J!! wrote:
If someone had used the transporter unauthorized, or if an airlock had popped open, or something like that, I'm sure someone on the bridge would've been notified. But people just magically vanishing is an uncommon enough problem that it makes sense you'd have to run a scan to find out.
I dunno about that, it's not just in this episode that the Computer doesn't inform the crew of pertinent information until asked. I could see how in THIS episode it's the case, given they don't know there's a problem until just now (even though I'd think at least having a "notify the captain or XO if the number of personnel on this ship is suddenly not what it's supposed to be" alert would be helpful) but when there's someone loose on the ship? When they're trying to keep someone under arrest? They seem to keep getting all the way to, and sometimes out of, the cargo bay before anyone is notified and that's when they SHOULD be keeping tabs.
Although early on in The Neutral Zone they made sure to tell you they do NOT believe in having locks on this ship! Which just seems the slightest bit naive for a military-esque vessel with things that can explode.
As for this episode, I really like this one. "Something's wrong but it's hard to say what" mysteries tend to be my favorites on TNG.
Yeah, I mentioned in The Ultimate Computer review that the ship's computer in TNG has amazing abilities, but it doesn't seem to have any autonomy whatsoever. Time and again Picard or someone has to ask if someone has left the ship, despite the computer already "knowing" that a crewmember is gone. And there's plenty of times when the computer has all the information for the solution to a problem, but it just won't put the pieces together.
But yeah, this is a pretty good episode. Not as strong as Braga's very best (I'd say Cause and Effect), but good.
Star Trek Online actually did bring the aliens here and made direct call backs to the episode. It's a lot spookier than the episode (more a kind of horror theme as everyone keeps disappearing) and when confronted, the aliens flash away into nothing, which makes them much creepier. In fact, compared to the thousands of various aliens you murder in STO, you never lay a finger on these guys, the take off at the slightest approach.
ChiggyvonRichthofen wrote:
Yeah, I mentioned in The Ultimate Computer review that the ship's computer in TNG has amazing abilities, but it doesn't seem to have any autonomy whatsoever. Time and again Picard or someone has to ask if someone has left the ship, despite the computer already "knowing" that a crewmember is gone. And there's plenty of times when the computer has all the information for the solution to a problem, but it just won't put the pieces together.
.
That is computers for you. They are really good at being really dumb. Tell the computer to track every crewmember and it will. Forget to tell the computer to also do something when the numbers change and it will keep on faithfully tracking those people as they vanish and do precisely nothing about it. It didn't lose count of the crew, it knew they were gone, just Worf (and as head of security, this is kinda his job area) obviously doesn't have the "and then tell me if the numbers change" setting enabled. Classic GIGO situation.
It is like in Red Dwarf when Rimmer is trying to cook using the skutters and the joke is that they are useless because if you tell them to "watch that pan" they will watch it as it boils dry and do nothing about it because all the command they were given was to watch.
ChiggyvonRichthofen wrote:Time and again Picard or someone has to ask if someone has left the ship, despite the computer already "knowing" that a crewmember is gone.
My assumption is that the computer doesn't already know how many people are on the ship, it just runs a scan when asked, and the process is fast enough to seem like it already knows.
This almost felt like a season 6 variation of Conspiracy; a non-humanoid alien covertly interacting with Starfleet crews, discovered and stopped, but with a suggestion they'll be back... only to never show up again.
Much like the Bluegill these guys seem like the sort of perfect threat for making things more interesting.
They are more alien in how the approach things, they start with an air of mystery, and they could do more with them.
They would have looked cooler if they were more alien, like the giant bug from "Babylon 5" or one of the creatures from "Farscape" but you work with what you've got I guess.
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CrypticMirror wrote:
That is computers for you. They are really good at being really dumb. Tell the computer to track every crewmember and it will. Forget to tell the computer to also do something when the numbers change and it will keep on faithfully tracking those people as they vanish and do precisely nothing about it. It didn't lose count of the crew, it knew they were gone, just Worf (and as head of security, this is kinda his job area) obviously doesn't have the "and then tell me if the numbers change" setting enabled. Classic GIGO situation.
It is like in Red Dwarf when Rimmer is trying to cook using the skutters and the joke is that they are useless because if you tell them to "watch that pan" they will watch it as it boils dry and do nothing about it because all the command they were given was to watch.
Somewhat disturbingly it's only a sign of stupidity in non-sapient computers, in sapient artificial lifeforms (e.g. Robots in sci-fi, golems in fantasy) it's a sign of passive-aggressive rebellion, purposely sticking to the letter of an order rather than its spirit to purposely screw over their organic overlords. Maybe Federation computers are actually sapient and chose not to volunteer that information unless ordered to as a way of sticking it to the man
The funny thing about Schisms is that if you ever played that god awful Star Trek: OnLine, you would know that this EP becomes the main plot point that leads to Delta quadrant witch as you all know is where Voyager went to. And where the Dyson Sphere that Enterprise found Scotty. Yes that Dyson Sphere is now in Delta quadrant, because I have no clue. As well as finding other Dyson Spheres. But they say that all the Dyson Spheres where made by the aliens in this EP. I kid you not.
thisithis wrote:The funny thing about Schisms is that if you ever played that god awful Star Trek: OnLine, you would know that this EP becomes the main plot point that leads to Delta quadrant witch as you all know is where Voyager went to. And where the Dyson Sphere that Enterprise found Scotty. Yes that Dyson Sphere is now in Delta quadrant, because I have no clue. As well as finding other Dyson Spheres. But they say that all the Dyson Spheres where made by the aliens in this EP. I kid you not.
Well, if you want to be pedantic about it, the things in this episode are servants/tools of the Iconians, who are the main bad guys of most of STO. The Dyson sphere Scotty crashed into is also a gateway to another Dyson sphere in the Delta Quadrant. The main problem is that the one in the Delta Quadrant is also being claimed by the Voth, so it leads to a bit of a turf war between the Alpha Quadrant powers, the Voth, and then the Vaadwaur.
It's only when the creatures from Schisms' masters come back, the Iconians, does everyone stop fighting each other and start fighting the Iconians.
