And now, Star Trek Trivia.

[athelind]

Wil Wheaton is currently 34.

When TNG started in 1987, Jonathan Frakes was 35.

As of 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, the last of the TNG-based Trek films, only four of the regular crew members had gotten a promotion since the debut of TNG -- and none of them had advanced more than a single pay grade.

In fifteen years.

Far from being the "Flagship of Starfleet" and a highly-honored posting, it's obvious that the Enterprise-D was a career killer.

Comments

[hedgegoth.livejournal.com]

you think about this stuff way too much :)

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I'm ex-military. When I'm watching something with a quasi-military setting, thinking about promotions and advancement just comes automatically.

Note that on the STARGATE shows, the characters actually DO advance fairly regularly.

[bfdragon.livejournal.com]

It makes me wonder, is Danial, a civilian contractor? Even by modest standards, he'd be making some serious cash.

Doing hazardous duty in the nations most secret base as the foremost expert and code cracker on any of the languages of friend or enemy alike...

O'Neill retired to a little lakeside house, Danial probably has his own tropical island.

[hedgegoth.livejournal.com]

oh and does pay grade matter in that era, i thought they were done with money?

[sabrewing.livejournal.com]

I thought they still used Federation credits or something. I think he's leaning more towards the 'rank' synonymity of 'pay grade', at any rate.

And yeah, the Star Trek universe, in general, didn't put a very good light on federal service. Their equivalent of security forces was essentially a death wish in the early days, and heaven forbid you become an officer of some kind. You're stuck to your position like glue forever more! :)

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Since they're officers, I should have said "rank" -- "pay grade" is the term for enlisted personnel.

[ex-kitsuneze588.livejournal.com]

Hehe, wow I never really thought of it that way..thats pretty funny.

btw, Happy Birthday Athelind :)

[stalbon.livejournal.com]

Hey, at least Frakes got the command of his own ship. I've been reading the novels (just recently released) about Titan and I must say it's rather interesting. As it's the most culturally diverse ship in the Star Trek universe, you get to meet beings that are far more than just humans with facial make-up. The CMO is an advanced saurian of all things, with a carnivorous wit that makes you like him immediately.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I might have to see if the library has those. Always fun to see a carnivorously witty saurian.

The STAR TREK RPG campaign I ran briefly several years ago had a pretty diverse crew, too... the PCs included a Gorn, a Kzin, and a Medusan, and I actually had dolphin navigators in those dolphin tanks you'll find on the Enterprise-D blueprints.

[stalbon.livejournal.com]

They are, in order: Taking Flight, The Red King, and Orion's Hounds. I highly recommend them. I recall the CMO's species now, he's a Pakwa-Than. Aside from Riker, Troi, and several Voyager crew members, there is, as I recall, a bionic cervine, a elephantine engineer, and a...I can't even recall what she is, but I know that she is more alien than any other member, and her name is Ch'ak!op or something similar. It really is more of your standard Star Trek fare, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think it's more a matter of Star Fleet doesn't promote anyone if they can't meet certain standards of talent. Remember the alternate universe where Picard was still a Lt. (JG)? He must've been in Star Fleet a good 35 years at that point, and he was still one tiny step above ensign.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

So you're saying that these guys were just mediocre?

[(Anonymous)]

Mediocre, or Starfleet has differing competency requirements for positions on the Flagship.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

That was me!

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

First off, happy Belated.

And as for promotions on the Enterprise-D/E, I'm trying to noodle out how Picard hasn't been demoted. After all, the man has lost not one, but it looks like three ships under his commmand. Who the devil at SFC keeps giving him ships to break?