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B5 Engineering

K

kelmin

New member
Howdy --
Anyone know of any good canon or non-canon references, either on-line or purchasable,
to the engineering of the station? The series is (mercifully in my opinion) devoid of "inverse tachyon pulses" and the like, but I would like to know what there is to know about how
things are meant to work.
Thanks!
 
There’s some long out of print stuff kicking around including a CD ROM reference guide and a thing called the B5 security manual. B5tech is your best (on-line) bet. A little canon information mixed in with a lot of fanon – though on the whole sensible enough fanon.

http://www.b5tech.com/

This is a link to their forums if you want to ask more specific questions.
http://www.b5tech.org/forum/

More factual information about the ideas behind the designs and the like can be found at B5Scrolls. Though it’s VERY light on ship specs and the like.

http://themadgoner.com/B5/B5Scrolls/B5Scrolls.htm
 
Could be. :)

It’s a strange thing though. Active interest in B5 is obviously and naturally enough waning a bit. Going by what I’ve read and seen there once was a very active community with many hundreds of sites back in the day.

But the depth of interest in the show is still there to a fair degree I think.

I know, for instance, that living in the same street as me there is at least 7 households with the full set of DVD’s and the owners range from little old ladies to young professionals (not the clichéd definition of sci-fi fans in the least). Most of them don’t use the internet and those that do know nothing of the fan community (or that site – I’ve not told them). Hell, none of them even knew that the Lost Tales existed until after it was released. By the way they also hold things like V, BSG old and new, DS9, voyager, firefly, etc. simply because they enjoyed them, and know nothing of con’s or competing fan bases, etc.

An active on-line fan community is used as a gauge to the success or popularity of a thing, and I think to a point it’s a good indicator, but it’s limited. I think that’s why the DVD sales (possibly a better indicator) give a big hint to the real size of the ‘fan’ base. Slow and steady sales that make the company a fortune, as the non-on-line fans discover them when visiting the local store, and the none virtual word of mouth takes longer to spread.

The reason for saying that is, that although you (and occasionally me) mentions B5Scrolls and there’s never a lot of talk about it – the content that is - the site has received a pretty regular hit rate for the last couple of years, fluctuating around 20 – 40 thousand a month.

So there are still plenty of folks (on and off line) interested in the show, that goes beyond the active posters on various discussion forums (B5Scrolls for example virtually never gets mentioned). It’s one of the reasons that I now hold the view that jms is both B5’s greatest asset but also biggest liability. Remember, I’m basically one of those non-on-line folks that enjoyed the show and accidentally discovered the on-line community after owning the DVD’s. It’s also why it focus’s on something other than Joe. :)

What I’m basically saying is the interest (not necessary a large active hardcore fan base) is still very much alive.
 
Its deep but as you said, a passive interest prehaps. Possibly due to lack of new material to stimulate it. Your site has real interesting content, and really really good interviews. That helps, it actually persuaded me to rewatch them vids again, and buy LOTR on DVD.

Anyhow, the websites I administer would kill for 20-40 thousand hits a month. You need some discreet Google advertising on there I think.

I think there is possibly quite a lot in your views on JMS.
 
To be honest I wouldn’t know where to start in putting ads on the site, besides there’s no space to fit the buggers onto it. Plus, and I realise this sounds pompous or in some other way that I’ve got my head firmly entrenched up my own arse, but I don’t want to make money on it - not that I’ve anything against making money. :)

If I could get away with it I’d not even mention it on forums as I always feel like a bit of a pimp doing it, but it was the only way I could figure to let people know it existed – it’s not an exercise in looking for kudos, though I realise it probably can look like it.

Though, a while back, it struck me that wiki was the way to go, so updated (read completely re-wrote) the articles on the Starfury and Omega. I think that’s where the ‘sustained’ hit rate originates from.

I read what you said about LOTR in another thread, and totally agree, it’s a bit of fun (and that shouldn’t be lost sight of when analysing it) . . . . it’s how I always approached the site as well.
 
I tried checking your profile, first time looking at that system since registering, but didn’t find any links to the sites you mentioned to have a look at them. Where are they? :)

Are they sci-fi related?
 
darth_librarian said:
Its deep but as you said, a passive interest prehaps. Possibly due to lack of new material to stimulate it.
Click to expand...

This may not be your cup of tea new-material-wise, but the project I'm working on is
a lengthy fanfic starring the (totally made up) chief engineer of B5. Who we never see. Who runs the place, anyhow?

NB: I absolutely do NOT count the buffoons in "The View From the Gallery" as part of this staff.

So, a shameless plug for "In the Core: Ch. 1: Broken In." (Yes, I do mean "core" and not "corps;" not a teep to be found.)
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4951591/1/In_the_Core

(Newbie alert! Is there a designated appropriate place for posting links to fanfic?)

Let me know if you think it's worth continuing. The plan is to follow engineering through the series, with technical problems in each chapter, and a worker-caste Minbari coming soon. Chapter 2: The Core is Mother, the Core is Father coming soon. If it sucks too bad I'll stop, I promise.

KEL
 
kelmin said:
This may not be your cup of tea new-material-wise, but the project I'm working on is
a lengthy fanfic starring the (totally made up) chief engineer of B5. Who we never see. Who runs the place, anyhow?
Click to expand...

Are you including Guerra, Morden's doppleganger from The Gathering (Ed Wasser originally played someone with an Engineering background, not sure of his rank though), and what of the dodgy geezer who shuts the lights off at the end of Sleeping in Light?

Did his career track pack to the early days of B5?:devil::p;)

In all seriousness, good luck with it all though.:)
 
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