is it too techno-babbly?

[Mrs Paris]

The techno babble content was just right for me, it made the show seem more realistic and gave it detail. I mean, they're flying through space in a massive piece of complex technology that they rely upon for their survival. They're scientists and explorers who study the galaxy with their technology. Of course they're going to talk about it. About lines like "Bypass the main plasma conduit!", I don't know what would have worked better. For my tastes, anything else would have seemed too simplistic. Without the techno babble, we'd be complaining about how Janeway always gave orders like "Fix that engine!" or "Make the weapons work better!" and it would seem like technology could be enhanced by the magic of Janeway's voice.

I actually wish the other series had more techno babble. TOS kind of stands alone, though. It was high camp and it doesn't really matter that the technology was a completely mystery.

thank you, that's what I was trying to say, but only not as well

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
Except, its the technobabel that makes Star Trek less accessable and gives it the "uber Nerd" stigma.

I think people are generally put-off by exposition, and when that exposition is and endless deluge of gobbledygook, they are put-off completely.

 

[Kio]

thank you, that's what I was trying to say, but only not as well

You're welcome!

Except, its the technobabel that makes Star Trek less accessable and gives it the "uber Nerd" stigma.

That sounds about right. But I also think ST fans get the "uber nerd" label too frequently compared to other groups of sci-fi fans. The earlier fans set the nerd ball rolling and there's been no stopping it.

I think people are generally put-off by exposition, and when that exposition is and endless deluge of gobbledygook, they are put-off completely.

That's what they said about the X-files (talk about exposition).

 

[INACTIVESamusAranX]

The techno babble content was just right for me, it made the show seem more realistic and gave it detail. I mean, they're flying through space in a massive piece of complex technology that they rely upon for their survival. They're scientists and explorers who study the galaxy with their technology. Of course they're going to talk about it. About lines like "Bypass the main plasma conduit!", I don't know what would have worked better. For my tastes, anything else would have seemed too simplistic. Without the techno babble, we'd be complaining about how Janeway always gave orders like "Fix that engine!" or "Make the weapons work better!" and it would seem like technology could be enhanced by the magic of Janeway's voice.

I actually wish the other series had more techno babble. TOS kind of stands alone, though. It was high camp and it doesn't really matter that the technology was a completely mystery.

That is a good point.

I felt they should have met halfway: instead of "let's modify the binary relays to bypass the plasma conduit to emit a polaron beam through the deflector" they could have said instead, "it is possible to modify the deflector with some careful precision to take down their shields."

 

[Mr. Fergy]

It is definitely the most techno-babbly show in all of Trek--but I just don't care, I find it entertaining anyway.

I agree with this.

 

[chancellorjake]

I felt they should have met halfway: instead of "let's modify the binary relays to bypass the plasma conduit to emit a polaron beam through the deflector" they could have said instead, "it is possible to modify the deflector with some careful precision to take down their shields."

Yes, that would have been wonderful. Include some basic scientific and technological conversation, but don't just make shit up to sound technological.
I heard that by the time Voyager was being written that they just inserted [tech] into the scripts and then filled them in later. I don't know if that is the truth, but if true, it was a bad decision.

If we [tech] the [tech] then we should be able to escape from the [tech], but we have to be careful that the [tech] doesn't [tech], or the [tech] will [tech].

See how silly that sounds. Fortunately, I don't think that Voyager was ever that blatantly [tech].

 

[Bad Atom]

"That Which Survives" (TOS) would probably win the award for Most Technobabble in a TOS Episode. Still doesn't compare to the barrage of [tech] that floods your average VOY episode. Fortunately I'm able to tune it out for the most part and enjoy the stories.

 

[Blueicus]

I have to say that in my opinion they did use too much technobabble, in addition to a blatant overuse of rotating frequencies and using the deflector to emit {tech}-pulse or whatever. I mean, I had no problems with much of TNG's technobabble but it seemed like Voyager went one step further most of the time... which is why I liked the episode 11:59.

By the way, a little trivia... does anybody know when the first reference was make regarding matching weapons with shield frequencies so that the weapon could penetrate the shields?

 

[Kio]

They did rotate the frequencies way too often, but that doesn't begin to compare with the number of times they "compensated".

Crew Member: "Captain, the alien vessel is [teching] our [tech]!"
Janeway: "Compensate!"

It made me wonder why the crew member didn't automatically compensate.

 

[brcarthey]

They did rotate the frequencies way too often, but that doesn't begin to compare with the number of times they "compensated".

Crew Member: "Captain, the alien vessel is [teching] our [tech]!"
Janeway: "Compensate!"

It made me wonder why the crew member didn't automatically compensate.

that became a running joke for my wife when i had her watch the series for the first time (granted she's a big TOS and TNG fan). she loved to point out the number times the word "compensate" or some derivation of it was spoken. i never noticed it until she pointed it out.

The techno babble content was just right for me, it made the show seem more realistic and gave it detail. I mean, they're flying through space in a massive piece of complex technology that they rely upon for their survival. They're scientists and explorers who study the galaxy with their technology. Of course they're going to talk about it. About lines like "Bypass the main plasma conduit!", I don't know what would have worked better. For my tastes, anything else would have seemed too simplistic. Without the techno babble, we'd be complaining about how Janeway always gave orders like "Fix that engine!" or "Make the weapons work better!" and it would seem like technology could be enhanced by the magic of Janeway's voice.

I actually wish the other series had more techno babble. TOS kind of stands alone, though. It was high camp and it doesn't really matter that the technology was a completely mystery.

thank you, that's what I was trying to say, but only not as well

i loved the technobabble. i got tired of all the blatant generic references of making the warp core or engines better. even if it was fiction, there was an element of factual basis in them when they spoke of what needed to be done. but since most of the propulsion systems in ST are still theoretical, names have not been given to much of the apparati. so, writers had to come up with something to call the equipment being used.

 

[Starbreaker]

Anyone remember that woman who wrote in to a power that be and said she stopped watching Voyager because she couldn't figure out what a quantum singularity was?

 

[Kio]

i got tired of all the blatant generic references of making the warp core or engines better. even if it was fiction, there was an element of factual basis in them when they spoke of what needed to be done. but since most of the propulsion systems in ST are still theoretical, names have not been given to much of the apparati.

Yeah, and what was fiction seemed to fit with the rest of the technology.

The one thing that really bugged me was photon weapons. Isn't a weapon that shoots photons just a fancy flashlight? Were they really talking about a laser? I could've used more techno babble to back that one up.

Anyone remember that woman who wrote in to a power that be and said she stopped watching Voyager because she couldn't figure out what a quantum singularity was?

And she was ok with the rest of it?

 

[Mareika]

I`ma big Voyagerfan but for me there`s to much techno- babbly in it especially when they are on the bridge.
After watching Voyager together with a friend she ask me many things about that episode because she didn`t understand it.

About techno- babbly watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sgy3YGlRRY

 

[chancellorjake]

Ah, Robert bitching about Voyager. Good Times, Good Times.
At least, it payed the bills and if he was so miserable he could have had his character killed off by those damn warp particles.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

This is an issue I feel rather strongly about. Good stories in any genre are about people. CSI, for example, uses more jargon than your average show ("Get the vic's DNA from these epithelials and run it through CODIS") but the writers always show us how the information gained via dry forensic procedure is affecting the characters in a vital and human way. The show is about the people, not the crimesolving technique. Most of the time, Voyager failed in that area. How many episodes were there where the solution to the problem of the week basically boiled down to the characters sitting at a console pressing buttons while spouting incomprehensible (to 99.9% of the population) made-up technobabble? That's bad writing. Period.

In the original Star Trek writer's guide, Gene Roddenberry said that a good Star Trek story should, if stripped of its science fiction elements, be able to be adapted to any other one-hour drama in primetime. How many Voyager stories fit that criteria? How many of them are really about the characters being affected in a real, organic, human way by the events of the episode?

To pick an example at random, take the episode "The Omega Directive". The whole thing is an exercise in technobabble. The only piece of character drama, Seven's reverence for the Omega molecule, is just too damn hard for the average person to relate to. Why should we care about a mostly emotionless cyborg's vaguely religious feelings for a technobabbly subatomic particle that's just a shiny special effect anyway? We're never really given a reason. Seven's dilemma is never made relatable in a human way. Most of Voyager was exactly the same. If you strip the science fiction (or science fantasy, if you prefer) elements from 98% of Voyager's episodes, you're left with nothing more than the plot for a Saturday-morning cartoon at the very most.

I realize my views are in the minority in this forum, but 99% of the viewing public didn't watch the show and were only vaguely aware of it, so I'd say my views are fairly typical in a larger context.

 

[Mrs Paris]

Ah, Robert bitching about Voyager. Good Times, Good Times.
At least, it payed the bills and if he was so miserable he could have had his character killed off by those damn warp particles.

that always bothered me about him. He was always trashing the show, WHILE IT WAS STILL FILMING. But he had no problem collecting the paychecks. He even said that he at one point just stopped reading the scripts all together. And then he has the nerve to complain about his character?

If I on a public interview said bad things about the company I worked for, do you think they would continue to give me good assignments? No of course not

 

[kimc]

To pick an example at random, take the episode "The Omega Directive". The whole thing is an exercise in technobabble. The only piece of character drama, Seven's reverence for the Omega molecule, is just too damn hard for the average person to relate to. Why should we care about a mostly emotionless cyborg's vaguely religious feelings for a technobabbly subatomic particle that's just a shiny special effect anyway? We're never really given a reason. Seven's dilemma is never made relatable in a human way. Most of Voyager was exactly the same.

This is a good example. How a bunch of beings without free will can form any kind of culture is as big a stretch to me as ships making noise in space.

 

[Mrs Paris]

but on the other hand what if there was no techno babble? If something went wrong and all you saw was someone running with a screwdriver to tighten a few nuts and bolts, that's not interesting for a show set in the future with so many technological advancements

 

[Lynx]

Ah, Robert bitching about Voyager. Good Times, Good Times.
At least, it payed the bills and if he was so miserable he could have had his character killed off by those damn warp particles.

When it comes to Beltran's criticizm, I think he was absolutely right in his criticizm.

He had a lot of ideas for his character but they didn't listen to him.

Chakotay had a lot of potential as a character. He could have been the best first officer ever, even better than Riker. But they wasted him and turned him into some sort of message boy.

I can clearly understand Beltran's frustration.

 

[anais]

About techno- babbly watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sgy3YGlRRY

That's a clever little vid.