introduction of the Romulans could be built up more at the time it almost was lost with the Borg story [in my fuzzy memory anyhew].

Being this far removed I guess it kind of sounds like a good idea, but I very vividly remember when it first aired and the Warbird de-cloaked, my thoughts were 'here we go'. Then again, I had been a Star Trek TOS fan from the age of 5, so I already knew who the Romulans were. As a matter of fact, I remember that I was visiting my parents the first time I saw this ep and went to get my mother (who is also a TOS fan) during the commercial and told that she needed to come "and check this out". Also keep in mind that at the time we didn't know it was a Borg story, just a mystery that peaked with the face off with the Romulans. So in a nut shell, the way that it originally was handle worked well for me.

You're right about the episode itself was great and the decloaking warbird was wow - in fact many times since the warbird just doesn't seem as vast or as impressive as it did that very firs time because of the way it was shot - but in that moment it seemed like the warbird could easily swat the Big D aside with impunity. It was afterwards we didn't [again in my fuzzy memory] see the Romulans as a threat so much in a way it would have been nice if their reappearance had had nothing to do with Borg incursions but the Federation border disappearances or attacks had been Romulan forays or factions looking to percipitate a war. That would have been cool! But obviously not go the DS9 route and have war but usual Jean-Luc diplomacy and winning tricks to save the day.

 

[Red Ranger]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

- Make Riker a woman. Think Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds".

- Make Troi male. Both the XO and the Counselor are still ex-lovers though. Over the course of the 1st season their relationship would be slowly renewed and they would get together again.

Oh, good idea. I'd like to write that as a fanfic, but I don't think I'd keep it straight in my head!

WillsBabe:

Reminds me of my thread, "Alternate TNG." It would've been interesting if it were Commander Troi as the ambitious first officer who left the male Counselor Riker for the sake of her career! A role reversal for sure, but interesting nonetheless.

One of the knocks on TNG was that two out of the three female regulars were in caregiver roles (Crusher and Troi), while Yar was the only one in the "male" role. I would've switched it up, and make the first officer a woman, a no-nonsense exec -- a cross between Number One in the very first ST pilot and Shelby, and the Counselor would've been a male half-Betazed.

Red Ranger

 

[WillsBabe]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

- Make Riker a woman. Think Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds".

- Make Troi male. Both the XO and the Counselor are still ex-lovers though. Over the course of the 1st season their relationship would be slowly renewed and they would get together again.

Oh, good idea. I'd like to write that as a fanfic, but I don't think I'd keep it straight in my head!

WillsBabe:

Reminds me of my thread, "Alternate TNG." It would've been interesting if it were Commander Troi as the ambitious first officer who left the male Counselor Riker for the sake of her career!

I enjoy that thread. I think I suggested it there,too!

 

[Red Ranger]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Oh, good idea. I'd like to write that as a fanfic, but I don't think I'd keep it straight in my head!

WillsBabe:

Reminds me of my thread, "Alternate TNG." It would've been interesting if it were Commander Troi as the ambitious first officer who left the male Counselor Riker for the sake of her career!

I enjoy that thread. I think I suggested it there,too!

I believe you did! Makes sense, given your screen name! I ripped you off! -- RR

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

- Make Riker a woman. Think Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds".

- Make Troi male. Both the XO and the Counselor are still ex-lovers though. Over the course of the 1st season their relationship would be slowly renewed and they would get together again.

Oh, good idea. I'd like to write that as a fanfic, but I don't think I'd keep it straight in my head!

WillsBabe:

Reminds me of my thread, "Alternate TNG." It would've been interesting if it were Commander Troi as the ambitious first officer who left the male Counselor Riker for the sake of her career! A role reversal for sure, but interesting nonetheless.

One of the knocks on TNG was that two out of the three female regulars were in caregiver roles (Crusher and Troi), while Yar was the only one in the "male" role. I would've switched it up, and make the first officer a woman, a no-nonsense exec -- a cross between Number One in the very first ST pilot and Shelby, and the Counselor would've been a male half-Betazed.

Red Ranger

Isn't the woman boss who's a b1tch just as much of a steriotype as the woman caregiver character?

 

[FalTorPan]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

Each character would have more of a back story. As examples, Geordi wouldn't be just a "non-street-talking, blind black man who flies the ship," and Troi wouldn't be just a sexy empath with unrequited feelings for Riker. I often had the impression that writers didn't know what to do with most of the secondary characters, and I think part of that has to do with their lack of development during preproduction of the series.

 

[Aquehonga]

Re: If you were the creator of TNG, what would you have done different

*Cast a stronger actress as Dr. Crusher. Gates McFadden was an empty suitcase in that role.

*Everything else is pretty as it is.

*Maybe make Data older so he could've been in TFF &/or TUC, But then that screws up his “father”'s story & relationship with Data & twin Lore.

*That's it for now dude.