What do you think of my bridge?
What bridge design do you like?
- Thread starter AdmiralSteven
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What do you think of my bridge?
Star Trek V is much maligned, but I actually like its production design (for everything they actually designed instead of reusing a TNG set), including the bridge. It has my favorite bridge design.
Here's my thought process: The original series bridge looked very well designed, but it was a product of the 1960's. I think it looked functional, but not entirely realistic. TMP came along and took that same basic design and made it more believable, more realistic, still extremely functional. Neither bridge, however, looked particularly comfortable or inviting. Just functional. Which is fine if you are on a modern day military vessel, but these people are supposed to be working in this environment day in and day out for years at a time.
So TNG comes along, and Herman Zimmerman under Gene Roddenberry's direction designs a bridge which looks much more warm, comfortable, inviting, but which, IMHO, loses all of the functional realism of the original. As others have pointed out many times, it looks more like a hotel lobby. Virtually everything is behind the captain, and there's tons of wasted space. All the science and engineering stations are way off in nowhere-land, but at least the captain has the counselor nearby.
Then here comes Star Trek V. And what does Zimmerman manage to do? He manages to take all the warmth from the TNG bridge, including the carpeting, the wood accents, etc. and meld it with the 360-degree functional design of TMP. It is a beautiful harmony and -- had Meyer not discarded it in TUC -- would have served as a nice link or transitional stage between the TOS movie era and the TNG era, showing the gradual evolution in bridge design.
In short, I think the TFF bridge is the best combination of form and function, warmth and realism, of any of the Trek bridges.
The fifth star trek movie was a Kirk movie. Why would Kirk have the Enterprise-D's bridge a full century later.
I agree. In hindsight I'm disappointed that after TNG we got all these cold Starfleet sets.
Star Trek V is much maligned, but I actually like its production design (for everything they actually designed instead of reusing a TNG set), including the bridge. It has my favorite bridge design.
Here's my thought process: The original series bridge looked very well designed, but it was a product of the 1960's. I think it looked functional, but not entirely realistic. TMP came along and took that same basic design and made it more believable, more realistic, still extremely functional. Neither bridge, however, looked particularly comfortable or inviting. Just functional. Which is fine if you are on a modern day military vessel, but these people are supposed to be working in this environment day in and day out for years at a time.
So TNG comes along, and Herman Zimmerman under Gene Roddenberry's direction designs a bridge which looks much more warm, comfortable, inviting, but which, IMHO, loses all of the functional realism of the original. As others have pointed out many times, it looks more like a hotel lobby. Virtually everything is behind the captain, and there's tons of wasted space. All the science and engineering stations are way off in nowhere-land, but at least the captain has the counselor nearby.
Then here comes Star Trek V. And what does Zimmerman manage to do? He manages to take all the warmth from the TNG bridge, including the carpeting, the wood accents, etc. and meld it with the 360-degree functional design of TMP. It is a beautiful harmony and -- had Meyer not discarded it in TUC -- would have served as a nice link or transitional stage between the TOS movie era and the TNG era, showing the gradual evolution in bridge design.
In short, I think the TFF bridge is the best combination of form and function, warmth and realism, of any of the Trek bridges.
The fifth star trek movie was a Kirk movie. Why would Kirk have the Enterprise-D's bridge a full century later.
I just used the multiquote feature to stick all your quotes in one place. You could have done this for your replies to other posters as you were told repeatedly to do. Since you haven't, I am issuing one warning for spamming. If you have any comments or questions, please send them to me by private message.
Star Trek V is much maligned, but I actually like its production design (for everything they actually designed instead of reusing a TNG set), including the bridge. It has my favorite bridge design.
Here's my thought process: The original series bridge looked very well designed, but it was a product of the 1960's. I think it looked functional, but not entirely realistic. TMP came along and took that same basic design and made it more believable, more realistic, still extremely functional. Neither bridge, however, looked particularly comfortable or inviting. Just functional. Which is fine if you are on a modern day military vessel, but these people are supposed to be working in this environment day in and day out for years at a time.
So TNG comes along, and Herman Zimmerman under Gene Roddenberry's direction designs a bridge which looks much more warm, comfortable, inviting, but which, IMHO, loses all of the functional realism of the original. As others have pointed out many times, it looks more like a hotel lobby. Virtually everything is behind the captain, and there's tons of wasted space. All the science and engineering stations are way off in nowhere-land, but at least the captain has the counselor nearby.
Then here comes Star Trek V. And what does Zimmerman manage to do? He manages to take all the warmth from the TNG bridge, including the carpeting, the wood accents, etc. and meld it with the 360-degree functional design of TMP. It is a beautiful harmony and -- had Meyer not discarded it in TUC -- would have served as a nice link or transitional stage between the TOS movie era and the TNG era, showing the gradual evolution in bridge design.
In short, I think the TFF bridge is the best combination of form and function, warmth and realism, of any of the Trek bridges.
The fifth star trek movie was a Kirk movie. Why would Kirk have the Enterprise-D's bridge a full century later.
I just used the multiquote feature to stick all your quotes in one place. You could have done this for your replies to other posters as you were told repeatedly to do. Since you haven't, I am issuing one warning for spamming. If you have any comments or questions, please send them to me by private message.
I am a tech person and well the quoting system for this site sux. I cant figure it out and basicly I just want to chat about Star Trek. Sense nobody on this site wants to talk about Star Trek.
I don't want to spend hours figuring out how a stupid multi quote function works. when I do it I also may not want an entire page. I may want some from Page 4 or 5. and only may want to do specific posts as I don't have anything to say to one poster, but to another.
Posting isn't rocket science. I just want to click a button and type. this wasn't spamming. each post had something different about the same subject.
Startrek.com board members waste there time arguing and make talking about startrek into piss crap fights. When there not there creating lame post games that are boring and lame.
Unfortantly this site wants to make it rocket science. I don't spend all day posting. I come for twenty or thirty minutes and leave.
Sense there are NO local trekies....Well theres a few I just want to talk to them online. I proposed a interesting bridge design and NOT one person can offer a opinion. As you can see I guess I will just go look for another site.
Hopefully 3rd time is the charm...if anyone wants to talk about my bridge designs and the photo of my ship in Photo bucket. Email me. My door is open at colep2003@hotmail.com.
No advertisers in my box please.
Also I can see that everyone here is rapped up in the original series.
I like to branch out, true I watch the original series. but it is NOT perfect. It is what it is.
Anyway...Good luck. Hope the BBS comes up with a better format because I wasn't a advertiser. I just had a lot to say on the subject.
It comes down to - Your Loss, not mine...
Im sorry this board isn't open to people with a lot too say.
Because my ship is wonderful and I have made 15 different changes sense my posts.
I'm partial to the NX01, Defiant, and now the Kelvin bridge. I'm not certain of this, but I think I read somewhere that the NX01 bridge was partial leftover and redresses of the Excaliber bridge set, from the B5 spinoff. Anyone know if that is accurate?
My understanding is that the NX-01 sets were completely, 100% new. The Trek soundstages had been in constant use for a long time and were in poor shape. Some of the ST movie sets were transformed into the TNG sets, which were then transformed into the VOY sets. So by the time VOY wrapped, the sets weren't really salvageable. Everything was torn down, the soundstage was overhauled, and then brand new sets were created for ENT. I don't think anything was a re-dress.
I agree with you on the Kelvin bridge design. From the pictures, It is actually more like the TOS bridge than any of the other bridges. Perhaps that is why I like it. TOS was my first bridge so it always has a special place in my heart.
I still think that without the blinding make-up lights (and hostess stations), the NuEnt is a great design.
Okay, I have a new favorite bridge design.
http://spectreblofeld.googlepages.com/excelsiorbridgeconcept.jpg
This was concept art for the Excelsior's proposed bridge design in the production of STIII.
That wraparound viewscreen is AWESOME!
I'd have the turbolift in the back sunk down below viewscreen level, with the bridge sloping down to it via a ramp, so as not to obstruct a full 360 degree view.
http://spectreblofeld.googlepages.com/excelsiorbridgeconcept.jpg
This was concept art for the Excelsior's proposed bridge design in the production of STIII.
That wraparound viewscreen is AWESOME!
I'd have the turbolift in the back sunk down below viewscreen level, with the bridge sloping down to it via a ramp, so as not to obstruct a full 360 degree view.
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A page stretching one, unfortunately
That looks very cool, though the interface on the screen really needs work.
But I can see a few problems with it: at warp, the view would become disorienting at best, and if you're out in deep space for some time, it could become quite depressing.
On the other hand, if you split it up into a few sections where each bridge station has their own 'space' to display stuff, it would become quite interesting. A sort of astrometrics, just for more people.
The Enteprise-E.
I like the Enterprise E's design with the new movie one coming in second.
Oh snap. Lookingglassman likes the new bridge; now it has to be crap.
And to think that I liked the bridge; what was I thinking...
I like the Excelsior bridge from Star Trek III for the lower command deck, and then above and behind, a flag deck that can serve as a fleet operations center. Stairs on one side, turbolift access on two other sides of each level, and a nice guardrail that can be leaned over to shout things down to the lower deck, if needed - or for a crewperson to dramatically fall over. 
The walls would be capable of going transparent with a semi-opaque wireframe view of the seems of the walls. And there would be NO stupid display of the ship showing vital areas and where the ship is already damaged behind the captain's chair or anywhere else that would be picked up during visual communications with other ships.
The walls would be capable of going transparent with a semi-opaque wireframe view of the seems of the walls. And there would be NO stupid display of the ship showing vital areas and where the ship is already damaged behind the captain's chair or anywhere else that would be picked up during visual communications with other ships.
Stop flirting.Oh snap. Lookingglassman likes the new bridge; now it has to be crap.
And to think that I liked the bridge; what was I thinking...
You know, I hadn't thought of this before.
It might be just as easy to edit that out of the signal, though.
Anticitizen said:
I rather like this too.
I can't help but think about it - one of my other Trekkie friends actually gets angry whenever he sees this on TNG or wherever and starts ranting on and on about it.You know, I hadn't thought of this before.
I've actually mentioned editing it out of the signal before - just seems to make it worse, usually. Which is part of why I do it.
I've always thought the Captain could use a console or display screen in front of his chair, too, so he can tell ship status with a glance instead of some officer having to bark it out loud to him. It never happens onscreen of course, but what if after a taking a weapons blow, Sulu, Spock, and Chekov all belt out various damage reports at the same time? Awkward....
That's what the main viewer is for. It doesn't seem to be of benefit to anyone else.
That is actually a pretty good point. I know I like seeing things myself rather than having to ask someone or have them report to me. How do actual navies handle bridge design now?
What about the NASA mission control centers? That's kind of similar; many specialists in one room with a mission director who makes decisions. From my Apollo recollections, each has a station, with all oriented towards the big screens. Flight director is in the back (wearing a vest), right?
In resposnse to the actual OP, I like bridge designs where each specialist does not face foward (for the tv cameras). So TOS, TFF are both good ones in that vein.
