Battle Bridges... cobweb collectors?

[c0rnedfr0g]

So, when the main bridge crew was not on the battle bridge, was anyone in there? Or do the battle bridges aboard starships just collect dust and cobwebs until the situation arose to use it?



Did Voyager have a battle bridge/auxiliary control? If not, why not?

 

[Mysterion]

So, when the main bridge crew was not on the battle bridge, was anyone in there? Or do the battle bridges aboard starships just collect dust and cobwebs until the situation arose to use it?

I'd have someone (at least one someone) in the battle bridge or auxilliary/battle bridge at all times so when/if something happens they can get stuff up and running with as little lead time as possible.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

^^ but were in crew in there normally, running other various ship functions? I thought I remember the BB lacking a lot of science and other stations

 

[Pavonis]

No reason the battle bridge couldn't be used for training and drills, though the holodeck would be even better for that.

If not used for training, I suppose the battle bridge could be filled with inert gases and sealed off, to keep the equipment looking shiny new.

 

[JNG]

So, when the main bridge crew was not on the battle bridge, was anyone in there? Or do the battle bridges aboard starships just collect dust and cobwebs until the situation arose to use it?

I'd have someone (at least one someone) in the battle bridge or auxilliary/battle bridge at all times so when/if something happens they can get stuff up and running with as little lead time as possible.

That sounds smart to me, at least on the ships with larger crews. For smaller crews, I imagine regular drills and diagnostics serve the purpose.

 

[FalTorPan]

The battle bridge is manned at all times by Commander Jesse White, Lieutenant Commander Gordon Jump and Ensign Clay Earl Jackson.

 

[Tigger]

Well when the main cast arrived in an episode, was anyone else present or leaving?

 

[Timo]

We didn't see this happen in "Encounter at Farpoint" - but then again, we joined the action there a tad too late to be sure. The same holds for "Best of Both Worlds".

The John M. Ford novel Final Reflection shows the Klingons using the auxiliary bridge for training cadets - even during, and especially during, real combat!

Whenever TOS shows us the auxiliary bridge or emergency monitor or whatever, it is (thinly) crewed even though there is no particular emergency going on. But that facility is somewhat distinct from the Battle Bridge of the separating Galaxy class starships. Most ships probably consider their primary bridges to be their Battle Bridges, while these inferior auxiliary facilities are only used for controlling the vessel when the Battle Bridge is lost. Although the Voyager and Defiant ditched the idea of a dedicated auxiliary control room and instead assumed that the first choice for rerouting the controls would be Main Engineering. Which sort of makes sense: if one loses Main Engineering, then there is no point in trying to control the ship any longer.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[SeerSGB]

Probably boils down to the Captain's style. Someone like Picard might wait till the ship is heading into combat, then order the crews to stations as a standby, versus Jeillico who would probably keep the bridge on standby and fully crewed at all times

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

Although the Voyager and Defiant ditched the idea of a dedicated auxiliary control room and instead assumed that the first choice for rerouting the controls would be Main Engineering. Which sort of makes sense: if one loses Main Engineering, then there is no point in trying to control the ship any longer.

Timo Saloniemi

according to MA

Defiant-class starships also contain an Auxiliary Control section. In 2374, when the USS Defiant lost phaser control while under attack by a Jem'Hadar ship, Captain Sisko ordered Commander Worf to Auxiliary Control in order to target the phasers manually. (DS9: "One Little Ship")

unless you're like me and ignore that episode

 

[The_Beef]

I do like the idea of using it for training purposes, although I suspect a holodeck would be easier for mission simulations. Maybe its just good practice for the junior officers? Have them man their stations when they're not on shift and observe? I don't know, the concept seems a little silly, but they have to train the new guys somehow.

There is, of course, the possibility that its just unoccupied. I do like the idea, however, that there's just some random guy who keeps getting selected for the Battle Bridge shift. I'm picturing solitaire being played at tactical, loud music, booze, anything to pass the time.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

To be honest, I would think it could be used much like how the Bridge and CIC are used on carriers these days...

Under normal circumstances the Captain's on the bridge -- in battle he/she goes down when possible to the CIC / Battle-Bridge which is buried in the ship.


CuttingEdge100

 

[Timo]

The reason modern ships have bridges at all is to give foolproof visual access to the immediate surroundings, especially during port maneuvers. The Captain doesn't necessarily need that sort of access, nor is it really relevant in combat. So the CIC could be the permanent residence of the command crew, with only the helmsman watching over the bridge, and some guy with binoculars to keep him company.

So essentially, a starship's bridge is the "CIC". A starship's "bridge" are the observation lounges - that's where Picard sends LaForge when he wants to get visuals of the surroundings.

It's debatable whether the CIC of a modern warship is better protected than her bridge. Most of the threats directed against the ship would be directed against the CIC: that's where the missiles would have their aimpopint, not at the upper extremities of the vessel, and that's where the aircraft would direct their fire, and that's where the effect of torpedo impacts would first be felt. So the "exposed" bridges of starships might be no different.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

It really doesn't matter where you put the bridge, provided we're talking realistically, not dramatically. I mean, what's the average yield of a photon torpedo?

 

[Lyon_Wonder]

What about the Ent-E, though there's no on-screen evidence to suggest it's capable of suacer separation.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Well, if the Ent-E did seperate, then you'd have an impulse-powered saucer section with a couple of phaser strips and the part of the ship with all the weapons drifting without propulsion. Tis' a brilliant tactic. (actually, I don't see why you couldn't use the warp drive for sublight... it's not like it would take a hugely significant amount of power...)

 

[The_Beef]

(actually, I don't see why you couldn't use the warp drive for sublight... it's not like it would take a hugely significant amount of power...)

Sounds like a brilliant plot device for an episode to solve a problem with moving the ship, like O'Brien moving DS9 in Emissary. Of course it'd be forgotten after the episode, but still a nifty idea.

 

[Mysterion]

Probably boils down to the Captain's style. Someone like Picard might wait till the ship is heading into combat, then order the crews to stations as a standby, versus Jeillico who would probably keep the bridge on standby and fully crewed at all times

Yet another in the list of reasons why Jellico was a better starship captain than Picard.

 

[Vance]

It really doesn't matter where you put the bridge, provided we're talking realistically, not dramatically. I mean, what's the average yield of a photon torpedo?

Photon Torpedo: A'la TOS...
Yield (Approx Max): 22MT TNT

 

[ancient]

Probably boils down to the Captain's style. Someone like Picard might wait till the ship is heading into combat, then order the crews to stations as a standby, versus Jeillico who would probably keep the bridge on standby and fully crewed at all times

Yet another in the list of reasons why Jellico was a better starship captain than Picard.

Jellico was quite awesome. Something tells me that he wouldn't have put a councilor on the bridge.