The Searcher actually had a raised command plateform from where Admiral Asimov gave orders... and a really tiny viewscreen.
Sharr
Bridges have levels?
- Thread starter greenmystik
- Start date
The Searcher actually had a raised command plateform from where Admiral Asimov gave orders... and a really tiny viewscreen.
Sharr
The Defiant bridge looks a little off to me.
Having conn sit RIGHT in front of the captain makes it seem like all Sisko saw while looking a the viewscreen was a head blocking his view.
Having conn sit RIGHT in front of the captain makes it seem like all Sisko saw while looking a the viewscreen was a head blocking his view.
Just to toss it out there, style comes to mind as a driving factor. For a starship of such magnitude, neither a 21st century TV viewer or a 24th century starfleet officer wants to see an infashionable bridge.
I think that it is generally accepted that tiers provide a favorable cosmetic value. Auditoriums are a good example, as it would in many cases be simpler to simply have more floor space than it would be to construct balconies. Most luxurious performing arts centres wouldn't be complete without their balconies, and I think that the same basic effect applies to the Enterprise and other applicable ships.
I think that it is generally accepted that tiers provide a favorable cosmetic value. Auditoriums are a good example, as it would in many cases be simpler to simply have more floor space than it would be to construct balconies. Most luxurious performing arts centres wouldn't be complete without their balconies, and I think that the same basic effect applies to the Enterprise and other applicable ships.
Thus dare I say it..................Sight lines.
Instead of sinking the Command Chair and Flight control stations on the TOS Enterprise Bridge why didn't they elevate at least the Comman chair above all the other stations instead, like having the chair about 4 or 6 inches above the main deck, then Flight control a couple of inches or so below that, or maybe have it a few inches below the main deck. Wouldn't that have been better for the CO to be able everyones station and also to show that he's above everyone else?
Of course doing this would probably boost Shatners ego a lot more I'd guess, if he got this.
Of course doing this would probably boost Shatners ego a lot more I'd guess, if he got this.
that was never a proper bridge.. just cos someone put a chair and viewscreen there.. it was called a bridge...
I don't mind having the command chair elevated above everything else, and I can see the aesthetic value of having the levels.
I think the bridges look awesome on all the ships we've seen, the thought just came that they seem to be a waste of space and dangerous during battle conditions since we always see crewmen flying around when the ship gets hit.
IIRC, the US Navy experimented with bridges and sickbays that incorporated designs and layouts featured in TOS.
As many have pointed out above, it makes for more interesting staging -- even easier staging in some instances. This is why, also, Mary Tyler Moore's Minneapolis apartment had levels, why Frasier's Seattle apartment had levels, etc.
A more interesting question is why Kirk's chair, once it was placed down below, was then set on top of it's own dais? It was so he wouldn't be on an absurdly low eye level when Spock or others stepped down to speak with him.
A more interesting question is why Kirk's chair, once it was placed down below, was then set on top of it's own dais? It was so he wouldn't be on an absurdly low eye level when Spock or others stepped down to speak with him.
You mean like the KBOP in TSFS? That bridge had Kruge sitting up high with everyone else at his feet. Great from a visual perspective, but it's not the "Starfleet way" of cameraderie. It creates a sense of fear and inferiority in your subordinates that makes them subservient not just in rank but in attitude. Then they don't give their best and you end up losing the battle. OPS on DS9 was the same way, with the Gul's office up on the highest level and everyone else beneath him. Sisko even explained it that way as soon as he arrived there.
There's more that goes on in any command center than just the mechanics and functionality of carrying out orders and accomplishing tasks on schedule. The layout of the people and how they view each other physically affects how they relate and deal with each other mentally.
It has everything every other Starfleet bridge has.Seriously, If you wanted to rag on command center designs on DS9, Ops would be the more reasonable target.
But that was a Cardassian design. And they explained it way back in the pilot - it was so everyone would have to look up to the commander's office with respect.
