OFFICIAL N-G.com Star Trek Thread

[HeartlessNinny]

Worf: "Sir, I recommend you continue to draw breath."
Picard: "No."

 

[Moon Jump]

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Everyone's probably seen this, but just in case:

 

[NeoTheranthrope]

It's old news now, but everyone and their dog has been reporting on the almost-sorta-project to build a 1:1 scale USS Enterprise in Downtown Las Vegas (instead of the light-up canopy-thing that we ended up getting).

 

[Wachenroder]

Funny how this thread pops just as i'm going through a TNG re-watch. I'm currently on the 2 parter Times Arrow. Still don't care for this story arc. Season 5 is full of great episodes though. Forgot how how the chick in The Perfect Mate was.

 

[aria]

Funny how this thread pops just as i'm going through a TNG re-watch. I'm currently on the 2 parter Times Arrow. Still don't care for this story arc. Season 5 is full of great episodes though. Forgot how how the chick in The Perfect Mate was.

Yeah, it was also bumped at the same time the War Room thread was bumped. I'll just add here what I did there: after losing touch with the show during its first broadcast season, I watched all of DS9 on Netflix and I now feel that it's my favorite Trek show, hands down. Once you get past the "generic Trek blah" episodes of the first 2 seasons, it gets great from seasons 3-7 and is, on average, better per episode than TNG was (though TNG had some of the best episodes in all Trek during that run). I'm mad it took me this long to watch it; they really benefited from being the "dark sheep" and basically being allowed to do whatever while the main Trek producers focused on what they thought would be TNG2: Voyager. I'd stopped watching Voyager after only a few episodes in its first run, and after using Netflix to watch what were supposed to be the "great" episodes and that craptacular Finale, I am glad I didn't bother with it. On the flip side, I'd heard people recommend the final two seasons Enterprise (another one I dropped in its first season) and I was pleasantly surprised--I think that show was finally getting very interesting thanks to a new writer, but too late. I am of the belief that Berman and Braga ruined everything.

It's probably been mentioned elsewhere, but I also recommend the Memory Alpha wiki as an episode companion (I keep it open on my phone as I watch episodes); the people there seem to have transcribed all the best stuff from the book companions as welll as other stuff found from mags and online (e.g. Ron Moore's extensive chat comments about his time on DS9, where you really see all the early versions of concepts he used to make BSG so popular).

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Yeah, that's what I've been saying for years: The highs of TNG might have been a bit higher overall, but DS9 was a much better series on a consistent basis. And I think it had a better cast of characters, too.

Some Trek fans look at me like I just punched a baby when I say that though. I guess some things will never change.

Out of curiosity, when's the last time any of you DS9 haters watched the show? Why not give it another chance? Heck. You may not wind up liking it as much as I do, and that's fine, but I suspect it's better than you remember if nothing else. Just a thought.

 

[Comrade Porn King Mikhail]

Some shows don't hold up very well after 10+ years but DS9 still has the same potent storylines and interpersonal relationships. If I ever had the 100+ hours to spare I'll go through it again.

 

[aria]

Some shows don't hold up very well after 10+ years but DS9 still has the same potent storylines and interpersonal relationships. If I ever had the 100+ hours to spare I'll go through it again.

Have a baby, it helps.

 

[Zero Satori]

I don't know if anyone's really been talking about this (because I hadn't heard of it until a chance look on a magazine cover), but apparently there's a new game in the works based on the alternate-timeline Star Trek movie. It appears (at this early stage) to be a third-person shooter/co-op strategy game where Kirk and Spock pick-up weapons and blow the shit out of things.

That's right. And it's still called "Star Trek."

Apparently, starships are inferior to away teams, and bridge officers are sent to every planet in the galaxy with expressed orders to kick-ass. Now, that would bother me a lot if I wanted alternate-timeline Star Trek to be like regular-timeline Star Trek, but the more it tries to be different, the better, as recycling characters is something they've already chosen to do, but setting and style can differ so greatly from the original that they're no longer comparable.

There's probably no Prime Directive in this timeline, anyway.

 

[aria]

I don't know if anyone's really been talking about this (because I hadn't heard of it until a chance look on a magazine cover), but apparently there's a new game in the works based on the alternate-timeline Star Trek movie. It appears (at this early stage) to be a third-person shooter/co-op strategy game where Kirk and Spock pick-up weapons and blow the shit out of things.

That's right. And it's still called "Star Trek."

Apparently, starships are inferior to away teams, and bridge officers are sent to every planet in the galaxy with expressed orders to kick-ass. Now, that would bother me a lot if I wanted alternate-timeline Star Trek to be like regular-timeline Star Trek, but the more it tries to be different, the better, as recycling characters is something they've already chosen to do, but setting and style can differ so greatly from the original that they're no longer comparable.

There's probably no Prime Directive in this timeline, anyway.

Sounds a lot like the mirror universe. Say what you will about Enterprise, but their two-parter about the origins of the Mirror Universe timeline --especially the opening sequence which is a redo of the end of First Contact, is a hoot.

EDIT: here's the sequence

 

[T.A.P.]

Sounds a lot like the mirror universe. Say what you will about Enterprise, but their two-parter about the origins of the Mirror Universe timeline --especially the opening sequence which is a redo of the end of First Contact, is a hoot.

EDIT: here's the sequence

I remember watching that when it aired, and it was definitely the best thing to come out of Enterprise.

 

[Zero Satori]

Sounds a lot like the mirror universe.

Truth be told, I sometimes wonder if I enjoy Star Trek's mirror universe more than the 'regular' universe, simply because it offers a more-distrustful personality and places characters in situations where they are less-concerned with making the 'right' decisions.

However, with this new video game, it's not really related to the original timeline's mirror universe, and thus aims to be related to this alternate timeline-crap's regular universe. The major problem I have is that, if they're going to try to forge a "new" version of Star Trek, they need to try to be consistent (at-least in some way), else there's no chance of it being respectable to long-time fans of the original, who appreciated the series' "we'll give you something to think about" nature.

Basically: If the alternate timeline wants to have a run-and-gun attitude, that's great--even awesome!--because then they're blatantly admitting an opinion that Roddenberry's ideals have no place in exciting situations. But if they make a game like this and then sporadically litter the next movie with ideas of "we have to respect other races" and "starships make traditional combat unnecessary," then they're not trying to make a universe; they're just whoring themselves-out with minimal effort.

 

[Lagduf]

Star Trek: Fleet Captains

I'll post more on this later...

 

[Jedah Doma]

Oh sechy.

 

[Cylotron]

all these bloody trekkies ....

p.s. anyone have a nice high quality image of picard i can print out and frame?

 

[Lagduf]

I got some batteries for my camera and I'm getting a new gaming table soon so I'll take some proper pics of this epic Star Trek game soon.

 

[Zero Satori]

I'm interested in what you have to say about Star Trek: Fleet Captains, Lagduf, because my local game store has continued to stock the game while ending their replenishments of Star Fleet Battles and Federation & Empire. Clearly, something must be going right with this, but... is it just a simple board game, or what?

 

[Segata_Sanshiro]

The best part of Enterprise was when Dr. Phlox made a gigantic smile and the other character was kind of disturbed by it

 

[Segata_Sanshiro]

Ahaha, yes

 

[Lagduf]

I'm interested in what you have to say about Star Trek: Fleet Captains, Lagduf, because my local game store has continued to stock the game while ending their replenishments of Star Fleet Battles and Federation & Empire. Clearly, something must be going right with this, but... is it just a simple board game, or what?

Over the weekend I'll take some pictures and do a little explanation of the game for this thread, but in a nutshell you basically do very Trek like things in this game: you explore, you encounter weird ass things and phenomena, whacky stuff happens, you go on missions, and you fight the enemy. Seems really damn cool. I've solo'ed maybe 5 turns to get a feel for the mechanics.

 

[brentsg]

I got some batteries for my camera and I'm getting a new gaming table soon so I'll take some proper pics of this epic Star Trek game soon.

This is probably the dumbest question I could ask, but do you have a gang of people that you get together and play these with? Or is it one of those things where you used to play a lot and don't now but might later, or want to collect?

Not hating, just honestly curious..

 

[Lagduf]

This is probably the dumbest question I could ask, but do you have a gang of people that you get together and play these with? Or is it one of those things where you used to play a lot and don't now but might later, or want to collect?

Not hating, just honestly curious..

Used to play a lot, moved, now collect and occasionally get to play with people. I'm looking to get a gaming group going with some people from my work.

These days since I don't play regularly I only buy titles that really appeal to me. I'm genuinely interested in board game design. I enjoy how developers take a concept or idea (like star trek, or WW2 combat, or high fantasy dungeon crawling for example) and put that in a board game form. In fact, I like to see how different developers do things on the exact same topics. Sometimes I buy games that I think do things in a novel way. I generally can read the rules to a board game and get a fair idea if I'm going to like it or now (though not always.) Most decent developers will publish their rules online for free.

I do have four one-player board games. They're all about WW2. One is incredibly novel in how it works. Worth making an entire thread about.

 

[brentsg]

Interesting, never heard of a single player board game.

I'm not familiar with these at all. I used to hit up a comic shop every month or two and when I'd visit, there would occasionally be people playing some sort of board game. It was probably done on certain nights or something and I'd just happen to drop in. They seemed to be having fun, but I've never actually known anyone that played (aside from the usual kid board games, etc). I'll have to track down some rules and try to get a feel.

 

[Lagduf]

Interesting, never heard of a single player board game.

I'm not familiar with these at all. I used to hit up a comic shop every month or two and when I'd visit, there would occasionally be people playing some sort of board game. It was probably done on certain nights or something and I'd just happen to drop in. They seemed to be having fun, but I've never actually known anyone that played (aside from the usual kid board games, etc). I'll have to track down some rules and try to get a feel.

If you're interested in fantasy, sci-fi, horror, history/warfare, or just generally like using your brain in a competitive and fun way then there is probably a board game out there for you.