Exploding Consoles, Convulted Technobabble

Dennis Toy · Post by **Dennis Toy** » 2002-07-21 02:52am

The "Shaking Bridge" Bug is in every space sci-fi movie i have seen. I can't name a particular flick but its an interesting q.. I think it has something to do with amplitude of force.

Moonstone Spider · Post by **Moonstone Spider** » 2002-07-21 03:06am

The "Shaking Bridge" Bug is in every space sci-fi movie i have seen. I can't name a particular flick but its an interesting q.. I think it has something to do with amplitude of force.

Yah, even Wars does it, the Death Star shakes so badly we see stormies staggering into the walls when Luke's Proton Torpedo misses, and the Falcon bounces when hit by turbolaser fire.

My theory on exploding consoles:

Plasma step-up or step-down transformers are very expensive. As a result Starfleet (which, after all, has no money) doesn't bother running only the needed amount of plasma through a conduit but every single circuit on the ship is carrying the full load of the warp core. As a result the slightest jar sets them exploding with all the Warp Core's power. Yeah, those less-than-a-grenade blasts are as powerful as Starfleet phasers or photorps.

Doomriser · Post by **Doomriser** » 2002-07-21 09:27am

Darth Wong wrote: That brings to mind another question: why must they be thrown around the bridge at every weapon impact? If you look at the ships from outside, the ships aren't knocked around like toys with every phaser or torpedo hit, so why does it appear that way from inside the bridge?

I'm not sure the reason, but if the ST:X script on the 'net is accurate, then Starfleet seems to have adjusted to these difficulties. The new Captain's chair reportedly has a seatbelt. (They could afford to do so easily since IIRC, the Captain's chair has no console, thereby posing no risk of being strapped in to an exploding console.)

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-07-21 10:03am

Yah, even Wars does it, the Death Star shakes so badly we see stormies staggering into the walls when Luke's Proton Torpedo misses, and the Falcon bounces when hit by turbolaser fire.

To be fair the troopers where right under where the torp hit so though the armor saved them from any direct impact they still got a bit of the shockwave

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-07-21 10:04am

Drat and I forgot one thing

Having a three megaton bomb go off twenty feet above your head and all that happens is you get tosssed around would be pretty good

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2002-07-23 01:44am

Darth Wong wrote:
USAF Ace wrote:At least they were smart enough to get rid of seatbelts. It's bad enough that your console will blow up if the ship more or less twitches, but imagine being strapped in your seat when the damn thing goes off.
That brings to mind another question: why must they be thrown around the bridge at every weapon impact? If you look at the ships from outside, the ships aren't knocked around like toys with every phaser or torpedo hit, so why does it appear that way from inside the bridge?

I think that dates back to TOS, when the cheesy SFX caused the actors to actually throw themselves onto the floor.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » 2002-07-23 02:54am

No one was killed by exploding consoles in TOS, but there is one example that is odd. In "The Ultimate Computer" a Constitution's crew is killed very quickly, but the outside seems undamaged. Losing life support could not have caused this, so exploding consoles may have killed them all.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-23 02:54pm

Shadow wrote:No one was killed by exploding consoles in TOS, but there is one example that is odd. In "The Ultimate Computer" a Constitution's crew is killed very quickly, but the outside seems undamaged. Losing life support could not have caused this, so exploding consoles may have killed them all.

what about rapid decompression

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-23 02:56pm

Or just radiation. There are many, MANY things that can kill people without affecting structures.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-23 03:03pm

good point

paladin · Post by **paladin** » 2002-07-24 01:12am

I think StarFleet has the Klingons design their ships. Why else would you have exploding consoles.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-24 01:42am

paladin wrote:I think StarFleet has the Klingons design their ships. Why else would you have exploding consoles.

Perhaps they decided that taking casualties among their bridge crew at arbitrary times during battle was a good thing. Maybe they think better console designs are for wussies.

Silver · Post by **Silver** » 2002-07-24 03:39am

USAF Ace wrote:At least they were smart enough to get rid of seatbelts. It's bad enough that your console will blow up if the ship more or less twitches, but imagine being strapped in your seat when the damn thing goes off.

Ah ah, according to the "script" of Nemesis out right now they install seatbelts on the bridge seats eventually. Well, the captain's chair anyways. So now they strap the captain down to face the exploding bridge consoles o' doom!

Cpt_Frank · Post by **Cpt_Frank** » 2002-07-24 04:48am

Btw, the SW bridge window issue is not a brain bug, but a parallel to real-life warships.
And it also allowed a very impressive demise for Adm. Piett.

Perhaps the consoles contain the explosive charges used to self-destruct the ship.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2002-07-24 08:30pm

Cpt_Frank wrote:Btw, the SW bridge window issue is not a brain bug, but a parallel to real-life warships.
And it also allowed a very impressive demise for Adm. Piett.

Perhaps the consoles contain the e charges used to self-destruct the ship.

Then why would they still be there? After about 10 ships blow up form the bridge, it would be observed, and changed. But these weren't designed by smart engineers.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-24 10:47pm

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:
Cpt_Frank wrote:Btw, the SW bridge window issue is not a brain bug, but a parallel to real-life warships.
And it also allowed a very impressive demise for Adm. Piett.

Perhaps the consoles contain the e charges used to self-destruct the ship.
Then why would they still be there? After about 10 ships blow up form the bridge, it would be observed, and changed. But these weren't designed by smart engineers.

I imagine that it is very unusual for a ship to be destroyed from its windows. It doesn't have many, the windows along the sides area actually viewscreens, and only the main windows are real. Perhaps the danger is not as great as Trekkies keep insisting?

VF5SS · Post by **VF5SS** » 2002-07-24 10:51pm

I think they keep trying to tell people how bad SW bridges are because theirs are just bullseyes on a target. Get on top of that big dinner plate and hit the meatball in the middle, oh yeah.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-24 11:27pm

I just like the way they claim that those minor vulnerability issues for an ISD's bridge would allow a GCS or similar to destroy one! SW ships don't need to rely on vulnerabilities termed acceptable in the design/manufacturing process. All they have to do is open fire and watch the debris.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-24 11:39pm

right doesn't all SW ships have reserve bridges that are manned at all times. In the case of the Exicuter it smashed into the Death Star before the Auxillery Bridge could take control. in Star Trek the same Bridges are vacant during battle!

BTW all real warship, except Submarines, have the same command configuaration as a SW warship. in the case of submarines no one expects it to survive a hit in the con area. and as in real life even real life warship have a time lag from when the main bridge is lost and when the Auxillery control center comes online.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-24 11:57pm

Time lag is inevitable any time a ship transfers command from one area to another. There are steps that can be taken to minimize this, but a temporary loss of some control is always going to occur. The delay on the Executor was by no means unusual or deplorable. It was merely unfortunate for her and her crew.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-25 12:05am

Master of Ossus wrote:Time lag is inevitable any time a ship transfers command from one area to another. There are steps that can be taken to minimize this, but a temporary loss of some control is always going to occur. The delay on the Executor was by no means unusual or deplorable. It was merely unfortunate for her and her crew.

thanks you help me illistraite my point. a Star Destroyer that has lost its bridge in open Space should not be at a dissadvaantage for long. meanwhile a Star Trek ship would require manning and the powering up the vacent "Battle Bridge" this would take it out of combat for at least 30 mins

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-25 12:08am

In a war between the Empire and the Federation, there would never be any need to transfer command to the Battle Bridges after the fighting began. SF ships would simply be there one moment and gone the next.

BTW, half an hour is a bit long for such a delay. Five to fifteen minutes would be a better estimate for most warships.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-25 12:12am

Master of Ossus wrote:In a war between the Empire and the Federation, there would never be any need to transfer command to the Battle Bridges after the fighting began. SF ships would simply be there one moment and gone the next.

BTW, half an hour is a bit long for such a delay. Five to fifteen minutes would be a better estimate for most warships.

exactly, that is why the Star Trek design sucks. the only backup bridge is empty during battle. why even bother having it at all? they never separate the saucer much at all anyway.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-07-25 12:15am

I guess that it was originally planned as a more common maneuver than was used on the show. Remember that the saucer section doesn't have a warp drive.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2002-07-25 12:18am

Master of Ossus wrote:I guess that it was originally planned as a more common maneuver than was used on the show. Remember that the saucer section doesn't have a warp drive.

giving the saucer no way of escaping! so if separated it just turns it into a massive Clay Pigeon for the enemy!