Star Trek discussion
There is a thread about Star Wars, so I'm creating one about Star Trek.
Anything Star Trek, not just games.
First, I've been looking around for downloadable Star Trek games to no avail. It would seem that I'm not the best at taking care of my old PC game media, and as such am not able to readily locate my Armada, Armada II, Away Team or A Final Unity CDs.
Fortunately, I often made disc images of games that I own, but it still would be rather nice if I could buy these online, or to expand my library with such as Starfleet Command or Bridge Commander.
Anything Star Trek, not just games.
First, I've been looking around for downloadable Star Trek games to no avail. It would seem that I'm not the best at taking care of my old PC game media, and as such am not able to readily locate my Armada, Armada II, Away Team or A Final Unity CDs.
Fortunately, I often made disc images of games that I own, but it still would be rather nice if I could buy these online, or to expand my library with such as Starfleet Command or Bridge Commander.
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If someone can explain me how this can be explained according to the anthropic priniciple i will give you a subspace transgenic biopunk i bought from a Star Trek store.
It's really quite obvious. One sits directly behind the deflector dish and enables the ship to take tachyon pulses and "invert" them. Any time Picard uses an "inverse tachyon beam", it's directly caused by the dicrystalline ethoriter. The dicrystalline etherizer attaches to the front of the ram scoop allowing ionized hydrogen particles to be collected and used to flood plasma conduits in case of warp core breach.
It's simple, really.
I like how every episode of TNG seems to be genuinely thought-provoking in some way, in terms of universal issues that you can relate to. Voyager seems to be trying to do that, it just doesn't do it nearly as consistently or as expertly. Enterprise occasionally tries but it seems to mostly be straightforward adventure stories by comparison.
Interestingly, the first episode I ever saw of any Star Trek series was several years ago, and it was the TNG episode "Family," in which Picard visits his brother in France, and Worf is visited by his parents. Just that one episode, completely out of context. It's a good episode now that I know what was going on, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the worst possible entry points to the series. Not sure how that happened. I basically completely forgot about the experience until I rewatched it on Netflix.
I'm starting to slow down now, since I've watched every Q episode, nearly every cross-series cameo episode, every Borg episode (of TNG, not all the Voyager ones yet), and most of the episodes that I've seen recommended in various top 10 lists. If anybody here has any suggestions of hidden gems among the shows, I'll check them out.
I'm actually a fan of all the series, except for TOS. Many of TOS' plotlines are extremely similar to each other (eg. an alien/robot attacking or invading the ship; a robot killing/controlling all life it encounters which can only be defeated by telling it that itself is evil; the away team on a planet is being killed off except for the senior staff; etc.) and it may be renown for addressing certain social issues of its time but I'm not old enough for those to speak to me like they might have to my parents.
And of course there's the rule that the even numbered Trek movies are the best (ie. Wrath of Khan, Voyage Home, Undiscovered Country, First Contact, and Nemesis) with the exception of the newest movie, Star Trek XI (2009), which is one of my favorites.
DS9 sort of lost the point of Star Trek, in a good and bad sense, depending on where you stand. If you like Battle Star Galactica and Babylon 5 and the more action oriented (while still meaningful) direction, then those were good for you. If you enjoyed the more idealistic TOS and TNG shows that tried to portray a more idealistic/ambitious humanity and that focused on capsule shows in which classic science fiction ideals were written, you were one of those that was irked.
I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard that Nemesis was relatively terrible, so the alternating-curse kind of broke at that point. I'm still mildly interested in seeing it. I've seen all of the other "good" films, as well as Star Trek 3 and Generations, both of which I thought were not that bad. And I found The Voyage Home to just be absurd, though it had a couple of good moments I just couldn't get over the whale thing.
Also DS9 is the best series of the lot that I've seen (excluding Voyager, enterprise and animated. I've heard they weren't that great anyway.). I felt that TNG was limited with what they could do. Every other episode seemed to be about somwone getting possessed by some gaseous alien who boarded. DS9 provided better character development and could regularly introduce new characters and have old ones return.
Nemesis had potential. It would have succeeded had they given the movie to Frakes, but instead they let a non-fan direct, and then Rick Berman bled the heart out of the movie by chopping away at it to get the movie "just under two hours". Yes, that was his goal, as moronic as it sounds.
I loved Star Trek 2009, and I can't wait for the next one. I'm glad that they're taking their time with it and working for a better movie, not just a rush-job to please the suits.
Oh, and best DS9 episode? In my opinion, "Far Beyond the Stars" is a winner.
Well, you know what? Data wanted to be able to die. Have none of these people ever seen the 2-part TNG episode "Time's Arrow"? In it, Data's head is found in a cavern confirming that Data would at some point go back in time and then die. Geordi asks Data about it, and Data says that he wants to be mortal. He doesn't want to out-live all his friends countless times over. He finds comfort in his apparent mortality. Further, Data is on a quest to find his own humanity and many consider there to be no better show of one's humanity than to sacrifice oneself for the sake of another as Data did in Nemesis.
All of this befits Data. I don't see why people have a problem with it.
I like TNG and DS9 both. I never could get into other sci-fi shows. They're just not Star Trek. I can't... I don't know what it is, but I love Trek and don't care much for any of the other shows. Granted, I didn't watch DS9 much when it was on the air, but that was because the series started when TNG was still running, ended when Voyager was already running, and the first iteration of the title theme/opening credits was too long/slow. Then I went to college and took time to watch every episode online, and now I love it.
In behind the scenes footage of DS9, they talk about how not all the galaxy is idyllic such as humanity and Earth had become by that time. Other races in the galaxy have problems that haven't been solved yet, and chief among them are the Bajorans, who had just come out of a 50 year long occupation by Cardassia.
I found Star Trek X to be seriously boring (after a fabulous Star Trek VIII and an OK Star Trek IX). My critique would not be that Data
I loved Voyager. People say the first couple seasons were the best, and while I agree they were good, I think that the series only got better as it went along. It had its drab points which is why it's not the best series, but it definitely had enough highlights to keep it afloat for me. TNG will always be the best, though.
As for the films, I do enjoy watching them all, again some more than others. After my most recent spell of going through them all a few weeks ago I got to pondering (again) my order of preference. This is what I came up with (just using numbers as I'm lazy): 6, 8, 11, 2, 3, 1, 7, 4, 10, 9, 5.
I like both of them for different reasons, but DS9 and Voyager certainly took Rodenberry's concept of an evolving humanity that had drawn nearer to a peaceful ideal and hammered on it. Obviously you've thrust that humanity into a conflict with the Bajoran and the Cardassians so not all things can be fruit and flowers (and interestingly enough that conflict formed the basis for conflicts in Voyager at the start of its run), but there's still a bit of that grandiose concept that got gnawed away in the process. Again, whether that's for better or worse is up to perception. I had plenty of B5 friends who loved DS9 but disliked TNG. Though for my money B5 is far better than DS9.
Also, is J. J. Abrams EVER going to make those other Star Trek movies?? Last I heard all the actors had signed up for a 3-movie contract. Star Trek the movie was released...and then nothing. Just Abrams saying "I don't want to do anything unless I'm really excited about it" He shouldn't have gotten everybody's hopes up.
I loved his Star Trek. Nice and fresh. And a perfect way to reboot the series. Alternate universe. And for everyone else there's still Star Trek Online.
Discuss.
Anything post-TOS is a different animal to me. I still love TNG, DS9 and Enterprise, but they don't feel the same as classic Trek. Maybe it's just because I grew up with TOS (one of the few things me and my dad share our enthusiasm about).
I hated Voyager. I found none of the characters likable and many episodes felt like repeats from stories/themes that had already been covered in the earlier series. The extremely wooden acting didn't help either. Boring!
I've also never agreed with the theory that only the even-numbered movies were any good. I loved The Motion Picture and The Search for Spock, whereas I felt The Voyage Home and Nemesis were particularly lacking (I still don't get why TVH is so popular, it's completely ridiculous).
Bad Star Trek video games have always been a dime a dozen (Star Wars games are the same way), but I agree that 25th Anniversary was pretty damn good.
^ Btw, Alcoremortis, are you watching the classic versions or the remastered episodes of TOS? I still can't decide which I like better. The new version obviously has the advantage in terms of picture clarity, but there is a certain charm to the old special effects that is lost in the CG adaptations IMO.
Also, in my opinion, The Voyage Home is great because it's ridiculous. I really love it when shows/movies don't take themselves so seriously. And the humor in that episode was spot on, making it the most memorable (and quotable) Star Trek movie that I have seen. Then again, I am a Doctor Who fan first and foremost so I guess I've always taken a bit of a lighter view of Scifi. I don't really understand super drama and seriousness, being a light hearted soul of joy and innocence.
GREAT GAMES. Think I'll do a Let's Play of 25th Anniversary
Final Unity used to flabbergast me as a kid!
The Organian Peace Treaty, imposed by a society of beings so advanced they could halt the actions of Humans and Klingons throughout the Galaxy. As far as I understand, the Organians continued their advanced evolution to a point that they departed the Galaxy.
I have heard Starfleet Command 1 and 2 are good, but have never played them.
You know, another reason why I think I never liked TOS so much is because I never really cared for various overacted scenes (such as in "The Naked Time" when Sulu is attacking people with a rapier in the corridor). I guess that's another advantage TNG has over TOS for me: Patrick Stewart is a much better actor than William Shatner.
Don't get me wrong, he was great in the movies (except Star Trek V, of course) but in the show, he's just not nearly as good as Picard.
Number 2 is in pre-production now and JJ has confirmed he will be directing it.
The franchise is 50 years old, the universe is huge, you don't do that to a thriving universe, franchise, that reptilian mother fucker. It's one of the worse things I've ever seen with film, for some guy to come along and claim the entire star trek universe as his alternate universe. It's a kick in the balls and I don't understand how you guys can go on and on about star wars but arent enraged by this atrocity!
He took Gene's vision and made his own universe...that doesn't bother any of you? It bothers me...who does this visual effects twat think he is? It's an outrage...and you forgive too easily...
It doesn't even feel like a Star Trek movie, and they cram Leonard into just to remind us that they are raping the original series and entire franchise, they're like...remember that other Star Trek universe, that has nothing to do with this stupid fake universe because it's some BS alternate universe...??
Completely accurate and serious news report.
That is gold.
GOLD!
Bad movie, poor poor concept, weak, let star trek die please so we can bury it in some decency. It totally derailed the universe and that's unacceptable.
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
CGI is crap, who cares? Because it's eye candy that means something is going for it? Please...
This is not Gene's vision, it's JJ's money whore vision, rebooting an entire trekkie universe. If you like this movie, sorry, you're a disgrace to trekkies around the world.
He took the universe as his own, he has no right, damn right fans own it more than he does. If he had any creativity he'd make his own movie series, instead of raping something as famous as Rod Sterling work...
He can go dig himself a hole. People call him a visionary, I think he's a HACK
The new movie's plot inconsistencies and apparent differences occuring prior to the Narada's arrival not withstanding, the TNG series outright explains that creating a new universe does not negate the old one. As Data himself said in the episode Parallels, "For any event there is an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcomes will follow, but there is a theory in quantum physics that all possibilities that can happen do happen in alternate quantum realities."
So, to follow the events of an alternate universe doesn't negate the Prime universe, but it does allow for new and fresh stories to be told that aren't bound by every previously established rule regarding the events of the Prime timeline.
I, for one, understand and support what has been done.
Quoted for truth, I couldn't have put it better myself with a hundred silly pictures and videos.
I mean, probably the best Star Trek movie so far, First Contact, was based around an idea that required them to take a character from TOS and recast him and totally redesign the character beyond recognition, and it was perfect.
I really like most of the new cast, I hope that in the sequel they work a bit more on making Sulu resemble his TOS self a bit more. He never had a huge role in the series but George Takei sort of brought a cool dignity to the role and sometimes a really cool sense of dry humor, and John Cho doesn't really convey that at all for me. It was nice that he got to fence, though. The rest of them all do a pretty good job of being what I would expect them to be.
And speaking of accurate and serious videos, I do sort of feel bad for William Shatner being left out of the film. Here's his reaction to the recasting of Captain Kirk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRQvfMX38q8