• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Was Deep Space Nine a Starbase?

Yes, but this makes it easier for people to reply only to those messages which concern them, instead of having to wade through one huge reply of mine.
Nope, multi-quote is the way to go. Posting so many times in a row is considered spamming.

That's stretching the definition of spamming, since you have to consider the intent as well. Suppose a former Star Trek production member replied to questions in the same format. Would you tell him it is considered spamming and risk that person becoming angry and leaving? "Sorry, you are answering too many questions in a row! :lol:" If, however, he were taken over by aliens and started advertising in every other post, the intent would now be clearly different. Please bear that in mind, since designating someone's comments 'spam' for such a trivial reason can be seen as quite insulting.
 
Last edited:
Yes, but this makes it easier for people to reply only to those messages which concern them, instead of having to wade through one huge reply of mine.
Nope, multi-quote is the way to go. Posting so many times in a row is considered spamming.

That's stretching the definition of spamming, since you have to consider the intent as well. Suppose a former Star Trek production member replied to questions in the same format. Would you tell him it is considered spamming and risk that person becoming angry and leaving? "Sorry, you are answering too many questions in a row! :lol:" If, however, he were taken over by aliens and started advertising in every other post, the intent would now be clearly different. Please bear that in mind, since designating someone's comments 'spam' for such a trivial reason can be seen as quite insulting.

Then you should grow a thicker skin and learn to multiquote.

As for whether DS9 is a starbase or not, I'd say it's not.
 
You found counter-evidence to Sisko's statement about DS9 being a starbase?

I guess I should have put in my humble opinion or something along those lines.

I'd be more happy to see either script extracts or youtube clips with Sisko saying it was a Starbase though. Until then, it's just a Space Station in my eyes.
 
From "Meridian":
SISKO: This is Commander Benjamin Sisko of the Federation Starbase Deep Space 9...
From "Equilibrium":
SISKO: I'm Commander Benjamin Sisko of the Federation Starbase Deep Space 9...
From "Tribunal":
O'BRIEN: This is Chief Miles O'Brien of Starbase Deep Space 9--state your business...
From "Prophet Motive":
SISKO (reading from a list): ...and Doctor Julian Bashir, Chief Medical Officer of Starbase Deep Space 9.
 
DS9 was originally Terok Nor built by the Cardassians, taken over by the Bajorians when the Cardassians were kicked out. They invited the Federation in for protection. As such, the leader of the station was to be a Federation officer. However, the Bajorans had the right to tell the Federation to leave and they would be obliged too by the Prime Directive. The Federation view is, as long as we protect you, we have final say. If you tell us to leave and then get invaded again and ask our (Feds) help, we will come in, but when we win, we will be the bosses again until you say otherwise. It's like 1945 Europe and Poland has the opportunity to be occupied by the Russians or the Americans and they have to decide now on the result.

DS9 always seemed to be more of an airport to me, with ops being the air traffic control tower from the Wormhole and all places around it. DS9 was a duty free port with lax rules on entry and exit. Actually, the series should have shown this situation to be more of a "wild west" feeling. But Quarks and associate criminals and scammers kept Odo busy and made for good episodes.

My major complaint, as I said before is, the station closes down at night. Quarks closes down. There is no one awake on the Promanade besides Odo chasing off drunks like Morn. Bajor would not have one time where everyone wakes up and goes to sleep. There is no "night duty", only the times where people work, recreate, and sleep. If a Klingon cruiser comes into port and had a long trip, wouldn't they be annoyed that everything is closed in "the middle of the night" when they are hungry, thirsty and need of rest?

Even if we Earthers who served there wanted to work the hours that is our daytime hours on our Planet, they would be all different and it would not work out. Light, darkness, total darkness would come into play. What do people in the Northern Hemisphere work and live during the times where it is light or dark 24 hours a day?

I think another thing the show really missed on is that part of the station is a hotel, or a group of hotels, ran by different races in the Star Trek Universe. The Universe is around the clock and does not stop. I have complained about this before, with mixed response.
 
The Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation writers' guides contained descriptions of "starbase." The DS9 and VGR writers' guides do not contain descriptions, though the VGR technical manual does.

I will quote the relevant portions of the descriptions from all three.
Star Trek Writers' Guide said:
[...] These bases provide repair, supply, replacement of personnel and so on. They can also be used for shore leave. [...]
TNG Writers' Guide said:
[...] Starfleet has established a network of starbases throughout the explored part of the galaxy to monitor and direct the operations of its starships. Starbases exist as needed - some are on planets, others are deep-space stations. Starships like the Enterprise will often rendezvous with the nearest Starbase to pick up or discharge personnel.
VGR Tech Manual said:
Starfleet Command maintains a network of a little over five hundred support and operations facilities throughout Federation space, some on the surfaces of planets, while others are space stations. [...]
Since Deep Space Nine fulfilled all of those criteria - repair, resupply, shore leave, monitoring duties, directing starship operations - it certainly would seem to qualify as a Starbase, in keeping with the identification of it as such within the series on multiple occasions.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top