Star Trek The Magazine July 2001

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[REG]

<font color="white">Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 02-Issue 02 (June 2001)</font>

Check out the ventral (aka bottom) view of the Constellation-class Stargazer schematic. The one where they label it as the "Main Bridge"?

If it's anything like the predecessor's saucer design such as the Miranda-class (including variants), that's where the navigational deflector should be.

Besides, who would want to risk landing a shuttle in a shuttlebay while both ship and shuttle in warp speed transit ... other than Kirk?

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Anyhoo, just some random thoughts...

[This message has been edited by REG (edited 06-12-2001).]

[Flamestrike]

I was similarly disappointed with the schematic of the Constellation-class they did last issue.

I mean, f'cryin' out loud, if the rectangular area to the far foreward of the ship is the main shuttlebay, then where's the bloody Navigational deflector on the thing?! Designed like that, it'd go *poof* the first time it went to warp...

[Dan Gurden]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by StyroFoam Man:
And where, pray tell, where the hell is that?! </font>

It would be located on the whajammacallit, attached to the doohickey. Im certain of that.

As REG said on the underside, possibly even where the partial Anamie Mech model parts are located... (Strange but true, but dont ask me which Mech they used... Its like the 37 link, TNG has several Manga connections due to the crews favourite group activity at the time...)

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by REG:
Besides, who would want to risk landing a shuttle in a shuttlebay while both ship and shuttle in warp speed transit ... other than Kirk? </font>

REG, I think the problem about the 'going 'Poof' everytime it goes to warp' was more about going to warp with a Nav Deflector, but a forward shuttlebay would most certainly stop warp landings as the ship went to warp...

Hey, if both ships were pulling warp 5, then the impact speed would be Transwarp... Would this mean that while being everywhere at the same time, that they would miss each other?

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Dan.

"A couple of thoughts from a random mind!"
http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

[Robert Lai]

Just picked up the current issue (there aren't a lot of good bookstores in the immediate area, so I have to wait for it to hit the newsstand, which can often be a week or more into the month) ...

It's not that everyone hates Voyager. I really wanted to see a good series -- but the writing and the concepts just didn't step up to the plate. There has to be a better way than to take your first two seasons and use them to beta-test your ideas.

Particularly ideas that no one seems to claim ownership for. The interview with Jeri Taylor, et al seem to be chock-full of disavowals, as with the following observations about the Kazon:

"But I was only involved in the day-to-day operations of the first 12 episodes ... and the Kazon were being cast by Jeri and Rick ..." -- Michael Piller, p. 17 (Piller doesn't claim to have created the Kazon, only the 'teenage gang' concept.)

"I was very vocal in saying let's get rid of these guys, let's cut bait!" -- Jeri Taylor, p. 17

"I felt that after awhile, the Kazon just got tiresome, and it felt like Voyager wasn't going anywhere." -- Brannon Braga, p. 27

And it doesn't stop there. A caption indicates that Braga felt Kes was the only major character that didn't work. Taylor remarks on the Janeway/Holonovel concept. And so on.

Although passing reference is made to the loyal fans who liked Voyager, the interviews left me with the feeling that there's a lot of self-justification going on -- suggesting that the producers know there's an equal number of fans who felt the series was a substandard offering.

To be fair, Voyager did (as noted in this issue) put forth some amazing CGI effects, and one has to admire Robert Blackman and Michael Westmore for their work in costuming and makeup.

All of the pieces were there, but I feel Voyager needed stronger thematic leadership and attention to detail.

Bob

[prophetsteve]

My beef with Voyager, other than the Braga years, is that they had so many good premises in the beginning and just tossed them.

It was amazing to see arcs like the Seska betrayl and the very serious friction between the two crews. That could have been utilized far beyond what it was.

Maquis and Starfleet meshed together too quick and Paris, except for a few episodes, became the model officer. I would have appreciated less of the "eccentric" Paris and more of the "rebel trying to deal with being a StarFleet" officer. With his cynicism in the start of the series, I think that it would have taken more than one season to be Mr. Nice Guy.

I would have liked to have kept the Delta Quadrent as the backwater Quadrent. We already had the Gamma Quad and its once-superior Dominion. It would have been cool to see Voyager, bastion of Federation tech in the land with transporters or replicators. Thats what sold "Caretaker" on me. Too bad it degenerated into the "megapowerful-alien-of-the-week".

The ship got too self sufficent by the end. I would have like to have seen the continuance and upscaling of the energy shortages, etc. It would have been cool to have Voyager have to integrate alien technology (No not Borg!) into the ship so at the end of the series the once Federation Bridge might have looked a bit different.

Then there was that annoying habit of the Delta Flyer getting destroyed and being rebuilt every second episode. Gee no replicator shortages there...and where did they get all those Torpedos...alright, I have to stop here

Anyway, with all my criticism, Voyager wasn't a bad series overall. There were some very memorable episodes and they added some new ships and tech (Prometheus Woo Hoo!). Too bad everyone, like me, seem to remember the infamous shows...

[Robert Lai]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Dan Gurden:
I have seen post after post slamming Voyager, when as far as I can tell the problem lies in the audience and an inability to accept that they have a choice over what they watch on TV.</font>

I gave up consistently watching Voyager after the first season, and caught the occasional episode in weeknight reruns for lack of anything better to watch (gods, what a concept!).

So I don't feel bad in slamming Voyager. I will continue to express my opinion that the show had serious problems and that those problems may even be a symptom of a greater malaise in the Star Trek franchise.

That is why a forum such as generously provided on trekrpg.net is good for Star Trek fandom as a whole. There's not a whole lot of lemming-posts on the boards, but often exchanges about storytelling, writing, and in-genre concepts. Along, I feel, with a cameraderie that goes beyond whether or not someone likes Voyager.

That is closer to IDIC - the exchange and interaction between diverse opinions - than simply clicking the dial.

Bob