What I will never understand is the term "command division". Ok, Picard and Riker are the fist in the command chain. Clear. But why are navigators in red?
Here is a reference to read about the Command Division. Navigators or 'helmsmen' wear the red of command for the fact they command/pilot the ship.
...talking to players is like being a mall Santa. Everyone immediately wants to tell you all of the things they want, and you are absolutely powerless to deliver 99% of them.
While that's true, I gotta say, it works well for a game. Cryptic had "auras" for costume changes in City of Heroes. They probably could adjust costume changes to match.
And VFX have progressed so considerably and division assignment changed are so rare that I could see a modern Trek show either showing a transporter effect or showing the uniform change colors while someone is wearing it.
I mean, we had heat sensitive color change suits in the 90s. With the kind of tech they have in Trek, uniforms that change color doesn't seem to be out of the question to me.
And for that matter, with modern filming effects, I think LED rank pips would be a lot more likely if they did a show with rank pips. There were practical and cost considerations when TNG was on the air but with today's gaming inspired culture, I could see badges and pips utilizing LED effects.
Somebody taps a combadge, it distorts or flickers. Rank pips as a bar wor on the neck with LED/touchscreen effects with the pips disappearing when someone is offduty. You might even say it's a security thing with the pips using biometrics to confirm identity and rank and maybe having display functions.
Actually, what might look cool is if someone taps their LED combadge and their neck LED shifts from pips to a waveform of their voice.
I'm not suggesting the whole uniform might look like TRON or anything but the badge/neck rank insignia seem like decent contenders to get built in displays.
I REALLY LIKE THIS IDEA
the futuristic appeal is great, and the idea of a waveform display/ off duty on duty changes are a nice touch
I for one would love this kind of thing to be on something like the Oddy Uniform ( IMO the most proffessional modern looking uniform)
On the topic of being able to change uniform, it could even have additional value for away teams, Upon beaming down the uniform fabric can be altered based on Weather conditions, becoming breathable in arid enviroments etc, or altering to be more durable than the Duty uniform ( E.G skirts are swapped for more durable trousers )
Additional functions to display the dress uniform as soon as a Flag officers voice print is recognised in the vicinity could even be a possibility that would be nice
I may have gone overboard with the concept, But i would ideally love a set up that has a standard [Away Team Uniform] that officers have upon beam down , that doesn't effect their normal appearance, with the potential to have a Weather uniform, Beaming to a map marked Snowy, would give your team winter coats with hoods for example
These are the Voyages on the STO forum, the final frontier. Our continuing mission: to explore Pretentious Posts, to seek out new Overreactions and Misinformation , to boldly experience Cynicism like no man has before.......
Thanks for the info, but I have already read that.
I mean, all those dozens of ensigns in red, what are they commanding or controlling? I have never seen them doing anything else than flying.
The command division in Star Trek is roughly analogous to the Executive (Warfare or Line) branches of the current Navies.
These officers usually train in Navigation and basically act as the Captain during certain periods called watches. They are responsible for all chart work both electronic and paper based and ensuring the ship or submarine is safe at sea at all times. As well as coordinating movements with other ships, aircraft as well as communications with harbor masters, coastguards and other authorities.
Later on in their careers they would train in weapons and weapons control becoming Principal Weapon (Warfare) Officers or PWOs (read: tactical officers like Worf) before moving on to becoming XO or CO of bigger ships. In the Royal Navy only these officers can ever "Captain" a vessel outright regardless of rank due to their sea experience requirements but it's a little different in the USN.
It would seem that Command Division officers would be responsible for all these things (only in space) which is why they often start out as navigators.The Ensigns and Lieutenants would most likely be training to be Officers of the Watch acting in the relief times when the other officers were off duty. You see this occasionally with La Forge and Worf in early TNG and Kim in Voyager. They are effectively the captain in these scenarios but it's not where the action is in the show so it's glossed over mostly, like the whole "Lower Decks" idea.
The whole security and tactical thing is a bit of a misconception; it exists but it's more the role of the Master At Arms which is a rating position (reporting directly to the Captain or XO) and not a commissioned one. "Tactical" officers are usually PWOs of Lt. Cmdr and higher depending on the ship.
People always forget (or maybe never knew) that the only reason for using different colored shirts is because it was 1960s television and Rodenberry didn't have any budget to spend on something as silly as wardrobe for a science fiction series.
Gene Roddenberry served in the Army Air Corps in pacific WW2, but it always seemed to me that he must have been inspired at least partly by deck crews on aircraft carriers, who's jackets are color coded by job to make it easier to orchestrate such a complex operation.
Comments
Here is a reference to read about the Command Division. Navigators or 'helmsmen' wear the red of command for the fact they command/pilot the ship.
EDIT: Cosmic1 beat me to the 1st part
I mean, all those dozens of ensigns in red, what are they commanding or controlling? I have never seen them doing anything else than flying.
They were the Red shirts of TNG.
Which is exactly it. They were flying the ship so they were physically in command of it, hence the command division distinction.
I REALLY LIKE THIS IDEA
the futuristic appeal is great, and the idea of a waveform display/ off duty on duty changes are a nice touch
I for one would love this kind of thing to be on something like the Oddy Uniform ( IMO the most proffessional modern looking uniform)
On the topic of being able to change uniform, it could even have additional value for away teams, Upon beaming down the uniform fabric can be altered based on Weather conditions, becoming breathable in arid enviroments etc, or altering to be more durable than the Duty uniform ( E.G skirts are swapped for more durable trousers )
Additional functions to display the dress uniform as soon as a Flag officers voice print is recognised in the vicinity could even be a possibility that would be nice
I may have gone overboard with the concept, But i would ideally love a set up that has a standard [Away Team Uniform] that officers have upon beam down , that doesn't effect their normal appearance, with the potential to have a Weather uniform, Beaming to a map marked Snowy, would give your team winter coats with hoods for example
St. Patrick's day is green, don't forget the green!!!
Praetor of the -RTS- Romulan Tal Shiar fleet!
The command division in Star Trek is roughly analogous to the Executive (Warfare or Line) branches of the current Navies.
These officers usually train in Navigation and basically act as the Captain during certain periods called watches. They are responsible for all chart work both electronic and paper based and ensuring the ship or submarine is safe at sea at all times. As well as coordinating movements with other ships, aircraft as well as communications with harbor masters, coastguards and other authorities.
Later on in their careers they would train in weapons and weapons control becoming Principal Weapon (Warfare) Officers or PWOs (read: tactical officers like Worf) before moving on to becoming XO or CO of bigger ships. In the Royal Navy only these officers can ever "Captain" a vessel outright regardless of rank due to their sea experience requirements but it's a little different in the USN.
It would seem that Command Division officers would be responsible for all these things (only in space) which is why they often start out as navigators.The Ensigns and Lieutenants would most likely be training to be Officers of the Watch acting in the relief times when the other officers were off duty. You see this occasionally with La Forge and Worf in early TNG and Kim in Voyager. They are effectively the captain in these scenarios but it's not where the action is in the show so it's glossed over mostly, like the whole "Lower Decks" idea.
The whole security and tactical thing is a bit of a misconception; it exists but it's more the role of the Master At Arms which is a rating position (reporting directly to the Captain or XO) and not a commissioned one. "Tactical" officers are usually PWOs of Lt. Cmdr and higher depending on the ship.
Gene Roddenberry served in the Army Air Corps in pacific WW2, but it always seemed to me that he must have been inspired at least partly by deck crews on aircraft carriers, who's jackets are color coded by job to make it easier to orchestrate such a complex operation.