Favorite Main Bridge?

Television, Movies Games and Books Star Trek
#1

This may be a strange question, but does anyone out there have a favorite bridge set form the Star Trek universe? I was born in 1978 so I grew up with the Bridge from movies more so then the TOS so I must say I lean towards them. If I had to pick it would come down between the sets used in Star Trek II and III (there were some changes made in the bridge of NCC-1701 after Star Trek TMP.) and the bridge you see at the very end of Star Trek IV. It being basically the same bridge from Star Trek III onlythe panels were green touch screens like in TNG and it was painted a white. Also there was sliver bulk heads through out the set, and it is clearly NOT the bridge we see in Star Trek V.

I also must say I never cared that much for the Bridge in TNG, that includes both the main bridge and the battle bridge. It just seemed to unrealistic and empty, I thought they did a good job correcting that in the Star Trek Generations movie.

The Enterprise E Bridge is ok, but I miss the railing behind the center chair like there was one the old Enterprise refit. In fact I honestly have a hard time in some of the scenes in Star Trek VI because the railing is not there in BOTH the Enterprise A and the Excelsior.

#2

depends how you want to evaluate them…

on a comfeeness scale, I would have to say TNG bridge looks like a place I can lounge and relax.

on a realistic level, I think the almost submarine like Defiant bridge is probably the most realistic.

#3

I like TOS’ bridge, but then I grew up with it. Enterprise’s would be my second. TNG’s felt like a living room.

#4

I find myself agreeing with Pike exactly. (and you know how that drives me crazy :wink: ).

As a kid who lived, ate, slept and breathed Star Trek TOS, I pretty much knew every console, every panel—practically every switch of the Enterprise bridge by heart. The Star Fleet Technical Manual has descriptions of each panel. And I used my imagination to fill in what most every switch did.

You’ve got me feeling nostalgic now, so I think I’ll gonna go up to my attic and find that Technical Manual—that I bought when I was a six grader :).

The Capt Archer Enterprise on the other hand is cool because it looks so “naval” and realistic.

All that said, I do dig the concept of the “virtual” touch-screen workstation in TNG. When Gordie says “Computer, transfer engineering station to the bridge.” that’s pretty cool.
Of course, knowing my laid back (lazy) personality, I’d be like “(Yawn). Computer, transfer helm control to my quarters please. I feel like working from bed today. Oh,…and a tea, Earl Grey, hot please…and a muffin.”

#5

I really liked the movie bridge. TMP-ST3. I didn’t like the 1701-a bridge in st 4 or 5 as much ( yes they were different) but i liked the st 6 bridge which went back to the look of 1,2,and 3.

They scream Star Trek TOS only updated.

The first thing I DIDN’t like when I saw TNG on the first night it played ws that crappy ass bridge. With all the carpet and wood panals it looked cheap! It looked like the First Class lounge at the Atlanta Airport. Plus, bridges were supposed to be dark. When the movies came out, trek set a new standard. I felt that TNG had turned back the clock in a bad way. I thought that the battle bridge looked right… but knew we would practicaly never see it. What kinda of captain would he be if he seperated the saucer all the time. I think that is a defeatist peace of technology. I also think that tacticaly it makes the shitp vulnerable and is just all arounf bad. Here’s a better idea- leave the family’s at home. but that is a different rant, back to bridges.

I liked the defiant a lot. NX-01 a lot.

I hated ops from DS9 just because it was too well lit. it should have looked like terok nor all the time!

I thought that Voyager’s bridge was too big for such a small ship but was acceptable in look. ( after TNG they got smart and gave the ships bridges that they wouldnt have to change in order to make a movie)

All that being said, what about the first Warbird bridge we see in TNG. If I am not mistaken the Ship has two captains chairs just sitting in the middle of a room. like the first officer and captain can practicaly spoon they are so close, but there is nothing else around them.

Or worse, what does a Klingon Bird of prey bridge look like? Easy, every single one is different ( until ds9 saasons 6-7)when they use the same sets often)

#6

Good Questions!!!

I think I liked the Trek VI bridge best…but also liked the E bridge too.

#7

I agree it’s a tie between TOS and TMP-ST3 bridges. Loved Next Gen, but that goofy bridge never did make a lot of sense. Love the Big E, but though the bridge improved somewhat, I always thought the awesomeness of the ship’s exterior was never matched by the interior sets. The new consoles seem oddly lain, the new warp core is boring, and where the D had an awesome, 3-D, cerebro-room-looking holographic stellar cartography lab, the Big E just has a lame wall mounted screen, as seen in Nemesis.

#8

Yeah, I never thought about the stellar cartography lab until you said that. The one on the Enterprise E looks a lot like the one off of Voyager.

You know to go back to Bridges, I never could stand that one. I always disliked on the one station in the front concept, (even on the Defiant or NX-01) just seemed like a big waste of space epically on a small Starship, and then the rest of the stations like OPS, and Tactical seemed somewhat claustrophobic in there effort to have all the crew looking forward at the view screen, and finally for a small ship that Ready Room was WAAAYYYY to big!

#9

I am forced to somewhat agree with Pike and ThotFullGuy, with an important caveat…

My Favorite bridge is the Enterprise bridge on the other side in Mirror Mirror… subtle difference but…all the difference…

and BTW…also my favorite Spock…(with the beard)

“Captain Kirk!..I will…Consider it.”

#10

I always liked Voyager’s bridge, Tuvok looks badass up on his perch (even when he goes blind and has the tactile repsonse panels activated)

The bridge of Prometheus was pretty awesome, with the sunken helm/ops and the light carpeting, felt kind of like a home theatre :stuck_out_tongue:

#11

I agree, in fact I think Voyager’s bridge was it’s one aesthetic superiority.

#12

I always loved the Defiant Bridge seemed a bit more real to me. The Delta Flyer was one of my favorites as well.

#13

I like Ops. Lots of levels for playing cool dramatic scenes.

#14

I cant say any bridge really wowed me in design.
The TOS bridge I always thought looked ridiculous with its bright colors.
The TNG bridge I always thought looked like some stereotypical 80s early 90s office space (hell in the early season hallway shots they had paintings, chairs and tables with fake plants…what kind of ship is that? a carnival cruise?)
In DS9 ops never felt like a bridge to me, and it probably didnt help that ops was most often shown in cutaways between the important things going on. Like someone arriving or someone passing thru to see Sisko.
The Defiant was alright, no real hate for it. It was a step in the right direction for a battleship, but it was still too clean, sterile, and compact. I wanted to see some cables around and loose pipes or something.
Voyager was way too wide, A straight on shot and youd lose all the stations to the left and right. Some stations I didnt even know existed except in odd one time use shots where you see Nameless Lieutenant #4 sitting at a chair in the corner.
Enterprise was ok too, but it reminded me a lot of the Defiant. Not dingy enough. Its like Star Trek dinge is just to make everything chrome. If its not bright and colorful, you are to assume its dingy, but its not, its just bland.

The movie bridges Im not gonna talk bout since I dont really remember them. All I remember of movie bridges is when the viewscreen blew up in Nemesis and sucked people out. That movie showed exactly why that layout of starships is so dumb. One good hit and your whole frakken senior staff gets sucked into space.

#15

Yeah the Bridge on deck one seemed odd to me too… But then again the ships that the show first had were so small that direct hits without shields basically crippled a ship. Look at Wrath of Khan or Undiscovered Country. Checkov even said if they were hit without there shields they wouldn’t be able to respond.

Also look at the Bird of Prey, one hit (no shields back in the Kirk days under cloak) and it was unable to do anything as the Enterprise and the Excelsior stared to fire countless proton torpedoes at it.

#16

I like the Defiant’s bridge best, too. If I’m sticking to the eponymous ships, I’d go with the bridge from Star Trek TOS movies. Still a bit flimsy-looking but altogether more impressive than the bridge from the show.

I never liked the layout of ops in DS9 and I don’t think there’s anyone out there who likes the TNG bridge best. Way too corporate conference room.

#17

I’m going to have to go with the bridge from the Enterprise-D from Yesterday’s Enterprise