Too many Holodecks Episodes?

[The Wormhole]

Well, yes, there's nothing wrong with the holodeck itself, it's a fine storytelling tool that works under a variety of circumstances. In the case of Hollow Pursuits, it provides insight into Barclay's character, and then we have the creative use in A Matter of Perspective where its used for everyone to present their version of events, and so on. It's the constant "the holodeck is malfunctioning and destroying the ship" trope that got really tiresome really quickly.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I would add Hollow Pursuits to the list of good TNG holodeck episodes.

Yes, I like "Hollow Pursuits" a lot, at least the holodeck aspects. Great lampooning of the main cast. I laughed out loud at the "Goddess of Empathy."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Nobody outside this board must ever know that I know every TNG, DS9, and Voyager episode by name.

Sometimes my friends describe an episode, and I have to pretend I don't know the name of the episode. Nobody must ever know my secret. Nobody.

Hollow Pursuits is a good example of how the holodeck should be used, also Matter of Perspective. As a tool, and a diversion. An example of the wrong way to use the holodeck is Fistful of Datas. And most of the Voyager holodeck episodes.

Can't think of any story ideas? Use the holodecks.

 

[The Wormhole]

Nobody outside this board must ever know that I know every TNG, DS9, and Voyager episode by name.

Sometimes my friends describe an episode, and I have to pretend I don't know the name of the episode. Nobody must ever know my secret. Nobody.

Hollow Pursuits is a good example of how the holodeck should be used, also Matter of Perspective. As a tool, and a diversion. An example of the wrong way to use the holodeck is Fistful of Datas. And most of the Voyager holodeck episodes.

Can't think of any story ideas? Use the holodecks.

I don't know, sometimes the holodeck malfunction episode can yield some pretty entertaining results. DS9's Our Man Bashir is an excellent episode about a malfunctioning holodeck.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Nobody outside this board must ever know that I know every TNG, DS9, and Voyager episode by name.

Sometimes my friends describe an episode, and I have to pretend I don't know the name of the episode. Nobody must ever know my secret. Nobody.

Hollow Pursuits is a good example of how the holodeck should be used, also Matter of Perspective. As a tool, and a diversion. An example of the wrong way to use the holodeck is Fistful of Datas. And most of the Voyager holodeck episodes.

Can't think of any story ideas? Use the holodecks.

I don't know, sometimes the holodeck malfunction episode can yield some pretty entertaining results. DS9's Our Man Bashir is an excellent episode about a malfunctioning holodeck.

One of the reasons Our Man Bashir worked is that it was the only time they ever did something like that.

 

[MacLeod]

If I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, such things would become unimportant compared to survival. If I was stuck on an island with of a bunch of other people, our first concern would not be getting the TV to work.

Your priority wouldn't be the TV, but I can guarantee someone in the group is going to prioritize it, and they may eventually swing others to their side. After all, it's relatively easy to fix and it will help improve morale, so why isn't it being fixed?

Except the Holodeck would be a drain resources that would be better used else where. Voyager has limited resources in the DQ and if its a choice between phasers,shields, life support, transporters or anything compared the holodeck, the holodeck should lose every time. Voyager should have been a tale of surivival and having deal with a harsh new reality, allowing the crew to keep every creature comfort they would have had in the AQ is both unrealistic and undermines any sort of drama that the story is supposed to have. Also I don't buy that Voyager would be unable to take power from the holodeck and give it other systems, that is a silly plot point used to justify the holodeck staying around in Voyager. So silly in fact, it has a trope named after it:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VoodooShark

You are quite correct the holodeck would be a drain on resources, but as it was cearly stated the power supply it used was incompatible with the other power systems, so it wasn't a drain on resources. (of course the cynic in me says the whole reason they put that line in was so we couldn't say it's a drain and shouldn't be used).

Oh and you'll get no argument from me that VOY at times seemed too much of a pleasure cruise than a fight for survival. But for whatever reason they went with TNG-lite.

 

[eyeresist]

I watched TNG's first Moriarty episode last night, for the first time. It was ... a bit silly. Perhaps a sign of more innocent times, when we didn't expect consistency or logic from TV shows?

 

[The Wormhole]

I watched TNG's first Moriarty episode last night, for the first time. It was ... a bit silly. Perhaps a sign of more innocent times, when we didn't expect consistency or logic from TV shows?

What exactly is so silly about it? Aside from the idea that telling the computer to make a hologram smart enough to beat Data resulted in the Enterprise nearly getting destroyed, there's nothing really illogical about it. Quite a good episode, really. The only real drawback is that quite a bit of the story material is revisited later on, most notably sentient holograms on Voyager. So when looked back upon with today's eyes, it can seem to cover well trodden ground, but back then this was a somewhat fresh idea for Trek.

 

[eyeresist]

Aside from the idea that telling the computer to make a hologram smart enough to beat Data resulted in the Enterprise nearly getting destroyed

Well, that is pretty silly. The holodeck's programming apparently does not include Asimov's three laws of robotics.

They don't try to turn the holodeck's power off, or beam Polaski out, or send in a rescue team (Worf's suggestion).

Creating a human-like sentient AI is apparently as easy as telling the holodeck to do it. So what's Data's problem?

Moriarty supposedly has access to the ship's computer but: he is still ignorant of some basic stuff, and his threat to the ship is nothing but a nuisance when he should be able (by the story's own logic) to make the Enterprise a physical extension of himself.

The showdown is lame:
"Hello, Moriarty."
"Hello. I'm not evil anymore, because of reasons. Will you promise to make me a real boy when you can?"
"Of course. End program."

 

[Greg Cox]

"Our Man Bashir" and "Bride of Chaotica" completely justify the holodeck's existence.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I have no problem with the Voyager crew frequently using the holodeck. DS9's crew used the holosuites just as frequently.

Just, in DS9 it wasn't constantly the focus of the episode. It wasn't the crew getting unhealthily obsessed with a hackneyed Irish village, or energy beings fighting Beowulf, or Davinci holograms flying away from bad guys. It was just O'Brien having injured himself kayaking or something. Until Vic Fontaine came along late in the show's run they didn't substitute Jane Austen or Leonardo Davinci fantasies for real character development.

If Worst Case Scenario and Bride of Chaotica were the only two holodeck episodes of Voyager, it would have been great.

 

[The Old Mixer]

They don't try to turn the holodeck's power off, or beam Polaski out, or send in a rescue team (Worf's suggestion).

Worf really should have learned about negative psychology.

"Captain, I recommend we do anything but send in a security team."

"It's settled then...we'll send in a security team. Make it so, Number One!"

 

[bolak]

You are quite correct the holodeck would be a drain on resources, but as it was cearly stated the power supply it used was incompatible with the other power systems, so it wasn't a drain on resources. (of course the cynic in me says the whole reason they put that line in was so we couldn't say it's a drain and shouldn't be used).

Yes that does seem a rather weak script-excuse!

If it's not drawing power from the fusion reactors or the M / AM core then this mythical 'third source' will require fuel, power distribution and cooling.

Fuel for such a system will require collection, processing and storage which will be a burden on the primary power systems and probably require deviation from the optimum homeward route.

Its storage will also add mass to the ship and require more warp power to compensate.

No matter which way you cut it, the holodeck has an impact on their journey home. It would have been better had the writers just stated that this cost was considered acceptable for the efffect it had on crew morale.