DARSIT

[kenjindomini]

I could see it being useful for the occasional opener, but it could end up anchoring him too much. Instead of traveling constantly he'd be at home reading.

[iaminspectorspacetime]

I agree.

We should find a compromise.

[fluffygonzalez]

Oct 4, 2011 8:37:05 GMT -5 iaminspectorspacetime said:

I agree.

We should find a compromise.

Well, since the Inspector has a direction to his travelling, we'll be off-setting the apartment from the other end. Alternatively, instead of an apartment, the DARSIT could be the transportation module of a larger vehicle.

[kenjindomini]

I had similar thoughts before this came up...like an entire engine room under the floor and such.

[aninspectorcalls]

I quite like the engine room idea, if only for the fact that it gives a slightly larger space to be filmed in. However, I guess it does kinda go against the whole 'slightly smaller on the inside' thing.

[kenjindomini]

Yeah, that's why I haven't brought it up previously. On the other hand it provides explanation so the DARSIT doesn't seem magical.

[leitzankatan]

Oct 4, 2011 14:19:46 GMT -5 fluffygonzalez said:

Alternatively, instead of an apartment, the DARSIT could be the transportation module of a larger vehicle.

I like this idea, but not a vehicle, the darsit is the part that moves, the rest is a stationary place. he can dock there, and that where there are beds, clothing and importantly bathrooms. and its separate from the normal universe space/time so its a safe haven like the tardis (completely safe besides when it isn't).

[fluffygonzalez]

Oct 4, 2011 16:30:44 GMT -5 leitzankatan said:

Oct 4, 2011 14:19:46 GMT -5 fluffygonzalez said:

Alternatively, instead of an apartment, the DARSIT could be the transportation module of a larger vehicle.

I like this idea, but not a vehicle, the darsit is the part that moves, the rest is a stationary place. he can dock there, and that where there are beds, clothing and importantly bathrooms. and its separate from the normal universe space/time so its a safe haven like the tardis (completely safe besides when it isn't).

Agreed. Plus, we can easily disable it by introducing some sort of spacetime interference, which cuts the connection to the docking station. For which, incidentally, we now need a name.

[leitzankatan]

and because its a docking bay we could have a bottle episode called baywatch
I couldn't help myself. I've never seen the show but I hear its popular in Germany.

[kenjindomini]

How have you never seen baywatch!?
We could show aliens in bikinis running in slow motion. its pure genius.

[leitzankatan]

I think the internet has probably invented that somewhere, rule 34

[fluffygonzalez]

...however, back to the topic at hand...

[iaminspectorspacetime]

Hm...I don't know how I feel about this. The DARSIT itself has to remain "slightly smaller" on the inside. It can't be a comfortable/convenient space, that's part of it's concept.

Now as for the docking situation? That could work. Again though, it gives him a "home" which I'm not sure about. The design of this feature would be really important so as not to undermine the idea of the DARSIT in the first place. Is it spacious? Small? Does he take associates there at all? Does he spend much time there or just stop in sometimes? And why would the DARSIT be separate from it in the first place?

Now I was thinking...this could work if the place is very cluttered and/or has a real function outside of being a place for the Inspector to stay (that way the Inspector treats it like a business call rather than 'going home' after a big case). I don't think it'd be a good idea to have the Inspector treat it like an apartment, so what if it's an evidence archive of sorts? I mean he is a detective. He could very well beam/zap/scan some of the evidence he finds so that it is then available for him to access whenever on some sort of holo-device on his Optic Pocketknife. But he could later have to stop off at the room for some reason and physical copies of all of the evidence can be sitting in there (or perhaps he beams the original evidence there), tagged and crowded on shelves. I'm assuming it could physically house all the gadgets/outfits/props he had the DARSIT dispense for him sometimes, too.

I just don't think it's a good idea to turn this potential place into something like "The Inspector's flat". Because then he'd just conduct business from there and we'd lose his "wanderer" quality. (That being said he could totally still make tea there if we decide to add this bit.)

[fluffygonzalez]

Oct 4, 2011 20:24:35 GMT -5 iaminspectorspacetime said:

Hm...I don't know how I feel about this. The DARSIT itself has to remain "slightly smaller" on the inside. It can't be a comfortable/convenient space, that's part of it's concept.

Now as for the docking situation? That could work. Again though, it gives him a "home" which I'm not sure about. The design of this feature would be really important so as not to undermine the idea of the DARSIT in the first place. Is it spacious? Small? Does he take associates there at all? Does he spend much time there or just stop in sometimes? And why would the DARSIT be separate from it in the first place?

Now I was thinking...this could work if the place is very cluttered and/or has a real function outside of being a place for the Inspector to stay (that way the Inspector treats it like a business call rather than 'going home' after a big case). I don't think it'd be a good idea to have the Inspector treat it like an apartment, so what if it's an evidence archive of sorts? I mean he is a detective. He could very well beam/zap/scan some of the evidence he finds so that it is then available for him to access whenever on some sort of holo-device on his Optic Pocketknife. But he could later have to stop off at the room for some reason and physical copies of all of the evidence can be sitting in there (or perhaps he beams the original evidence there), tagged and crowded on shelves. I'm assuming it could physically house all the gadgets/outfits/props he had the DARSIT dispense for him sometimes, too.

I just don't think it's a good idea to turn this potential place into something like "The Inspector's flat". Because then he'd just conduct business from there and we'd lose his "wanderer" quality. (That being said he could totally still make tea there if we decide to add this bit.)

The DARSIT remains smaller on the inside if it's attached to the docking station. It functions less like an autonomous unit than a space-time elevator of sorts. Life support systems don't necessarily make it a home. Plus, it justifies the DARSIT being small--a space that's bigger on the inside would take a huge generator to move through time and space.

We could fix your objections by taking the Library from Season 4 and turning it into the Space Master archive planet. The DARSIT would naturally use it as a refueling / departure point. And we could have arbitrary security protocols that prevent his associates from leaving the DARSIT refueling station, thus making him unable to make it much of a home. Lastly, the Library episodes in Season Four would become that much more epic, since now it's the DARSIT refueling station at risk.

[iaminspectorspacetime]

Fluffy I don't understand why we need to bring the library into this? I think you may have missed what I was trying to say. He would just be putting evidence from his own cases into a ship/vessel/room of some sort to document them and possibly fall back on them if a case reopens or is related to one he's already completed. Plus if they had an archive planet (which they may have actually) it probably would have been destroyed in the Time Wave (or whatever it is we're calling that now).

Also I don't think docking station is a good word. He wouldn't need to go back there to refuel; the DARSIT will recharge/repair itself whenever he lands, though it's probably connected to the station through communications and whatnot. However the DARSIT has to be functionally autonomous or it undermines the purpose of the vehicle. It's an investigative/policing device, so it's designed for lengthy stakeouts, searching for evidence through time and later chasing down criminals in space. Granted it's not exactly designed for grand, eternal adventuring but the Inspector doesn't seem like the kind of guy to read the instructions that come with his stuff anyway. He'll use the DARSIT for whatever he decides is most important at the moment.

And I don't think it's a problem to have the associates see his evidence bunker, though security devices isn't a bad idea. We just have to be careful not to overuse it since he wouldn't be there too frequently anyway. I could very easily see this spiraling out of control into an overused plot device.

I think my point is that the DARSIT is the main vehicle here and this supposed "station" is an afterthought. It's not as important and it wouldn't be as frequently used. One of IS's claims to fame is that the writers were clever enough to write around the restrictions of a ship that's slightly smaller on the inside rather than copping out and making it "bigger", thus giving them more room to work with (literally). I think we should try our best to stick to that rather than adjusting the DARSIT to make the writing easier.