Bridge Ceiling / Dome

[Timo]

...There's also the problem that if you inserted fancy new VFX beyond the top dome, you'd then have to explain why none of the heroes are paying any attention to it!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Hober Mallow]

"Captain, look up! A Borg ship!"

Crew crane their necks.

"Hang on, I'll just put it on screen."

"Make it so.

 

[Mage]

The purpose was to give the TV audience a greater sense of actually being in space. It didn't make a lot of practical sense, but then again having the bridge module where it was -- right on top of the saucer -- never made much sense to me either. Way too vulnerable there. It should have been hidden right in the middle of the saucer where it would be better protected and allow for easier and more direct access to other parts of the ship in an emergency situation. But sometimes practical considerations have to be weighed against the dramatic needs of television series.

I never got that argument. Unless I'm mistaken, aren't the command centres on aircraftcarriers and other military vessels located on top of a tower on the deck of the ship? I could be wrong ofcourse, but if that's true, I've never heard anyone complain about that.

 

[Retu]

The purpose was to give the TV audience a greater sense of actually being in space. It didn't make a lot of practical sense, but then again having the bridge module where it was -- right on top of the saucer -- never made much sense to me either. Way too vulnerable there. It should have been hidden right in the middle of the saucer where it would be better protected and allow for easier and more direct access to other parts of the ship in an emergency situation. But sometimes practical considerations have to be weighed against the dramatic needs of television series.

I never got that argument. Unless I'm mistaken, aren't the command centres on aircraftcarriers and other military vessels located on top of a tower on the deck of the ship? I could be wrong ofcourse, but if that's true, I've never heard anyone complain about that.

Navigation bridge is usually up there. And that is used in peace time condition, when the visibility of the area surrounding the ship is of utmost importance. Like coming into port or navigating a busy shipping lane.

Fighting the ship is done from Combat Information Center (CIC) and that is situated belowdecks. CIC is one of the best protected parts of the ship.

Regarding the location of bridges in Star Trek. I don't think it really matters where the bridge is. The primary defense of a starship are her shields and when those go down, the ship is in big trouble. Sure the exterior bridge might provide a nice spot for aiming, but we've also seen a photon torpedo punching clean through the unshielded saucer section or the Borg cutting beams slicing through starships like they were made of butter. And sensors probably can pinpoint a buried command center just as well.

 

[Mage]

The purpose was to give the TV audience a greater sense of actually being in space. It didn't make a lot of practical sense, but then again having the bridge module where it was -- right on top of the saucer -- never made much sense to me either. Way too vulnerable there. It should have been hidden right in the middle of the saucer where it would be better protected and allow for easier and more direct access to other parts of the ship in an emergency situation. But sometimes practical considerations have to be weighed against the dramatic needs of television series.

I never got that argument. Unless I'm mistaken, aren't the command centres on aircraftcarriers and other military vessels located on top of a tower on the deck of the ship? I could be wrong ofcourse, but if that's true, I've never heard anyone complain about that.

Navigation bridge is usually up there. And that is used in peace time condition, when the visibility of the area surrounding the ship is of utmost importance. Like coming into port or navigating a busy shipping lane.

Fighting the ship is done from Combat Information Center (CIC) and that is situated belowdecks. CIC is one of the best protected parts of the ship.

Regarding the location of bridges in Star Trek. I don't think it really matters where the bridge is. The primary defense of a starship are her shields and when those go down, the ship is in big trouble. Sure the exterior bridge might provide a nice spot for aiming, but we've also seen a photon torpedo punching clean through the unshielded saucer section or the Borg cutting beams slicing through starships like they were made of butter. And sensors probably can pinpoint a buried command center just as well.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, about the Navigation Bridge and CIC.