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Forget Starfleet....just For Awhile....


Icebreaker

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What I would like to see:

 

Other characters and what not from the Star Trek universe that are not a part of Starfleet, or the Federation, as the main focus.

 

I was sketching out some potential Star Trek smuggler ships or a mercenary ship, and I was looking for some "official" Trek pirates or smugglers to use as inspiration and to make my stuff look like it would fit, but there is really not much out there.

 

Can you thnk of any non-starfleet related characters that could hold their own, let's say, TV series?

 

I'm imagining something like a Dash Rendar, or Boba Fett. Rogue, dangerous, and looking out for number one--themselves, ya know?

 

I was thinking even a small cargo ship with smuggler modifications, but nothing is really catching my eye from what I've seen. Anyone know of any good "official" Star Trek cargo (non starfleet) ships links?

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The Orian Syndicate has often played the part of the resident "smugglers" and "bounty hunter" types in Star Trek. And with Enterprise focusing some on them specifically, in its final season, they would not be a bad place to start for inspiration. They were also featured as regular bad guys in many of the Star Trek games made by Interplay back in the day. Other than that, I can't think of too many specific smuggler type races in Star Trek. Trek's always been a bigger picture focus, rather than the smaller self contained picture. Check out Firefly sometime. It may be more like what you are looking for... Sans the aliens.

 

TKO the OAD

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What about the TNG 2 part season 6 or 7 episode where Picard became part of a mercenary crew. Maybe you could use some stuff from that episode as inspriation.

 

But I guess it depends on what you are trying to do. If you want a "bigger picture" story go with the Orion Syndicate. If you want a smaller, less "galactic consequences" story, invent your own back story.

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Sigh...

 

Like it or not, for good or for bad, Star Trek only works when focusing on Starfleet and the Federation. Looking at smugglers, dark little ships, and anything that is reminiscent of Star Wars is exactly that - Star Wars and not Star Trek. I don't want to sound preachy here, but that's the fundamental difference between Star Trek and other science fiction shows.

 

I'm not attacking you personally, but I've just seen too many of these sorts of ideas lately. Stories dealing with a post-apocolyptic Federation fighting the Borg, mercenary and pirate characters, and anything turning the Star Trek universe "darker and grittier" will always miss the point in my opinion.

 

I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

There is plenty of good sci-fi out there that fits this bill. Someone mentioned Firefly, which has become one of my favorite sci-fi shows and even among my favorite all-time TV shows.

 

I know everyone is just trying to come up with new spins and fresh ideas to reinvigorate the franchise, and I desperately wish I could come up with one that would work. But different isn't always good.

 

End of sermon.

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I dont want to see Starfleet or the Federation get very dark or gritty, that just aint the point of the Federation. But I would like to see mini-series done. By doing something like that you dont have to try and support a multi-season show. I think a 4-6 episode mini-series on the Romulans or Kiligons would be cool.

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Also, what about civilian life in the Star Trek universe? I was thinking more criminal figures when I mentioned smugglers and what not, I shouldn't have used Boba Fett as an example. I wasn't thinking an uber-bounty hunter. The ship I'm thinking of is something that looks like a normal craft--but has hidden holds and what not. It could be something more dark, I guess, too.

 

But also, just regular folks. Does everyone own a shuttlecraft?

 

The background thing I'm just drawing for fun is sort of 'little house on the prairie' meets 'star trek'. So I'm not thinking a new star trek, just something else that *could* exist within that universe strongly. Nothing that is going to 'save enterprise' and what-not.

 

For elaboration, even in TNG-era, there are still colonies--the Federation isn't everywhere, so I was thinking of what type of situations might occur out on a new frontier. Sort of wild-west, who would move to a new-potentially dangerous planet-to make a new life for themselves. What's wrong with good old Earth. ya know?

 

It seems natural that someone on the edge of civilization will take advantage of a lesser degree of authoratative structure, and then there is still a lot of good folks in the same area. What type of life would be going on out there?

 

Does everyone have a replicator? Is food never a problem? Property ownership? Star trek money--is latinum the galactic currency? Are there any wheeled vehicles in use?

 

Just something fun, overall, for the heck of it.

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... Check out Firefly sometime. It may be more like what you are looking for... Sans the aliens.

 

 

 

I never got to see any of Firefly, from reading summaries on the internet it sounds like it was kind of cool. Was it only a dozen episodes made?

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Does everyone have a replicator? Is food never a problem? Property ownership? Star trek money--is latinum the galactic currency? Are there any wheeled vehicles in use?

 

Just something fun, overall, for the heck of it.

I can't answer everything you asking but i can tell you latinum is not the official currency, The Federation is a Socalist group, there is no money (Stated on TNG)

 

Star fleet has rations (first episioide of ds9) so it's a safe bet they have a reason to need em from time to time.

 

part of what your describing sounds like that failed Earth 2 show. I don't know how old it is but i remember it only lasting a season or 2 but i liked it.

 

I really need to watch firefly.

 

 

Gene Rodenbary did actual visualize the federation falling apart, so that is trek to me. The idea eventualy got repackaged and altered as Andromeda. But sense the commonwealth came back really quick i think the fall of the federation (slowly) is a great way to go.

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oh, and i'm not a reader of any of the books (no time, i read too much as it is ) you might want to check there

 

and th Maquee(sp? i'm really clueless here as ican't recall seeing it written) could really fit your bill. their contunied semi-moral war on the Cardasians. If i recall that never really came to an end.

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I agree with an earlier post. Smugglers are a Star Wars thing. Star Trek always has and always will be about Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets but, hey, I think a spinoff series about the father of Ben Sisko and that restaurant would be an interesting sitcom. I think someone mentioned Assignment: Earth in an earlier post. Personally I am glad it never got picked up as a spinoff. The TOS episode itself was confusing enough plus the whole plot where James Bond meets time travel was just not worth it. On another note, nothing personal against the fans, but I never really liked Firefly for two reasons 1. The show's "Buffy" creator refused to acknowledge the alien life factor in the show and that stole away from the "space is a vast mystery" formula. 2. The show, to me, was basically Gunsmoke/Bonanza in space. Westerns and science fiction don't really mix. The only time they ever did was with The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.

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  • 1 month later...

I was thinking along the lines of an animated series focusing on Thomas Riker as a renegade crusading do-gooder. Out to right the wrong Starfleet and the Prime Directive wont touch. Thomas wishes to prove to everyone, himself included that he's NOT just a knockoff of Will as most seem to regard him as. Life on a Cardassian labor camp has given him a hard, anti-hero outlook and an "Ends justify the means" rationale as he will have to explore the seedy underbelly of many Federation worlds in order to get the info and supplies jhe needs.

 

Occasional appearances by Captain Will Riker and the crew of the TITAN, Quark the Ferengi as his informant and Ro Laren as a love/hate relationship.

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Doc, i really dig that idea! and i hadn't heard anything like it before.

 

what's really sad was the recent news that patrick stewart wanted to do a new movie and got shot down.

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  • 1 month later...

I think the Star Trek universe is rich enough and big enough to explore non-Star Fleet stories, and that doesn't necessarily mean you're copying Star Wars, it simply means switching the point of view of the spefic story -- tell the story of a Klingon ship and its crew, or a science team working on the far reaches of the galaxy, or a Star Fleet military unit, or civilian stories based in San Francisco or other Earth cities set in that era. I think it would be great to see other aspects of the Star Trek world. Who says it can only be seen from the bridge of a ship called Enterprise?

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Yea I liked how ds9 touched a bit on how people on earth felt about everything all going on that was quite interesting...

 

I think... they could do a great lil mini series focusing on a buncha different groupds/people per episode... but then take the "lost" aproch & have everyone be connected some how... would be quite cool! To me any one series spin off aboud things from a romulan point of view or smuglers or anything else would be totaly boring! But switching back and forth... some times going back to the same charecters if they turn out decet would be quite interesting imo...

 

Picture an entire epsidoe from the borgs point of view... then they could do another of say a federation ship or plant that fought/got asimilated by that borg ship ect...

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