i think i like B5 as much as TNG, but each one excells at different things. TNG has great character development, and had more freedom to to excellent episodic writing. B5 had a more satisfying hardcore sci-fi universe development, but was more limited in the possibilities, since the arcs were laid out in advance.
those space battles were so amazing at the time. so crazy with their 3D movements, fleet action, totally different spaceship designs and levels of technology (like humans barely having artificial gravity, mostly using centripital force), small fighter ships, moving weapon turrets, everything so fragile without sci-fi shields, debris coming off damaged ships.
but b5 has less rewatchability since it's one long story arc, while you can watch most of TNG out of order.
DS9 was allegedly a kind of rip-off of when CBS rejected Straczynski's pitch of B5. DS9 was good good, but I think B5's setting worked better for a darker space opera.
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skeptoid (Old Spike)
Yep I was there at the beginning of the Internets on the B5 newsgroup reading JMS's posts on what happened with key plot points of the B5 story arc he presented to Paramount essentially appearing in DS9. I posted back and forth with him a few times about some stuff on the show. Remember newsgroups?
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bronobo (Long Spike)
yes but back then i didn't have my own PC, just watched my older brother use his. computers were so expensive.
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(Old Spike)
(Long Spike)
i think i like B5 as much as TNG, but each one excells at different things. TNG has great character development, and had more freedom to to excellent episodic writing. B5 had a more satisfying hardcore sci-fi universe development, but was more limited in the possibilities, since the arcs were laid out in advance.
those space battles were so amazing at the time. so crazy with their 3D movements, fleet action, totally different spaceship designs and levels of technology (like humans barely having artificial gravity, mostly using centripital force), small fighter ships, moving weapon turrets, everything so fragile without sci-fi shields, debris coming off damaged ships.
but b5 has less rewatchability since it's one long story arc, while you can watch most of TNG out of order.
DS9 was allegedly a kind of rip-off of when CBS rejected Straczynski's pitch of B5. DS9 was good good, but I think B5's setting worked better for a darker space opera.
(Old Spike)
Yep I was there at the beginning of the Internets on the B5 newsgroup reading JMS's posts on what happened with key plot points of the B5 story arc he presented to Paramount essentially appearing in DS9. I posted back and forth with him a few times about some stuff on the show. Remember newsgroups?
(Long Spike)
yes but back then i didn't have my own PC, just watched my older brother use his. computers were so expensive.