The Black Cluster

[Lucky]

In TNG: Hero Worship they are dealing with an area of space with something called the Black Cluster in it. It seems like the Black Cluster would be something you would need to go around with most faster then light drives

DATA: The Black Cluster was formed almost nine billion years ago when hundreds of protostars collapsed in close proximity. The resulting gravitational forces are both violent and highly unpredictable.





The Black Cluster seems like it should cover light years, but how large is the Black Cluster?

Does it seem to anyone else like things like similar to the Black Cluster are oddly common in Star Trek, and could greatly effect warp speeds?

[Trinoya]

Without a doubt gravitational anomolies and the like are very common. I'm shocked space is even able to be traveled when you consider the greater canon now where the dyson sphere builders were basically harvesting omega particles.

Honestly the terrifying nature of star trek just keeps going the more and more I think about it. It's bad enough you have gods roaming the stars, but it seems like there are so many anomolies out there that for a good space fairing civilization to take hold they either need to know how to use them or avoid them.

It would, notably, go a long way to describing why some of the borders are so wonky to boot.

[Mr. Oragahn]

Not to say of the excessive use of high speed warp travel that damages the fabric of space itself in some way because of too much violent shearing (due to warping) or something.

If anything, Star Trek really looks like an universe where you'd want well known, mapped and constantly updated routes, with universal speed checks and even attempts at repairs if possible, in order to preserve most of space. There would be a warp budget roof per civilization, planet, faction or guild. More elements for strategical and political shenanigans, for sure.

[theta_pinch]

Not to say of the excessive use of high speed warp travel that damages the fabric of space itself in some way because of too much violent shearing (due to warping) or something.

If anything, Star Trek really looks like an universe where you'd want well known, mapped and constantly updated routes, with universal speed checks and even attempts at repairs if possible, in order to preserve most of space. There would be a warp budget roof per civilization, planet, faction or guild. More elements for strategical and political shenanigans, for sure.

Wasn't that high speed warp travel problem fixed shortly after? I'm pretty sure starships have been traveling faster than warp 5 in non-emergencies since the subspace damage discovery.

[Mr. Oragahn]

AFAIK (that means not much), there was an agreement over an overall speed limit.
Or perhaps some kind of maximum warp-bandwidth consumption per month, see? :)

[Lucky]

Without a doubt gravitational anomolies and the like are very common. I'm shocked space is even able to be traveled when you consider the greater canon now where the dyson sphere builders were basically harvesting omega particles.

This sort of thing is commonly forgotten or ignored when analyzing the setting. Most settings the dangers are only planet bound, but in Star Trek, space/time itself will kill.

Honestly the terrifying nature of star trek just keeps going the more and more I think about it. It's bad enough you have gods roaming the stars, but it seems like there are so many anomolies out there that for a good space fairing civilization to take hold they either need to know how to use them or avoid them.

Mapping is a large part of what we see the Federation doing, and i seem to recall a Vulcan map helping the NX-01 get to the Klingon capital faster then they would have been able to otherwise.

I've heard Star Trek described as being a similar setting to Warhammer 40,000, but that the factions are sane.

It would, notably, go a long way to describing why some of the borders are so wonky to boot.

I was thinking how Warp varies so much

[Lucky]

AFAIK (that means not much), there was an agreement over an overall speed limit.
Or perhaps some kind of maximum warp-bandwidth consumption per month, see? :)

It's not unheard of that problems get fixed off screen, but not stated to have been fixed on screen. For example in Ent: Fallen Hero the NX-01 couldn't fire its phase cannons while at warp because it would do bad stuff to the warp drive, but a few episodes later(weeks to months later in universe) they had no trouble firing phase cannons while using the warp drive.

[Lucky]

Wasn't that high speed warp travel problem fixed shortly after? I'm pretty sure starships have been traveling faster than warp 5 in non-emergencies since the subspace damage discovery.

It was part of the plot of a single episode, and that plot point seems to have been quickly dropped, and never heard of again, and it was also a mostly localized problem do to some very unique characteristics of the area. No one seemed to care about a warp speed limit in Deep Space 9, or any other episode from what I recall.

It is generally assumed the problem was fixed off screen, and the the Intrepid Class's unique warp nacelles are related to the fix as it was created shortly afterward.

[359]

While I agree that the issue was delt with, there was further mention of the issue of warp damage in TNG: "The Pegasus".

[theta_pinch]

While I agree that the issue was felt with, there was further mention of the issue of warp damage in TNG: "The Pegasus".

If it was fixed with the Intrepid class it's possible that the modification wasn't compatible with the USS Enterprise-D

[Lucky]

While I agree that the issue was felt with, there was further mention of the issue of warp damage in TNG: "The Pegasus".

If it was fixed with the Intrepid class it's possible that the modification wasn't compatible with the USS Enterprise-D

This is one of those things that Stardates are helpful with.


In Star Trek: The Next Generation Force of Nature they set down a warp speed limit, and begin trying to fix the flaw

Force of Nature
Season:7
Episode: 9
Stardate:47310.2

The Pegasus
Season: 7
Episode: 12
Stardate: 47457.1

All Good Things
Season: 7
Episode: 25/26
Stardate: 47988

Deep Space Nine takes starts at Stardate 46379.1 and ends a few weeks or months after Stardate 525776, and normally uses Danube class runabouts which seem to top out at about warp 5 anyway until they get the Defiant.
Stardate: 46379.1
To some time after
Stardate: 525776.2

Star Trek: Voyager starts on Stardate 48315, and that seems to place it roughly a year after TNG:Force of Nature.
Stardate: 48315.6

[359]

As I said, I agree that they fixed the issue. But it wasn't just the plot of a single episode as was suggested earlier.

[2046]

Between DS9's wartime and the fact that Voyager was on the other side of the galaxy, I don't know that either one of those would represent Starfleet speed limits very well.

[theta_pinch]

Between DS9's wartime and the fact that Voyager was on the other side of the galaxy, I don't know that either one of those would represent Starfleet speed limits very well.

Actually Voyager should portray the warp speed limit well if it does exist because of Captain Janeway. Remember; she would almost never break starfleets rules.

[359]

Between DS9's wartime and the fact that Voyager was on the other side of the galaxy, I don't know that either one of those would represent Starfleet speed limits very well.

I see what you mean... And I'm not the most impartial on this subject as I never particularly cared for that plot concept. But on the other hand I don't see the Federation just letting the situation continue without working on a solution for the problem (this isn't one of our inefficient and slow modern societies after all). And they tend to come up with solutions rather quickly as is apparent with the solution to Dominion weapons.

But in the end there isn't information on which truly tell if/when they solved the problem. I, for one, like to think they did so that way I can happily ignore the silly concept.