Close enough. (Off-Topic)

by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Monday, December 09, 2013, 23:23 (4219 days ago) @ Cody Miller

I think in some ways the Star Trek universe itself is somewhat broken and at odds with telling good stories since it starts with most basic problems from money to disease already solved.

There are tons of stories about money and disease. If I had a nickel for every time I heard the show say 'gold pressed latinum' I'd make any Ferengi jealous!

Also, these are the least interesting problems facing humanity anyway.

Yes, but Star Trek's default state is more like:

Captain Jean-Luc Picard: The economics of the future are somewhat different. You see, money doesn't exist in the 24th century.
Lily Sloane: No money? You mean, you don't get paid?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.

Deanna Troi: When they realize they're not alone in the universe, poverty, disease, war - they'll all be gone within the next fifty years.

To quote Lily: "Bullshit!"

I find this default state unappealing because it removes or limits avenues of story telling. Yes, money crept back in, most notably with the Ferengi and Deep Space 9, but I see that as a good thing, a necessary thing even. A universe lacking resource limitations is very hard to relate to! As is one where everybody works solely to better themselves and the rest of humanity. Maybe disease and money aren't aren't humanity's most interesting problems, but taking away ambition, jealousy, hate, greed, and suffering? Those are interesting!

The difference between Star Trek and my favorite scifi universes is that they all start much more relatable and much better places to tell a full variety of stories, where as Star Trek has to overcome its overly good ideals. And even then the universe is a bit tainted in my mind because it tried to submit the idea that something as fundamental as money and all its associated positives and negatives would ever vanish in the first place.