Novelverse Writers: Uniforms in the 2380's?

[Ensign Ogahd Ahmganadai]

This is an open question to any and all of the Star Trek novelists on these boards:

It's been over a decade since the last uniform change (in universe; in real life it's been over two). Knowing how often Starfleet changes its uniforms, this is a bit odd. The only other a uniform was kept for this long (so long as to be a real stand-out) was the TWoK-introduced Red Jacket uniform, and even it got modified a bit between 2281 and 2349.

Now, I know that this probably isn't a priority (stories and character development are, and that's where they should be), but are there currently any plans to introduce a new uniform?

 

[Dayton Ward]

BOOM! Done.

 

[Ensign Ogahd Ahmganadai]

BOOM! Done.

Excellent! Hope it finds its way into cover art soon.

 

[Ensign Ogahd Ahmganadai]

Would it not be cool if there was a contest held, just like the one to design the Titan, for fans to enter their designs for the next uniform?

 

[The Wormhole]

Considering most of the cover which do feature characters these days are just promotional imagery of the actors or at most photoshopped, it would very difficult to show new uniforms on a cover. And with all due respect, the CG covers featuring Worf on the Prey trilogy or Trip on the recent Enterprise novel show there's clearly some more work to be done in that regard.

Besides, we know that in one possible future, the FC-style uniforms continue to be used until at least 2390, Geordi's wearing it in Timeless. So there's not much of a pressing need to introduce new uniforms for the 2380s at all.

 

[JD]

I know it's not part of the novelverse, but I wouldn't be surprised if the books ended up using the default Online uniforms eventually. I think the editor told either @James Swallow or @Christopher to use an alien name from Online in Sight Unseen or A Choice of Futures, so there is at least a little bit of effort being made to keep some elements consistent. All the design work is done, and it would be familiar to some of the fans at least, so I could see where that would be a more appealing choice than designing a whole new uniform, and it would add a nice bit of consistency across the franchise.

 

[Christopher]

I think the editor told either @James Swallow or @Christopher to use an alien name from Online in Sight Unseen or A Choice of Futures, so there is at least a little bit of effort being made to keep some elements consistent.

That was James's Sight Unseen, using the "Solanae" name for the solanogen-based species from "Schisms" (mercifully explained as the Federation's name for them, rather than an indigenous name that coincidentally resembled the Federation's name for the substance). In my case, the name I gave the "Silent Enemy" aliens in A Choice of Futures was different from the name STO gave them, but I think that's because they didn't appear in STO until after I'd written my book. Their entry in the STO Wiki was created in May 2013, just about a month before A Choice of Futures was released and thus far too late to revise the manuscript.

 

[SolarisOne]

BOOM! Done.

This can't be unseen.

 

[Dayton Ward]

As The Wormhole already said, "Timeless" shows Geordi La Forge wearing the "current" uniform in 2390. Personally, I prefer that option to the uniforms seen in other episodes depicting "the future" like "All Good Things..." and "The Visitor," because...you know...Ew.

 

[Ensign Ogahd Ahmganadai]

As The Wormhole already said, "Timeless" shows Geordi La Forge wearing the "current" uniform in 2390. Personally, I prefer that option to the uniforms seen in other episodes depicting "the future" like "All Good Things..." and "The Visitor," because...you know...Ew.

They were pretty awful, that’s true.

 

[SolarisOne]

As The Wormhole already said, "Timeless" shows Geordi La Forge wearing the "current" uniform in 2390. Personally, I prefer that option to the uniforms seen in other episodes depicting "the future" like "All Good Things..." and "The Visitor," because...you know...Ew.

With the only alteration being the "All Good Things" commbadge, which I actually like better than the DS9/VOY one.

 

[Danlav05]

So our only 'official' future uniforms are All Good Things/The Visitor/Endgame and both from Online (as well as the 29th Century uniforms, but that's centuries off!!). I do get mixed up with some of the fan projects sometimes...

 

[JD]

I think Countdown had another different uniform.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

So our only 'official' future uniforms are All Good Things/The Visitor/Endgame and both from Online (as well as the 29th Century uniforms, but that's centuries off!!). I do get mixed up with some of the fan projects sometimes...

ST Online is not "official". Except within the game itself. That's all it's good for.

It's not binding on the novelverse, and certainly not on actual Trek canon.

Thank God.

 

[Idran]

ST Online is not "official". Except within the game itself. That's all it's good for.

It's not binding on the novelverse, and certainly not on actual Trek canon.

Thank God.

That's probably why it was in quotes

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ And AGT/Visitor/Endgame all took place in alternate futures that probably will never actually come to pass. So they're not really official either.

 

[The Wormhole]

I think Countdown had another different uniform.

They used the STO uniforms.

 

[JD]

Oh, I thought they were different.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Man, the AGT.. uniforms sure haven't aged well. I remember loving them at first, and now all I can see is the comparison as 'bad Kelvin-uniform cosplay' lol.

But the AGT combade + FC uniform = Sexy! I would love a FC/TWoK hybrid though.

 

[Danlav05]

The FC/TWOK hybrid is very popular. 'Monster Greys' they're called.

And you're right abut the AGT uniforms, the combadges still look great nonetheless.