Star trek Hollo Deck question!

[90'sCartoonMan]

I mean, do people use the holodecks the way that people these days use prostitutes and brothels? Are holodecks the internet porn of the final frontier? If the holosuites that Quark operated are any indication, yes they do. Does that leave a mess afterwards? If so, who cleans it up?

Um, excuse me while I go pull my mind out of the gutter. . .

Ah, the mysteries of life. I love how Futurama called that out, though. Aparently Zap Brannigan can't go into a holoshed again or he'll be slapped by 3 paternity suits (because I guess those holograms can get pregnant).

I never understood why there was even an option to 'disengage the safety protocols'.

In case someone invades your ship, perhaps. Think about it, if you manage to lure an enemy into a holodeck, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want to them if you disengage the safety protocols. Picard did it to the Borg.

[Cyke]

Check out his maintenece log

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=4035

If I had to pick one person to consider my arch enemy aboard the Enterprise it is, undoubtedly, Commander William Riker.

Ain't that the truth. Everyone's got a bone to pick with Riker, me included.

[Ryan K]

In case someone invades your ship, perhaps. Think about it, if you manage to lure an enemy into a holodeck, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want to them if you disengage the safety protocols. Picard did it to the Borg.

Once. Its a pretty convoluted scenario that the option would exist just for that reason.

[marshal99]

We all know what the holodeck would really be used for 99.9% of the time. :D

Pity the poor guy whose job it is to clean it.

If the Holodeck was present in Kirk's time at the enterprise , you know Kirk will be in there all the time , creating a harem for himself. ;)

[The Mirrorball Man]

I dunno. When you're on an extended multi-year mission, and your next destination is a week away, starting at stars streaking by you in 10-forward after the 6th day straight when you've been out there for 4 years might get a bit boring.

You'd have to be pretty retarded to be fascinated watching those stars streak past you for 72 hours straight when this is your billionth mission where you do nothing but wait for a week 'til you reach your destination. Where you pick up medical supplies. To carry to a planet another week away.

Yeah, but from a dramatic point of view, doesn't that automatically mean that the whole series is less exciting? Doesn't the fact that there's a holodeck onboard mean that what used to be "boldly going where no man has gone before" has become "hey man, I'm just doing my job!"?

[Buzz Dixon]

Yeah, but from a dramatic point of view, doesn't that automatically means that the whole series is less exciting? Doesn't the fact that there's a holodeck onboard mean that what used to be "boldly going where no man has gone before" has become "hey man, I'm just doing my job!"?

You have pretty much summed up what failed to entertain me about the new (i.e., post 60s) STAR TREKs.

[The Mirrorball Man]

You have pretty much summed up what failed to entertain me about the new (i.e., post 60s) STAR TREKs.

Well, I don't have anything against "just my job" series. "Hill Street Blues" was a "just my job" series, after all.

To some extent, "Deep Space 9" acknowledged that the Trek universe had become a much more familiar and less exciting place, and actually embraced the whole "just my job" dimension. That's another way of making it work. What doesn't work is pretending that you're doing a "where no man has gone before" series when you're really doing a "just my job" show.

[Dreadstar]

...The odds are better playing Russian roulette.

All I have to say to that is:

Lt. Reginald 'Reg' Barclay and the REAL entertainment use of the holodeck.

I'll take that risk. Yep.

[Ontir]

I think my main problem with the 4 sequel series was that Roddenberry had a central question with the original, "Will the technology makes us more than we are, or less than we were?" The answer in all of these series, although somewhat less in "Enterprise" and "DS9" was much, much less. They were a largely blasé people who had become overly homogenous, despite the multitude of races. I've said this here before, but I think it bares repeating: Human culture had stagnated in these shows. In the original series, we saw games, and heard music that suggested continuous development. In the later series, we saw them admiring, listening to, and playing music from the mid-20th century, or doing Shakespeare. If there was something new, it came from an alien race. Humanity had, in affect, become Victorians in space.

[Nate Grey]

Why the holodeck, someone asked? Well, keep in mind there's no TV stations, so all there is to do is read or do recreational stuff, and how much more recreational can you get than a holodeck? Read a book and want to LIVE it? The holodeck.

The Doctor on Voyager has said many times he's a combination of photons (color) and force fields (texture). Since he's a hologram, it would stand to reason everything inside a holodeck is exactly that. Also stands to reason the holodeck can double as a replicator (the piece Moriarty drew on that was taken outside the holodeck, Wesley getting wet from the water, etc) depending on the object and situation. What's funny is that I think with the safeties off, bullets from guns are actual, well, bullets replicated by the holodeck.

Why an off button on the safeties? Well...may be people like Worf around who want it as real as possible. And I thought only a senior officer could disengage them anyway, and since he was one, he did so for his calestenics. So joe schmoe or some ensign couldn't just walk in and disengage them for, say, a civil war reenactment.

[Nate Grey]

I think my main problem with the 4 sequel series was that Roddenberry had a central question with the original, "Will the technology makes us more than we are, or less than we were?" The answer in all of these series, although somewhat less in "Enterprise" and "DS9" was much, much less. They were a largely blasé people who had become overly homogenous, despite the multitude of races. I've said this here before, but I think it bares repeating: Human culture had stagnated in these shows. In the original series, we saw games, and heard music that suggested continuous development. In the later series, we saw them admiring, listening to, and playing music from the mid-20th century, or doing Shakespeare. If there was something new, it came from an alien race. Humanity had, in affect, become Victorians in space.

Basically. Its like there was no culture in the 24th century, so they had to look at past cultures throughout history.

But another reason I thought holodecks were introduced...is that in the original series, they'd come across a planet that HAPPENS to be populated by humans, in an era from Earth's past. Rather than do all that...holodecks. Then of course you'd have something happen where the safeties are off and they're locked in, and voila, same effect, more or less.

Perhaps its the lesser of two evils: its easier to assume your main source of recreation goes haywire (why not pick another form of recreation since it happens so often?), versus going to a planet that has humans acting like the're from another era, even if there's a good reason why.

Note: This happened at least twice on the original series, so that may not be a big factor after all. I don't know all the original series ep by heart so...:)

[Buzz Dixon]

Well, I don't have anything against "just my job" series. "Hill Street Blues" was a "just my job" series, after all.

To some extent, "Deep Space 9" acknowledged that the Trek universe had become a much more familiar and less exciting place, and actually embraced the whole "just my job" dimension. That's another way of making it work. What doesn't work is pretending that you're doing a "where no man has gone before" series when you're really doing a "just my job" show.

I have no problems with a "just my job" series either. The original STAR TREK was not that, however, so the subsequent series weren't as satisfying to those who were looking for more "where no man has gone before" type stories.

I've said this before, I'll say it again: Money is the enemy of craft and creativity. The original TREK was pretty much forced to explore distant, remote worlds because they couldn't afford the sets, costumes, and special effects necessary to convincingly depict an alien civilization. This also forced them to become far more stylized in their story telling, and to move the story telling into a more archtypical rather than naturalistic form.

That, and Kirk would never surrender...

[The Mirrorball Man]

I've said this before, I'll say it again: Money is the enemy of craft and creativity.

You don't have to tell me, Buzz. I'm a Doctor Who fan.

[elheffe]

I've said this before, I'll say it again: Money is the enemy of craft and creativity.

That's my theory on why the first two Star Wars movies are so good. The prequels and 'Jedi' are enjoyable, but not as good as the original.

[davids]

Think about it, there is no money any more on earth. If you have a replicator it will make you clothes and any food or drink you want and low fat! The halo deck in your home will give you any fantasy woman or man you want. Live any number of adventures. Who the hell would ever go outside?

society would collapse wouldn'y it?:evilsmile