Discovery Trailer

[Water Bob]

Sleeve piping or shoulder bards are traditional naval methods of showing rank and would logically be extended to an organization like Star Fleet. So they have incorporated something that vaguely looks like shoulder boards, but they don't seem to serve any purpose?

Just the captain has gold piping on the shoulders.

And, I agree with you. Rank should be more pronounced. Rank in Star Trek has gotten smaller and smaller. First, the sleeve rings in TOS and TMP. Then, the individual rank symbol pins used in the maroon TWOK uniforms throughout TOS movies.

TNG got even smaller with the pips, which seem to have stuck, in one version or another.



Remember, though, that Enterprise used pips, too. And, Enterprise pre-dates Discovery by almost a century.



I like a lot of what I see in Discovery. But, there are three things that are really, really bugging me as well. First, I don't think I'll pay for CBS Online. Second, I don't like the look of the Discovery at all. Third, I don't like the uniforms.

But, then again, I never really liked the Enterprise D or the early TNG uniforms either, so I guess I'll get over it.

I definitely prefer it when the different departments wear different colours.

Yep. Looks like they're going with Silver, Bronze, and Gold, rather than Gold, Blue, and Red.

Unless it's the TOS movies where they all wear those red things. By far my favourite Trek uniform.

I loved the TOS movie uniform, too. It's my favorite. And, I do love the original TOS series uniform.

I love this fan-mix of the two...

 

[Water Bob]

And, in my opinion too, I think Discovery is missing a beautiful opportunity to go back to the different badges worn on different vessels (some say it's a Divisional patch or crest). Think of all the cool new symbols we'd get.

 

[Ryujin]

Where Enterprise is concerned the uniforms and insignia were one of the things I didn't like, but the perhaps the least among many.

 

[Hussar]

I'd point out that star fleet is not a military organization. There's really no need for rank insignia at all.

And before people get up in arms, lots of civilian organizations have rank. Police officers being one of the easiest to see. Could you distinguish different police ranks by sight? I can't.

 

[Morrus]

I'd point out that star fleet is not a military organization. There's really no need for rank insignia at all.

And before people get up in arms, lots of civilian organizations have rank. Police officers being one of the easiest to see. Could you distinguish different police ranks by sight? I can't.

No, but the police can. I’ll credit Starfleet officers with being able to recognise their own insignias.

The comment wasn’t that people didn’t know what the rank insignia meant, it was that the rank insignia were too small to see.

 

[Hussar]

No, but the police can. I’ll credit Starfleet officers with being able to recognise their own insignias.

The comment wasn’t that people didn’t know what the rank insignia meant, it was that the rank insignia were too small to see.

But, that's my point. Rank insignia in a civilian organization generally isn't all that large. Other than epaulet insignia, a lot of ranks aren't easily noticeable.

It's not like that honking big A on the chest of the uniform is hidden or anything.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that it's not that terribly unreasonable for a civilian organization, even a quasi-military one like Star Fleet, to not have large rank insignias. And it's not out of keeping with Star Trek either. TNG went with small insignias. And, the non-com ranks never really had insignias at all. O'Brian, for example, didn't really have anything to distinguish him from a regular crewman, did he? Granted Scotty did have a braid on the sleeve though.

Star Trek has never really been all that consistent with rank insignias.

 

[Ryujin]

But, that's my point. Rank insignia in a civilian organization generally isn't all that large. Other than epaulet insignia, a lot of ranks aren't easily noticeable.

It's not like that honking big A on the chest of the uniform is hidden or anything.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that it's not that terribly unreasonable for a civilian organization, even a quasi-military one like Star Fleet, to not have large rank insignias. And it's not out of keeping with Star Trek either. TNG went with small insignias. And, the non-com ranks never really had insignias at all. O'Brian, for example, didn't really have anything to distinguish him from a regular crewman, did he? Granted Scotty did have a braid on the sleeve though.

Star Trek has never really been all that consistent with rank insignias.

As Morrus said, at least police themselves can recognize it. Oddly enough Ontario Provincial Police use shoulder boards for their rank insignia

 

[Morrus]

But, that's my point. Rank insignia in a civilian organization generally isn't all that large. Other than epaulet insignia, a lot of ranks aren't easily noticeable.

Well, they’re not designed for TV. A Star Trek viewer cares more about the characters’ ranks than they do about the rank of that police officer they saw yesterday.

 

[Water Bob]

O'Brian, for example, didn't really have anything to distinguish him from a regular crewman, did he? Granted Scotty did have a braid on the sleeve though.

Scotty started off as a Lieutenant Commander in TOS. In the movies, he was a full Commander. And, in The Search For Spock, we see him get promoted to Captain. Captain of Engineering.

With O'Brien, his rank insignia changed a few times until a symbol was eventually made for Chief Petty Officer.



Here's some pics show his rank insignia changing.

And, here's where they finally came up with some enlisted rank insignia.

 

[trappedslider]

Yeah, maybe I'm just looking for reasons not to like it, but these little things just pile up along with the bigger issues that are already bugging me.

I think you might be just looking for more reasons,and I honestly think that you are a bit biast due to your feelings regarding the actions CBS took against Axanar.

Star Trek has never really been all that consistent with rank insignias.

Don't try to argue with professional Trekkies lol