A Couple of TUC Questions

[wulfio]

That's TNG thinking. Once Bermaga got ahold of the show they had no understanding of what a crew does, and what it takes to run a massive ship.

While that may be the case, that is what was represented to us in TOS movies and TNG and on.

However, I think you're getting carried away with your dislike for Berman and Braga. Even in our current day and age, automation is becoming a way of life. Functions are diagnosed and managed by computers. Much different than how it used to be. Hell, we will have cars that will be driving themselves hitting the market in 15 years give or take.

What it takes to operate a ship in the 70's is much different than today. And today is much different than what will be in 300 years. You don't think that the responsibilities of the crews on the LCS class ships are vastly different than that of the crew of a battleship in the 18th century?

The idea of the pilot becoming irrelevant(which it already is becoming, compared to only 3 decades ago), is not really a stretch. Nor is a "pilot" being able to select from an array of pre-programmed maneuvers.

 

[fireproof78]

Valeris' uniform:
She seemed to be on the ship at the request of Spock and (more likely) approved by Admiral Cartwright in this assembled mission, which would require special handling. She was probably trained to handle various mission requirements, and inserted at the helm because it was easily justifiable.

Being a pilot is not just pushing buttons. Sorry, the calculations and flight paths may be preprogrammed, but the ability quickly navigate and think clearly in crisis situation, and be able to adjust the ship in space seems to be a part of Starfleet training. While computers are useful for navigation, I can imagine a number of scenarios where a pilot would be preferred.

Sulu as captain was something that probably took some getting use to, even for Kirk. Saying "Captain Sulu" was a nod to the idea that even Kirk needed to remind himself of Sulu's promotion.

 

[wulfio]

Being a pilot is not just pushing buttons. Sorry, the calculations and flight paths may be preprogrammed, but the ability quickly navigate and think clearly in crisis situation, and be able to adjust the ship in space seems to be a part of Starfleet training. While computers are useful for navigation, I can imagine a number of scenarios where a pilot would be preferred.

Exactly, standard starfleet training that everyone goes through. VOY and ENT gave us dedicated pilots. TNG and DS9 didn't need dedicated pilots. TOS creators couldn't fathom what impact computers would really have on our lives so don't really belong in the discussion. So of the 4 berman/braga shows, I'll lean towards what's represented in the 2 highest quality shows, that didn't contradict themselves and continuity every other episode.

 

[fireproof78]

Being a pilot is not just pushing buttons. Sorry, the calculations and flight paths may be preprogrammed, but the ability quickly navigate and think clearly in crisis situation, and be able to adjust the ship in space seems to be a part of Starfleet training. While computers are useful for navigation, I can imagine a number of scenarios where a pilot would be preferred.

Exactly, standard starfleet training that everyone goes through. VOY and ENT gave us dedicated pilots. TNG and DS9 didn't need dedicated pilots. TOS creators couldn't fathom what impact computers would really have on our lives so don't really belong in the discussion. So of the 4 berman/braga shows, I'll lean towards what's represented in the 2 highest quality shows, that didn't contradict themselves and continuity every other episode.

Sure, but like any training, you can become more specialized. Spock was a scientist, who could fix a dilithium intermix chamber. Training is good, but there are times where you will want a more dedicated, more experienced pilot.

For example, TNG had Riker and LaForge being good pilots, but not any pilot would do in "Chain of Command." They needed the best pilot they had and that was Riker.

Also, as an aside, the pilot in TNG was either someone who died to prove the situation was serious, Ro Laren, or Wesley, for the most part.

I'm not saying it is an essential function, but it isn't a worthless one either.

 

[Timo]

It's a delicate balance between tactical and psychological needs. On one hand, making the ship go where the decider (the CO) wants her to go should be direct, automated, free of all go-betweens. On the other hand, the decider should not be burdened with anything besides deciding. Technology should allow for both, but in two drastically different ways:

1) Automate everything so that piloting the ship is a trivially simple task for the CO and calls for no concentration whatsoever.
2) Provide best possible information flow between a dedicated decider and a dedicated pilot, so that both can concentrate on their respective tasks.

The latter might be simpler to do, as a spare human would replace some of the key AI routines. Yet it might also be

- more robust and casualty-resilient
- a necessary aid for training deciders out of pilots
- a means of providing human supervision to the system even when the actual decider is not needed and is taking a nap

Such arguments would also go for various other functions of the ship: armaments (but those should never be used without the decider present), maintenance (but the decider would have really minor role there), research tools (probably always running, unlike armaments, in the Trek universe at least)...

Timo Saloniemi