New Tech Manual - What do you want to see?

[Mysterion]

So, with a new technical manual on the way (http://www.vfxworld.com/?sa=adv&code=3631a5a1&atype=news&id=27664), what do you think should be included? What do you want to see? What's been left out of previous manuals that you think should be in this one?

Personally, I'd like to see a manning roster included in the upcoming book.

 

[Firebird]

To start with, I'm ECSTATIC at the prospect of a new tech manual. I always love reading these things!

Anyway, I really hope they include a full set of deckplans in this. And a few selected section schematics would be nice as well (like how Shane Johnson did with Mr. Scott's Guide).

 

[Data Holmes]

I want to see it treated like it was an in world tech book, and not a "simple trek tech book".

Some examples of that would be the FJ Tech Manual, Ships of the Star Fleet, Starfleet Dynamics, ect...

 

[Admiral_Young]

WOW this is excellent news and somewhat unexpected...but to have to wait a year for it sucks unless it's spectacular quality. I was hoping for a Neo Enterprise tech manual and I'll be buying it the first day it is published! As for what I would like to see..I'd like it done similar to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Tech Manual and for it to include the Narada and USS Kelvin and maybe a small section on the size of Starfleet. For some reason I got the impression that Starfleet is smaller than we've seen in the past. Deck plans would be awesome.

 

[Mr. B]

I am rather ambivalent about this release. I really enjoyed the TNG and DS9 manuals but I'm not expecting this one to be up to par with regard to, dare I say it, "plausibility." It would be nice if they somehow managed to include both the insane descriptive detail found in the TNG manual with the bold, color visuals of the DS9 book. I am rather curious about the deck plans and how they plan to rectify the inconsistencies inherent in the set design, or lack thereof.

 

[Mysterion]

I agree that it should be presented as an "in universe" publication. Personally, I find that sort of thing much more entertaining than a "behind the scenes" type of book. I think it should just focus on the Enteprrise, though rather than trying to cover all the other ships we saw in the movie. There'll be plenty of time to do stuff about those things if this manual sells well, IMO.

 

[Data Holmes]

I agree that it should be presented as an "in universe" publication. Personally, I find that sort of thing much more entertaining than a "behind the scenes" type of book. I think it should just focus on the Enteprrise, though rather than trying to cover all the other ships we saw in the movie. There'll be plenty of time to do stuff about those things if this manual sells well, IMO.

Indeed. Focus on the Enterprise. Perhaps some sections on uniforms/insignia from this time in there as well.

And maybe a little toss in "after action report" of the stuff that happened in the film from Pike.

 

[sojourner]

From reading the article it seems they are going for a Chilton's auto repair guide type of publication. Can't wait to see how they reconcile all of the scale issues!

 

[Cary L. Brown]

From reading the article it seems they are going for a Chilton's auto repair guide type of publication. Can't wait to see how they reconcile all of the scale issues!

I'm more concerned to learn whether they use "regular" or "lite" ... ahem... hops-based engine coolant...

 

[JNG]

I only want to see it be a big sales success, so they know there is a market for Trek tech publications...hopefully to also include "classic" Trek tech at some point, too.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

"Tech books don't sell..."

Isn't that what they keep telling us?

The demographic that is making this movie money is NOT going to plunk down a wad of cash for blueprints and set layouts.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

"Tech books don't sell..."

Isn't that what they keep telling us?

The demographic that is making this movie money is NOT going to plunk down a wad of cash for blueprints and set layouts.

Well, I have little interest in buying this particular book at the moment, but if it turns out really well, I could change my mind (even though I don't like this "new reality" version of Trek very much). I just see it as being a MASSIVE challenge to create a reasonable, believable, convincing "tech manual" based upon what we see in this movie. I'm concerned it will be more along the lines of "exploitation" stuff... that is, very little "meat" but a lot of nonsensical chatter and a lot of pretty, glossy pictures that don't REALLY say very much, except "doesn't this look cool."

If they can accomplish more than that, I may buy it after all.

That said... I really, really hope that the book DOES sell well. If for no other reason than to be able to say "Nyah-nyah" to the "publishing experts" who, for years, have been claiming that there's no market for new Trek materials based upon the failure of the "Neelix's Cookbook," or the "Star Trek Encyclopedia, tenth printing (with three whole new pages!)"

 

[Trekker4747]

I want to see it treated like it was an in world tech book, and not a "simple trek tech book".

Some examples of that would be the FJ Tech Manual, Ships of the Star Fleet, Starfleet Dynamics, ect...

The TNG Techmanual is *very* in-universe tech heavy.

Orders of magnitude more than the DS9 techmanual was.

I love the TNG tech manual.

 

[Data Holmes]

I want to see it treated like it was an in world tech book, and not a "simple trek tech book".

Some examples of that would be the FJ Tech Manual, Ships of the Star Fleet, Starfleet Dynamics, ect...

The TNG Techmanual is *very* in-universe tech heavy.

Orders of magnitude more than the DS9 techmanual was.

I love the TNG tech manual.

The TNG manual was good, but it didn't stick with it, slipping into the real world from time to time... That just throws you out of the "in world" feel which is why I didn't include it in my example list. Had they not put the "real world" blurbs in there, or even just confined them to an appendix of some type, it would have been far better.

 

[ThunderAeroI]

I want to see it treated like it was an in world tech book, and not a "simple trek tech book".

Some examples of that would be the FJ Tech Manual, Ships of the Star Fleet, Starfleet Dynamics, ect...

The TNG Techmanual is *very* in-universe tech heavy.

Orders of magnitude more than the DS9 techmanual was.

I love the TNG tech manual.

The TNG manual was good, but it didn't stick with it, slipping into the real world from time to time... That just throws you out of the "in world" feel which is why I didn't include it in my example list. Had they not put the "real world" blurbs in there, or even just confined them to an appendix of some type, it would have been far better.

Well the real world onyl came in play in the footnotes sections, which I think is fine, because it is providing us commentary. The book can;t be produced into a vacuum and I think some real world play is to be expected.

I still look at the TNG tech guide from time to time.

 

[DaveyNY]

Perhaps if one were to take a look at examples of other Haynes Publications, one would have a pretty good idea of what the NuEnterprise Manual will be like...

Home Page... http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001

Wikipedia Article... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haynes_Manual

 

[Praetor]

^Those PDFs don't show much.

If they at least come out like the DK Cross-Section books that were done for "Star Wars" I'd be happy, but I'm hoping for something better.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

^Those PDFs don't show much.

If they at least come out like the DK Cross-Section books that were done for "Star Wars" I'd be happy, but I'm hoping for something better.

That's the thing... this outfit has done real, technical "guide books" (useful for learning how to service your motorcycle) but it's also done "compilation of pretty pictures" books, too.

If it turns out to be the latter, rather than the former, I won't be interested. I'd rather pay for a technically-substantial book on newsprint than a "pretty-but-hollow" book printed in six colors on glossy archival stock. But hey, that's just me.

 

[miraclefan]

"Tech books don't sell..."

Isn't that what they keep telling us?

The demographic that is making this movie money is NOT going to plunk down a wad of cash for blueprints and set layouts.

I will!

 

[DaveyNY]

It's kinda funny that their FUTURE TITLES section doesn't list the Star Trek Manual yet...