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STO Canonized In Disco??? [minor SPOILERS]

astroroblaastrorobla Member Posts: 144 Arc User
Am I imagining things, or did a Discovery writer just canonize Star Trek Online elements in the latest episode "The Examples"???

How friggin' cool is that?!?

MINOR SPOILERS BELOW





In the teaser during a discussion on who might have created the dark matter anomaly, they list off a number of known powerful races, including "surviving Iconians". It is vague enough that it could represent a number of ideas, but it's certainly very consistent with the STO Iconian story arc.

But later we meet a Risian scientist who mentions a pet caracal he had... and I'm pretty sure "Risian caracals" were created for STO! So it kind of confirms the Iconian STO reference earlier.

Maybe there is a STO fan on the writing staff this season? Awesome!

It's so much more fun when the franchise plays nice with all of its contributors.

(edited to clarify "Risian caracals")
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Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
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Comments

  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    The mention of the Iconians did seem consistent with the STO story line, I will give you that. Though they are presented rather ominously in TNG as well, but it's entirely possible that was a nod to the STO story line.. it would seem to fit.

    As for the Caracal, those are real creatures that currently exist on planet earth. They are used in STO but were not invented by STO.

    Caracel Cat. :wink:
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  • astroroblaastrorobla Member Posts: 144 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Yes, but specifically a Risian character talking about his "Risian caracal"? That is hard to not see as an intentional STO reference...
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  • tom61stotom61sto Member Posts: 3,673 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    STO's starting experience with the Discover-era starting sub-faction is actually considered canon, and was approved as such by CBS. CBS is actively working with them beyond just approving things like they had done in the past. So, expect more references to come through, though not garanteed.
  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    astrorobla wrote: »
    Yes, but specifically a Risian character talking about his "Risian caracal"? That is hard to not see as an intentional STO reference...

    Fair point. :smiley:
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  • ambassadorkael#6946 ambassadorkael Member, Administrator Posts: 2,679 Community Manager
    We found out about this when the episode aired, so we have no idea if we're Official or not, but I hope that was an intentional reference. :)
  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,284 Arc User
    No, they did not - they canonized those elements and ONLY those elements; why do people think that just because media A uses part of media B, it automatically makes the entirety of media B canon when it previously wasn't? That's not how it works, in ANY franchise.​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • saurializardsaurializard Member Posts: 4,404 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    No, they did not - they canonized those elements and ONLY those elements; why do people think that just because media A uses part of media B, it automatically makes the entirety of media B canon when it previously wasn't? That's not how it works, in ANY franchise.​​
    Because that's how it worked in Star Wars Legends for more than 2 decades.

    Granted, it was mostly due to the prequel trilogy not happening before 16 years. But in the meantime, the rest of the franchise was trying to keep as much of the same soft-canon between each other as possible.

    And also because fans love to have nods or canonization of events that weren't part of the hard canon, because some of these brought good memories and/or were popular at the time. So it's expected they'd want to have as much of the stuff they like made canon.

    Personally, I see both pros and cons of acknowledging or even canonizing parts of soft-canon or not, but it's often disappointing when soft-canon is just flat-out ignored or even given the bird.

    There is a reason why, even after Legends was discontinued and declared non-canon, those working on new canon and soft-canon media brought back various pieces of the Legends lore, even if they had to be altered (the Republic Commando series in Clone Wars and the Bad Batch, up to using a few sounds of the beloved game in the latter ; Admiral Thrawn in Rebels ; The Maw of the Kessel Run in Solo ; the Dark Troopers, Tython, alive Krait Dragons, beskar/cortosis, escaped Boba Fett in The Mandalorian)
    #TASforSTO
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  • rattler2rattler2 Member, Star Trek Online Moderator Posts: 58,596 Community Moderator
    I've already moved one thread on this subject into Ten Forward. If others are accepting... I can move this one and merge the two together.
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    I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something CRAZY happens again?!
    The nut who actually ground out many packs. The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
  • captaincelestialcaptaincelestial Member Posts: 1,925 Arc User
    We found out about this when the episode aired, so we have no idea if we're Official or not, but I hope that was an intentional reference. :)

    The anger inducing genius guy gave me "Blue Gill" vibes, esp. with the scar on the back of his neck.... *dun, dun, duuuun!*
  • garaffegaraffe Member Posts: 1,353 Arc User
    It would be cool if someone in the 32nd century mentions historical elements like the iconian and hur'c wars.
  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,951 Arc User
    The only things this canonizes are that the Iconians still exist, and that they are more technologically advanced than the Federation. This could mean that a version of STOs story is now canon, or it could mean that a Federation diplomat had lunch with an Iconian in the 28th century.

    It would be cool if the Iconian War became canon, but unless they clearly state those specific events in a future episode it's safer to assume that it is not.
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  • kiralynkiralyn Member Posts: 1,576 Arc User
    Those feel more like the level of in-jokes & cameos to me, not "canonization". /shrug
  • joshmauljoshmaul Member Posts: 519 Arc User
    The anger inducing genius guy gave me "Blue Gill" vibes, esp. with the scar on the back of his neck.... *dun, dun, duuuun!*

    I see I wasn't the only one who had that thought.
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  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    It doesn't really canonize Star Trek Online, because that's really not much to go by, but it definitely feels like a nod. There is no mention of any Iconian survivors in Star Trek canon until that point.

    I wonder if that could suggest they will try to keep the STO era of the Star Trek timeline mostly off-screen to give STO some room to somewhat plausibly fit the canon,a t least in broad strokes. (Ultimately, no game would likely ever be fully canonized, because the events in the game are influenced by mechanics of the game which often don't make sense for a real story.)
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  • astroroblaastrorobla Member Posts: 144 Arc User
    It doesn't really canonize Star Trek Online, because that's really not much to go by, but it definitely feels like a nod. There is no mention of any Iconian survivors in Star Trek canon until that point.

    I wanted to acknowledge that in the enthusiasm of my original post I never intended to imply that a couple of incidental references in dialogue would canonize all of STO. But even a clear intentional nod to elements of STO on screen is a delightful way to acknowledge the extended franchise.

    Now if we can just see an Odyssey class ship in Picard...
    Now a top-rated spotlight mission!
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  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,284 Arc User
    We did - in the comic lead-up...the USS Verity was an Odyssey class.​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • rattler2rattler2 Member, Star Trek Online Moderator Posts: 58,596 Community Moderator
    We did - in the comic lead-up...the USS Verity was an Odyssey class.​​

    Not just the Verity being an Odyssey, we saw a Fhaet Intel Warbird I believe.
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    I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something CRAZY happens again?!
    The nut who actually ground out many packs. The resident forum voice of reason (I HAZ FORUM REP! YAY!)
  • diocletian#7546 diocletian Member Posts: 131 Arc User
    I hope there are more references or nods to STO in the new shows. I am not a fan of Discovery and stopped watching it a few seasons back, but it would be great if references in the show to STO draws in some new fans. The more Star Trek fans of any type who join STO, the better! The More players drawn in from watching all the new shows, the more the potential for STO to gain more revenue to fund new content, ships, enhancements, and features. I am hoping for a good growth in the player community to keep STO alive for many years to come!
  • avfp101avfp101 Member Posts: 21 Arc User
    Since we are talking about things Risian, I feel that I should mention that Risian Cruiser's use a Soliton Wave Drive. This FTL Drive does not need a warp core, and can travel up to the warp 5 level. A warp core can help it go faster than warp 5 however. In the case of the "Burn" mentioned in Discovery series, Risian Ships or any ship equiped with the Soliton Wave Drives would still be able to travel between the stars.
  • naabal421#0722 naabal421 Member Posts: 162 Arc User
    I found these links over on Reddit

    Apparently the Iconian mention wasn't, but the caracal reference was
    Actually it wasn’t meant to be - just a reference to another species encountered in trek history that might have that much power - but love it came across as another STO shoutout!
    Hahah yes Burnham & Co would definitely have needed to look up those species! And… the caracal reference is a little Star Trek Online reference; it’s true!
  • legendarylycan#5411 legendarylycan Member Posts: 37,284 Arc User
    Why say the SURVIVING members of the Iconian EMPIRE if it wasn't supposed to be a STO reference? STO was not only the only Trek media featuring Iconians to have survivors, but also directly referred to their nation as an empire - something else no other Trek media has done.​​
    Like special weapons from other Star Trek games? Wondering if they can be replicated in STO even a little bit? Check this out: https://forum.arcgames.com/startrekonline/discussion/1262277/a-mostly-comprehensive-guide-to-star-trek-videogame-special-weapons-and-their-sto-equivalents

    #LegalizeAwoo

    A normie goes "Oh, what's this?"
    An otaku goes "UwU, what's this?"
    A furry goes "OwO, what's this?"
    A werewolf goes "Awoo, what's this?"


    "It's nothing personal, I just don't feel like I've gotten to know a person until I've sniffed their crotch."
    "We said 'no' to Mr. Curiosity. We're not home. Curiosity is not welcome, it is not to be invited in. Curiosity...is bad. It gets you in trouble, it gets you killed, and more importantly...it makes you poor!"
    Passion and Serenity are one.
    I gain power by understanding both.
    In the chaos of their battle, I bring order.
    I am a shadow, darkness born from light.
    The Force is united within me.
  • mirrorterranmirrorterran Member Posts: 423 Arc User
    More of an open question than observation.....how canon can STO actually be? It's a wonderful bit of star trek content but seems to be way too much going on in a short period of time. However, that can probably be said for most ST series as well.
  • naabal421#0722 naabal421 Member Posts: 162 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    Why say the SURVIVING members of the Iconian EMPIRE if it wasn't supposed to be a STO reference? STO was not only the only Trek media featuring Iconians to have survivors, but also directly referred to their nation as an empire - something else no other Trek media has done.​​
    Well, looking back on the TNG episode involving the Iconians, Picard does state that some Iconians may have survived the destruction of their homeworld using the gateways. They were also stated to be a conquering species, so them having an "Empire" is a reasonable extrapolation. STO didn't really make up either of those plot points, it just took them from TNG. Anyone else could do it. And surviving members of the Iconian Empire could just be any species that was formally part of the Iconian Empire, and could still have access to some of their tech. Vance doesn't actually say any Iconians themselves are alive.

    While it may not have been intended, I do think its likely it was a subconscious reference to STO, given we know Cryptic handed over their story bible to CBS, and theres been previous references with the Odyssey class and such. I know I've run into people who believe the terms "Undine" and "Hobus" are canon because of how often they have been thrown around in the community/extended canon. STO has hammered Iconian lore into people's heads for so long people likely just think of it without actually thinking of it.
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,375 Arc User
    Why say the SURVIVING members of the Iconian EMPIRE if it wasn't supposed to be a STO reference? STO was not only the only Trek media featuring Iconians to have survivors, but also directly referred to their nation as an empire - something else no other Trek media has done.​​

    Well the Iconians were bombed beyond stone age in canon so any member of their species would be considered a survivor if contacted.

    Also IIRC they referred as an empire indirectly in canon as well even if the word "Iconian Empire" was never directly mentioned, also that Kyle Jarrow person (I dunno what their role in DSC is) is clearly aware of STO so they might have used a STO term unintentionally.
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,460 Arc User
    We found out about this when the episode aired, so we have no idea if we're Official or not, but I hope that was an intentional reference. :)

    The anger inducing genius guy gave me "Blue Gill" vibes, esp. with the scar on the back of his neck.... *dun, dun, duuuun!*
    It was a brand, not just a scar. Looks like someone did that to him at some point. Do Risians have a criminal-justice system that includes branding?

    Incidentally, Risian ships (seen only in STO) use regular warp drives, with a matter/antimatter power core. The soliton wave was a bust as an FTL drive, and almost destroyed an inhabited world when it was tested. (Turned out that, much like the Alcubierre-White warp hypothesis in the real world, the process would be difficult to shut down once initiated.) Our Risian ships do use soliton-wave projectors, but only as short-range weaponized gimmicks.
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  • naabal421#0722 naabal421 Member Posts: 162 Arc User
    jonsills wrote: »
    It was a brand, not just a scar. Looks like someone did that to him at some point. Do Risians have a criminal-justice system that includes branding?
    I've seen people says the scar looks like the kind of scar Book got after they took off the bomb thing the Emerald Chain planted on him back in S3.
  • paradox#7391 paradox Member Posts: 1,800 Arc User
    edited December 2021
    astrorobla wrote: »
    Am I imagining things, or did a Discovery writer just canonize Star Trek Online elements in the latest episode "The Examples"???

    How friggin' cool is that?!?

    MINOR SPOILERS BELOW





    In the teaser during a discussion on who might have created the dark matter anomaly, they list off a number of known powerful races, including "surviving Iconians". It is vague enough that it could represent a number of ideas, but it's certainly very consistent with the STO Iconian story arc.

    But later we meet a Risian scientist who mentions a pet caracal he had... and I'm pretty sure "Risian caracals" were created for STO! So it kind of confirms the Iconian STO reference earlier.

    Maybe there is a STO fan on the writing staff this season? Awesome!

    It's so much more fun when the franchise plays nice with all of its contributors.

    (edited to clarify "Risian caracals")

    I thought Picard already canonized STO by having Romulans work on a Borg cube and studying Borg technology which wasn't a thing before STO.
  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,951 Arc User
    astrorobla wrote: »
    Am I imagining things, or did a Discovery writer just canonize Star Trek Online elements in the latest episode "The Examples"???

    How friggin' cool is that?!?

    MINOR SPOILERS BELOW





    In the teaser during a discussion on who might have created the dark matter anomaly, they list off a number of known powerful races, including "surviving Iconians". It is vague enough that it could represent a number of ideas, but it's certainly very consistent with the STO Iconian story arc.

    But later we meet a Risian scientist who mentions a pet caracal he had... and I'm pretty sure "Risian caracals" were created for STO! So it kind of confirms the Iconian STO reference earlier.

    Maybe there is a STO fan on the writing staff this season? Awesome!

    It's so much more fun when the franchise plays nice with all of its contributors.

    (edited to clarify "Risian caracals")

    I thought Picard already canonized STO by having Romulans work on a Borg cube and studying Borg technology which wasn't a thing before STO.

    STO actually got that from JJTrek, Nero's mining ship was augmented with Borg technology before attacking Spock and ending up stuck in the past.
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  • faelon#8433 faelon Member Posts: 358 Arc User
    I think the most likely place to see most STO references and Easter Eggs is Lower Decks. There’s clearly a familiarity with STO and it’s design aesthetic over there. My bet would be seeing something like an Odyssey or Chimera in the background at some point.
This discussion has been closed.