Can't they knock?

[Mojochi]

So, a holodeck question:

Riker enters the Holodeck and walks 5km, then sits and remains sitting.

Worf enters several hours later, Riker is still within the simulation and still in the same 'place' he sat down.

Would:

A) The simulation put Worf through the rigour of a 5km walk to find Riker, all the while somehow making Worf invisible and inaudible to Riker and vice-versa from Riker to Worf until they are 'close' to enough to each other.

Or

B) Would the simulation save a lot of computing power, energy and in Worf's case, time, by shifting the position of its' arch relative to Riker within the simulation?

Ehh... I'm thinking there's got to be some amount of option A going on. Riker wanders quite a bit in Data's Farpoint wilderness, & everybody spends some time wandering through Barclay's landscape of crewmate fantasies, running into all kinds of characters & stuff until they find him. Picard & Data were traveling a fair bit to find Moriarty holding Pulaski too

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Ehh... I'm thinking there's got to be some amount of option A going on.

Over the evening I have relented and decided that depending on what the plot demands, there's a varying ratio of A and B going on.

Thanks for the responses! I really do have a clearer idea of it.

@Kor, I don't think they'd have privacy bubbles, but I do believe there must be a privacy feature. As was said, "This Facility Is In Use" or something.

I recall, pertaining to my earlier question, that there's some amount of holofuckery which allows Picard to run quite a distance from some Borg in First Contact, but if you think of what it looks minus the visuals of the simulation well, it's basically Picard and a team of Borg being compelled to walk on the spot by force fields in a room which is about the size of a couple of basketball courts, reacting to things and hiding behind objects that aren't really there...

I wonder if the computer keeps a recording of the person/people in there, minus the visuals of the simulation? I wonder if the bridge staff make a blooper reel of it and play it every year at Christmas or whatever?

It's madness.

I never thought about how weird the Holodeck is before, but now I can't un-think it.

 

[Mojochi]

reacting to things and hiding behind objects that aren't really there...

Through the incorporation of replicator tech, many of the objects are there, as I understand it. Eat an apple, real apple, sit in chair, real chair, take cover behind a bar, real bar.

 

[jackoverfull]

A) The simulation put Worf through the rigour of a 5km walk to find Riker, all the while somehow making Worf invisible and inaudible to Riker and vice-versa from Riker to Worf until they are 'close' to enough to each other.

Or

B) Would the simulation save a lot of computing power, energy and in Worf's case, time, by shifting the position of its' arch relative to Riker within the simulation?

It’s pretty easy actually: both options are equally valid and which one happens depends on the program and on the request.

As per dampening sounds, we have several ways of doing that already, with force fields and the ability to create vacuum it becomes super easy.

There is a great sequence with Kirk and Spock “breaking” a holoprison in one of shatner’s novels, by the way.

I wonder what happens if two people in completely different areas of the simulation both ask the computer for the exit.

very interesting question. I imagine only one exit can exist at the same time, so the computer would ask the second user to wait, telling them that the exit is already in use. The arch could well be holographic, so it’s not really an issue.

 

[Skipper]

Just for the sake of completeness, this is from the TNG Technical Manual

 

[Richard S. Ta]

@jackoverfull

@Mojochi

@Skipper

I genuinely understand the Holodeck a lot more now and I’m grateful to all of you.

I did not know they used replicator tech in there. Makes perfect sense though!

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Yeah, the replicator tech explains why they're able to take items out of the holodeck sometimes, but they hardly ever mention it so whenever it happens it feels like a mistake. In fact the only time I remember them talking about it is in Encounter at Farpoint, and that was back before they'd even introduced the term 'replicator' so they could only describe the process.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I always wondered how they can remove stuff (down to clothes even) from the Holodeck.

 

[Mytran]

I always wondered how they can remove stuff (down to clothes even) from the Holodeck.

Certain items (a piece of paper, a snowball) are seen to leave the holodeck upon occasion, but I don't think we ever see clothes do that. Often, the crew will get changed into costume before entering a holodeck though - is that what you are referencing?

 

[Oddish]

It varies. In "These are the Voyages", Riker had a period appropriate uniform projected onto his body, over his 24th century jammmies.

 

[JesterFace]

Having replicators on holodeck makes sense because if you eat holofood, will it make you feel like you've actually eaten?
Also, you won't get hungry instantly after leaving the holodeck.
If you drink alcohol in holodeck and get totally drunk, if it's not from a replicator, would one just sober right away after leaving the holodeck?
And what about holo hangover, nasty....

 

[fireproof78]

If you drink alcohol in holodeck and get totally drunk, if it's not from a replicator, would one just sober right away after leaving the holodeck?

Yes, because it's synthehol (Sp?), which is the point.

 

[Mytran]

It varies. In "These are the Voyages", Riker had a period appropriate uniform projected onto his body, over his 24th century jammmies.

True, but he didn't leave the Holodeck wearing it

 

[Ottens]

I always wondered how they can remove stuff (down to clothes even) from the Holodeck.

On various occasions we see people dressing up in costume before going into the holodeck. Why would they bother if the holodeck could just project a costume over their regular outfit?

 

[Mytran]

On various occasions we see people dressing up in costume before going into the holodeck. Why would they bother if the holodeck could just project a costume over their regular outfit?

Since we don't see it until (a retroactive) Season 7 I'm assuming it was a later upgrade. Perhaps it doesn't "feel" quite the same? Also, there's a sense of occasion associated with getting dressed up in a costume - maybe the same type of snobbery we see with real/replicated food?

 

[Ottens]

Could be. Do you remember in which episode we saw the holodeck projecting clothes for the first time?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I think it was the film First Contact.

 

[Mytran]

I think it was the film First Contact.

VOY occured after that, yet the crew still chose to dress up

 

[Ottens]

Then maybe the Sovereigns are equipped with the latest in holotechnology?

 

[Oddish]

Well, they had the same Mark 1 EMH as Voyager.