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Trekkies... A few questions

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January 04, 2020, 11:43 AM
Lord Vaalic
Trekkies... A few questions
I am a Star Wars guy, but still enjoy Star Trek. My son is a big Trekkie so I have started to watch DS9 on Netflix.

Couple of questions:

Why would you need Garaks clothes store, or really any store, when you have replicators and the Federation doesnt use money?

How powerful is the Federation in relation to the Romulans, Cardassians, etc?

Why has nobody just committed genocide on the Ferengi? They are damn near vermin. Ok that one is rhetorical




Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day
January 04, 2020, 01:29 PM
Rawny
Replicators make food, not clothes. Besides, Garak doesn't run a ready to wear clothing store, he's a tailor for when you wanted a bespoke outfit made just for you. When you need an authentication code to get pass Cardassian patrols, he can hook you up too.

The Romulans are on par with the Federation. The Cardassians are weaker, thus needed an alliance with the Dominion to challenge the Feds.

The Ferengis are just greedy, but are handy when one needs to acquire somethings outside official channels.

DS9 is my favorite of the new(er) series. Great choice.
January 04, 2020, 01:45 PM
Lord Vaalic
I thought replicators could make anything. That makes sense then, thanks.

All of the Ferengi I have seen has been on TNG, and they were always just a pain in the ass on that series.

I am only a couple of episodes in DS9. I have not watched Voyager, or Enterprise yet.




Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day
January 04, 2020, 01:56 PM
Ronin101
Have you watched Voyager yet? my favorite of all the series!!
January 04, 2020, 02:11 PM
jsbcody
Early replicators would only make food and air. The ones on DS9 can make food, air, uniforms, and parts. Sure clothing from a replicator is ok, but hving a custon fitted and designed clothing form Garaks was much nicer.

Federation was more powerful than Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians...separately. That is why the Federation was always on the lookout for any type of alliance between the other three. Any two of them could defeat the Federation. Once the Federation is allied with the Klingons, well, the Romulans were very careful. One of my favorite scenes from TNG episode "The Defector":



Yeah, the Ferengis are greedy but they do acquire things that can't be acquired elsewhere.
January 04, 2020, 02:28 PM
bobtheelf
DS9 is a fantastic series. There are a few throw-away episodes scattered throughout that aren't very good, but once the Dominion war arc gets going its fantastic.

Voyager was good but it got silly at times, and DS9 was far better from a character perspective.
January 04, 2020, 03:13 PM
mark123
quote:
Originally posted by Ronin101:
Have you watched Voyager yet? my favorite of all the series!!
There are only two possible reasons that Voyager would be your favorite.


January 04, 2020, 04:11 PM
jsbcody
quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
quote:
Originally posted by Ronin101:
Have you watched Voyager yet? my favorite of all the series!!
There are only two possible reasons that Voyager would be your favorite.



Whats the other reason? Wink Big Grin

I mean liked the whole Seven of Nine package (more like 11 out of 10).
January 04, 2020, 04:29 PM
mark123
quote:
Originally posted by jsbcody:
quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
quote:
Originally posted by Ronin101:
Have you watched Voyager yet? my favorite of all the series!!
There are only two possible reasons that Voyager would be your favorite.



Whats the other reason? Wink Big Grin

I mean liked the whole Seven of Nine package (more like 11 out of 10).
Big Grin
January 04, 2020, 08:15 PM
Hound Dog
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
I am a Star Wars guy, but still enjoy Star Trek. My son is a big Trekkie so I have started to watch DS9 on Netflix.

Couple of questions:

Why would you need Garaks clothes store, or really any store, when you have replicators and the Federation doesnt use money?


The whole 'no money' thing was Gene Roddenberry's pipe dream, and was not realistic. Sure, the Federation may not use money, but the rest of the galaxy sure did (such as the Ferengi). Garak was an intel dude, who used his shop as a means to gain access to people and information. Garak was one of the most complex characters in all of Sci-fi. I loved his character, especially how he got under Worf's and Odo's skins.

quote:
How powerful is the Federation in relation to the Romulans, Cardassians, etc?


The Federation was the US, the Klingons the USSR, and the Romulans the ChiComms, based on the balance of power in the 60/70/80s. Klingons had a bit more primitive and more rugged equipment, but were good fighters. The Romulans were REALLY into political intrigue. As jsbcody stated, any union of two powers was a constant fear for the others.

As the tides shifted, especially in DS9, the Federation joined a series of unions with the various factions, and had outright wars with pretty much everybody and their cousins.


quote:
Why has nobody just committed genocide on the Ferengi? They are damn near vermin. Ok that one is rhetorical


The Ferengi were supposed to be the big bad threat in The Next Generation. Unfortunately, they came off as monkey-like buffoons.


Next Gen had some of the best individual episodes, such as The Defector (I LOVE THAT EPISODE). DS9 had the BEST story arc. The Dominion War arc took the better part of 4 seasons to get through, and they FINALLY had full-out space battles. I really loved the last 4 seasons of DS9 (especially when Worf showed up).

Voyager had maybe a dozen good episodes that I like to re-watch; Enterprise maybe had 3-4.



Fear God and Dread Nought
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
January 04, 2020, 08:51 PM
cslinger
Of all your stories which ones are true?

Ahhh dear doctor they’re all true.....especially the lies.


Garak is my favorite Trek character and one of my favorite sci fi characters ever.


"Guns are tools. The only weapon ever created was man."
January 04, 2020, 09:36 PM
rusbro
Those of you on twitter might get some laughs from @swear_trek.

Some of the memes are weak/repetitive, but several have made me lol.



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January 04, 2020, 09:50 PM
Scurvy
DS9 was a melting pot due to its location out on the edge of federation space.

Lots of stuff that isn't necessary or had on 'normal' federation ships were on DS9. Alcohol, money, and yes a tailor.

If a random bajoran shows up for a couple days and needs new threads, I don't think the the staff would just replicate them on.

Replicators can definitely replicate clothes because that's what TNG always had them do for their holodeck outfits.
January 05, 2020, 07:44 AM
Fed161
Funniest scene in the series was at Quark's bar. That big slug looking thing that is always sitting at the bar just sits there and never says a word. After the show had been on the air for several years, one episode opens with Quark yelling at the slug - Why don't you just shut up! I'm sick of you always running your mouth!
January 05, 2020, 08:35 AM
tigereye313
quote:
Originally posted by Fed161:
Funniest scene in the series was at Quark's bar. That big slug looking thing that is always sitting at the bar just sits there and never says a word. After the show had been on the air for several years, one episode opens with Quark yelling at the slug - Why don't you just shut up! I'm sick of you always running your mouth!


That was Morn. It's an anagram of Norm from Cheers. Wink

Ds9 was the best Trek. Much more realistic as to what things would be like with many different species vying for supremacy.

Concur that Garak was one of the best characters in all of sci-fi.

It was kinda silly, but the episode where Quark, Rom and Nog go back in time was a riot.




January 05, 2020, 08:48 AM
Hound Dog
quote:
Originally posted by cslinger:
Of all your stories which ones are true?

Ahhh dear doctor they’re all true.....especially the lies.


Garak is my favorite Trek character and one of my favorite sci fi characters ever.


He and Gul Dukat were magnificent together (Dukat is also my favorite villain; and that goes for tv and movies).

Garak had some great lines -

Elim Garak: Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly.


Ziyal(Garak'snumber one enemy's daughter! She's in love with him, and he cared for her, too): Kira and my father both told me that you used to be an agent of the Obsidian Order. That you had my grandfather tortured and killed and that you could easily kill me without a second thought.
Garak: Although I seldom credit the Major or your father with being entirely trustworthy in this case...they're both telling the truth.


Ziyal: You're intelligent and cultured...and kind.
Garak: My dear, you're young, so I realize that you're a poor judge of character.


Quark: I want you to try something. It's an Earth drink. Root beer.
Garak: I couldn't...
Quark: Go on.
Garak: It's vile!
Quark: It's so happy and bubbly and cloy.
Garak: Just like the Federation.
Quark: You know what's worse? If you drink enough of it, you start to like it.
Garak: It's insidious.
Quark: Just like the Federation.


GARAK: I've locked him in his quarters. I've also left him with the distinct impression that if he attempts to force open the door, it may... explode.
SISKO: I hope that's just an impression.
GARAK: It's best not to dwell on such minutiae.


GARAK: Ah, yes. The Assassination of Proconsul Merrok of Romulus. Such a tragedy. I met him once, a few weeks before he died. I was working as a gardener at the Cardassian embassy.
ODO: You were a gardener on Romulus?
GARAK: My specialty was Edosian Orchids. Beautiful yet highly toxic.
ODO: As I recall, Proconsul Merrok was poisoned.
GARAK: Funny, I don't remember that. But then again so many Romulan dignitaries died unexpectedly that year.


*After Worf catches Garak trying to kill all the Founders against Sisko's orders*
GARAK: Come now, Mister Worf, you're a Klingon. Don't tell me you'd object to a little genocide in the name of self-defense?



Fear God and Dread Nought
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
January 05, 2020, 08:50 AM
Hound Dog
quote:
Originally posted by Fed161:
Funniest scene in the series was at Quark's bar. That big slug looking thing that is always sitting at the bar just sits there and never says a word. After the show had been on the air for several years, one episode opens with Quark yelling at the slug - Why don't you just shut up! I'm sick of you always running your mouth!


Morn never said a word (and with all my nerdisms in play, I never caught the connection to Norm from Cheers Red Face ). After his actor died (I think), they killed off his character and had a wake. They all talked about how eloquent he was, how moving his poetry and singing, etc, were. The character never so much as uttered a squeak the entire show. He just sat there as (very well done subtle) comic relief.



Fear God and Dread Nought
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
January 05, 2020, 12:52 PM
JSW
I have watched all the Star Trek series through the second season of Enterprise and DS9 is my favorite. It got off to a mediocre start but ended being some of the best science fiction on television. The show had wonderful stories and characters, and some of the best dialog I’ve ever heard in the ST universe. The producers and writers also took more chances and deliberately made efforts to move away from Gene Roddenberry’s ideas about the show. It made for a much more interesting program.



Wilsonblog
January 05, 2020, 01:23 PM
cas
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Why would you need Garaks clothes store, or really any store, when you have replicators and the Federation doesnt use money?






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Sliced bread, the greatest thing since the 1911.

January 05, 2020, 02:48 PM
83v45magna
Back to the replicator thing, they have been replicating clothing since the beginning. To wit, from 31 seconds:



Link to original video: https://youtu.be/xw8nl5qX6BE?t=31

McCoy, fighting with a boot, even makes reference to the computer getting his sizes wrong.