R&R and Shore Leave in Science Fiction

[@islaymassive1530]

A common danger with shore leave is that an evil clone of yours might show up and try to steal your ship

[@addisonchow9798]

Well jokes on them they need 2 factor authentication for my ship which requires them to overcome their original.

[@pokegod99]

Ya but an expensive ass toothbrush will save the day.

[@maviebaby]

Then u might have to steal ur ship back with a toothbrush.

[@riccardogemme]

Might even mess with your hamster

This happens frequently during beaming down, yes, or when lost in a space time loop on the holodeck.

[@FutureSoap]

IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BACKSWING!?

[@fightingfalcon777]

“…I understood that reference.”

[@still_guns]

If we don't find a way out of this soon, I'm gonna lose it... lose it, it means 'go crazy'. Nuts. Insane. Bonzo, No Longer in Possession of One's Faculties, Three Fries Short of a Happy Meal, WAAACKO!

[@khathaway414]

Yeah that was funny.

[@andrelastname1992]

@@still_guns I've had that plate-smiley-ketchup-mustard-art as a profile pic for almost 20 years. It's glorious.

[@andrewphillips8341]

Dam it I wanted to post that!!!! 🍯

[@thebashar]

Former submariner here, when deployed ports are normally divided into two categories; working ports and non-working ports. When we pull into a working port it's like any normal day at work, you do your job for 8 hours and then (if you are not on duty) you are free for the rest of the day. Non-working ports are more relaxed; if you are not on duty you are free for the day, if you are on duty you are stuck on the boat. Also, I know people think submariners are weird cause we volunteer to go underwater, but that is only because you are looking at it wrong. Any boat can sink, but only submarines can come back up. For me, the crazy person is the one who gets on a boat knowing that it can sink at nay moment and never come back up again.

[@Tetsujinhanmaa]

Please. We volunteered for that sweet, sweet Subpay and Sea Pay.😂

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Hey man, whatever you need to get yourself back in the sub I guess

[@screenname8267]

The other way to view that is, "if my boat is sinking, I know something is wrong in time to get off. If yours is sinking, you don't know if something is wrong until it doesn't come back up"

[@DoktorAJ]

Or, another way of looking at things is, "if your boat springs a leak, you can evacuate, if my boat springs a leak, I'm dead".

[@GoranXII]

Not all people can stand being in an enclosed space for long periods without going crazy. That being the case, Submariners would probably be a good place for NASA to look for potential astronauts.

[@mariotomazzoni6523]

And sometimes shore leave escalates and the whole crew get "banned from Argo IV"

[@mike1011031]

Banned from Argo just for having a little fun?

[@mariotomazzoni6523]

@mike1011031 banned from Argo everyone

[@1994chocolatemilk]

They just weren't prepared for spacers such as them.

[@ihtfp01]

And now that's playing in my head again. Thanks! I still love it!

[@Ryan-jm5jp]

Oh, don’t remind me. Last time we visited, our first officer somehow taught the ship’s computer how to swear!

[@terranempire2]

Sports has the bonus of being Physically activity. In Sci-fi with or without artificial gravity tech you have to imagine military forces want their troops physically fit.

[@reganator5000]

What is sometimes missed is shore leave in places that aren't visited specifically for crew-rotation/R&R purposes. Because that would better explain why, for example, Star Trek officers end up with those large amounts of backdated shore leave - they have pretty nice ships, so disappearing for 2 days to get drunk in a cold wet pub on a cold wet planet whilst staying in a motel might not be preferable to just keeping it as time-in-lieu for next time the ships undergoing maintenance etc. Because generally 'shore leave' is 'well, we don't need to pay everyone to man a boat that's littoraly tied to the shore until sunday, so you guys get to experience a scottish dock in mid january, have fun!' rather than actual leave, which is 'i've been rotated off the ship so i can go see my family until my next tour'.

[@EGRJ]

>littoraly Ha!

[@smukarch]

Logged: The commanding officer is ashore. XO Pressly has the deck.

[@jonathankydd1816]

ah, thanks for ripping out my heartstrings.

[@Novarcharesk]

I can still hear the voice's particular focus on emphasising that 'ck' sound at the very end, really laying on that thick overpronunciation like she has peanut butter in her mouth, and ONLY with that sound! I have been thinking about that since 2008.

[@capriowo]

😆

[@jtjames79]

The beach episode on the pleasure planet is it an important morale booster for cultured audiences.

[@yemmohater2796]

Downtime in fiction is something a lot of epic stories really need

[@fredbyoutubing]

It made me realize what Halo ships seems to lack. I recall human ships being almost exclusively pragmatic. Not very lived in.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

​@@fredbyoutubing R&R is a thing in Halo, but it's always off-ship unless all you want is sleep or a game or cards.

[@HailHydra27]

​@fredbyoutubing that's why in Halo they still stick you in cryo even with FTL

[@fredbyoutubing]

@@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem I understand but I was talking about long deployments. I also agree that they use cryosleep to pass time but that can't be good mentally when all you do is work and cryosleep.

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

@fredbyoutubing Probably not. Long deployments aren't discussed much as far as I'm aware, outside of special cases like the Spirit of Fire and the Infinity. And the Infinity has actual R&R stuff like a big park.

[@tuxedotservo]

The Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC was a brilliant addition to the game. Flushed out relationships, and had all sorts of fun little side stuff to do.

[@Eyerleth]

And in the end, you can just keep playing the arena. You never want to leave...

[@ThePandoraGuy]

We were stuck in a storage vault. That wasn't fun, that was life threatening.

[@tuxedotservo]

@@ThePandoraGuy Only in there for a bit - then got to use a Mass Effect toothbrush to break into a ship!

[@ThePandoraGuy]

@ A very expensive sonic toothbrush if i remember correctly.

[@tuxedotservo]

@@ThePandoraGuy 6000 credits, IIRC

[@Echowhiskeyone]

Having been on many Navy deployments, Steel Beach picnics, special meals are good, but only go so far, sports, music, games, movies, all are a big help. But nothing beats shore leave, drink and picking up diseases. Gotta love it all.

[@giorgosdim9845]

By steel picnics you mean BBQs right? Those play a big part in the merchant navy. But yes shore leave can't be topped

[@Echowhiskeyone]

@@giorgosdim9845 Yep. Steel decks for a steel beach. And Navy ships always have a few grills stashed somewhere, ready for the CO to give a reason. And Hawaiian shirts seem to sprout to be worn. I've been to a few, but missed more by taking the watch so my guys could go. CIC is always manned at sea.

[@giorgosdim9845]

@Echowhiskeyone well I'm an engineer and I've missed most of mine so you're not alone. And most of those I've been were on days I had watch so no beers for me

[@Echowhiskeyone]

@ I could have had 4 beer days, but only got one, the other three, watch. One was an OS's 21st B-day, so all beer went to her. She was watched and exempted from her next watch, they were doing 6 on, 6 off, to sleep it off.She got hammered and no one got in trouble.

[@arcturionblade1077]

I've always been told and tell my own troops, have fun, but don't add to or subtract from the local population.

[@Delta2357]

Every long game with a diverse cast deserves the Citadel DLC treatment.

[@jerrjohnpresti]

Thank you for positing this. when i'm done with my rpg, i will put in a sidequest of the party doing r&r and laughing about the game specifically. har har.

[@khathaway414]

DS9 covered the naughty side of Holodecks with Quark's Holosuites. Just remember Odo seeing Jake go to the suites with a baseball bat and warning Quark about it.

[@AllahDoesNotExist]

Sulu: Oh my!

[@cliffdavidson5096]

And lower decks expanded on it with the filters.

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

I wonder how many people have lost their v card to a hologram. Also I love how unashamed quark is in his peddling of digital prostitutes (and potentially real ones?)

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

They must have seen plague of gripes’ first contact watch along where they talk about “cum phasers” and such devices as “cum rockets” being fired into Klingon ships. Pardon if this is my second comment here about this, I doubt the first would stay up lol

[@AzureIV]

DS9 also had that Risa episode where their weather satellites got hijacked by terrorists.

[@cmedtheuniverseofcmed8775]

There are some factors to consider for R&R in a story: - In real life, after a major battle/campaign, crew and soldiers were sometimes given easy jobs or assignments purposely away from the frontlines. If the ship gets done with a major battle, give your crew a rest. - There is always such a thing as a "Beach Party" Episode done often in anime where you have the characters relax and enjoy the sun. This has been done effectively in Avatar: The Last Airbender and it doesn't have to be filler either. - It is also possible to have the opposite where you can write in the story where the crew is over-taxed in their work, thrown into battle after battle with no ending in sight, and never given R&R. If that's the case, it's possible to have it written where it destroys crew morale and ultimately leads to a mutiny.

[@littlekong7685]

There are plenty of historical examples of crew/staff/soldiers not quite mutinying, but getting substantially worse performances until they break and the unit falls apart. Or of racist American commanders purposefully "forgetting" to rotate black troopers out of the line after a hard fight, knowing more fights are coming and they wan an excuse to discharge or collapse that unit, and the unit just doesn't fail.

[@cmedtheuniverseofcmed8775]

@@littlekong7685 Yep, you even have Brazil's Revolt of the Lash to help draw upon stories as well. It's possible to create a story where there is an attempt to demoralize a crew, including the lack of R&R or overtaxing the crews to the point that it results in a mutiny or the crew trying to overcome certain odds in a war.

[@thestabbybrit4798]

If Argo didn't ban you, you weren't shore leaving hard enough.

[@mitwhitgaming7722]

The vacation gone awry us one of my favorite tropes in media! Gives you an idea of what character do in their free time- and how they react when that free time is ruined.

[@aragonnetje]

7:34 "we all knew it was a possibility, even if none of the shows wanted to go there until lower decks hinted at it" Have you not watched DS9? Quark is pretty clear about what he's selling and why

[@ala5530]

Plus a couple of TNG episodes (Leah Brahms for Geordi; hints of whatever Reg Barclay was up to; and That Time the doctor Banged a Ghost, although in fairness, that wasn't wholly holodeck shenanigans)

[@MichaelBirks]

@@ala5530 You can save the crews lives, day in, day out, for years, but you fuck one ghost...

[@sonwig5186]

I think the sort of lounge room they have on the Argama in Zeta Gundam is a good example of an on-ship rest area. It's not anything crazy, just some screens set back into the walls so they seem like bay windows showing a forest in the evening (I'm sure it can be any time of day but I only remember it being evening in the show for lighting purposes) in a normal common room with sofas and plants. And it just completely sells the illusion that this is a hotel on Earth. Well, except for the bars and railings are all around the room... because its on a warship that can't always have pendulums extended for gravity. I think the burger vendor is also there or at least close to the room. It's just a very well thought out and executed idea which really sells the believability of the setting and shows they're using the screen technology for the 360 degree cockpits in other areas where it makes sense.

[@falconwind00]

On Lower Decks, the group works on the shuttle craft Sequoia in their spare time as an excuse to hang out together.

[@jacobbronsky464]

I love when r&r is meaningful. I want my spacefaring to be something arduous that must be planned for, not mindless fast travel. Give me exposure checks and weightlessness compensation sessions !

[@CathrineMacNiel]

fast travel is so boring. Yeah cool we are now at a new location, just to do the same thing just in front of a different background?

[@deathsyth8888]

Footage credit error found! 08:10 is not 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' but 'Cowboy Bebop'

[@Treveli45]

Nah, just a deleted scene from inside a holosuite.

[@Tuning3434]

@@Treveli45 Yes, Barcley fantasizing he was Spike Spiegel, that rascal!

[@msyoungau]

Having a lobster miso while after a bounty.

[@SnazBrigade]

i always thought it was odd the holodecks were mostly single person activities on star trek; like the enterprise has hundreds of crew, even 24/7 and one after another that limits how long people have access. I always thought it would be interesting if alongside the smaller ones, they also had one big holodeck which, like, rotated between different things on a schedule and could be used by many people at once. Maybe on Tuesday it's a bowling alley; maybe on Friday it's a swimming pool, or a whole water park, than on saturday it's a picturesque bar in southern italy somewhere.

[@drewrussell8531]

Voyager had this, actually. I think first Tom Paris set up a Marseilles bar for everyone to hang out in, then there was a tropical resort, then it was a whole Irish village whose inhabitants started to become self-aware after the program had been left constantly running for too long. If I recall, they had two holodecks, and one was usually some sort of communal space while the other was for solo stuff. And actually, Deep Space 9 had Vic Fontaine's place, too, at least later on.

[@enisra_bowman]

i might fall in the same realm as the Main Shuttle Bay: it's there but never (really) shown since renting a amusement Park and staffing it with extras would be quite expensive

[@shiddy.]

everyone's quarters should have been a holodeck

[@enisra_bowman]

@@shiddy. and then there is a Blackout again and the ship looks like the Empty Holoship

[@hanzzel6086]

​@@shiddy. Too energy intensive.

[@appo9357]

I’d hate to be the one to clean up after “certain” holodeck programs.

[@yodaslovetoy]

Especially after the "7 of 9" programs....

[@kylebrooks3683]

They literally address that in Star Trek: Lower Decks

[@NerdGlasses256]

@@kylebrooks3683 I'm not sure, but I think this commenter was refering to exactly that.

[@micwclar]

This is why transporter tech is a lifesaver. Don't need gloves when you zap it into atoms.

[@Ishlacorrin]

There is no need to clean in Trek, they use space magic to solve that, the same space magic the Holo decks themselves use to work.

[@master1ive.]

Hello, I have been following you for a few weeks and I wanted to thank you for your videos which help me a lot for a novel that I have been writing for a few months. This video in particular reassures me about the first part of my story. I wanted to show the last day of my heroes on their planet, the places where they went, the acquaintances to whom they said goodbye, etc... before they left for a journey to the edge of the stars. But I was afraid that this part would not be interesting. But your video proved me wrong. So again a big thank you. And happy new year too. 😉

[@DrakeAurum]

I wonder if any setting's treated the need for R&R as something that can be 'cured'. "No, this won't do, you've been serving back-to-back shifts for three weeks. Your response times and concentration are down, and your stress levels are through the roof. Hold still." "There you go, that'll reset your brain chemistry to optimal and clear out a few toxins. Give it ten minutes, then get back to work."

[@RorikH]

In the 40K game Rogue Trader you can treat prisoners being used as slave labor with a drug that eliminates their need for sleep. Also, y'know, servitors.

[@DrakeAurum]

@@RorikH Yeah, I figured if any setting did it it'd be WH40K - that, or anyone who actually asks for shore leave would get shot as a deserter.

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

The Expanse had something like this in the Behemot. The belters were overworked, but instead of hypospray it was space meth...

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@carloshenriquezimmer7543 that's quite different. One is a small portion of a crew taking stimulants of their own volition, the other is being ordered to take meds that eliminate your need for rest altogether. You make it sound like the Behemoth had absolutely nothing to do in their off hours.

[@AlexTekle]

In one of the LOGH movies, alliance pilots gamble over which side will win before an upcoming battle. In a morbid twist, most bet on an enemy victory in hopes of being the only survivor to collect.

[@Nethar6]

Lower Decks was not the first to hint ad Holodeck used to get laid. DS9 confirmed that was the primary selling point of Quarks Holosuites in season 1

[@pauldickinson3961]

The Starfleet JAG reading about how the liberty call on Kronos turned into the Klingons breaking their treaty with the Federation: 😳😳😳

[@Flarecobra]

When I was on an Amphibious Assault Ship, a bunch of us actually had a whole D&D thing go on for several months. Was a pretty good stress-reliever

[@nationalnightlynews8553]

why don't we have space ice cream barges like in ww2?

[@terranempire2]

The logistics changed. In ww2 ice cream barges were used to augment and support ships that lacked such amenities. Today we have refrigeration and all but the smallest of boats can make it own. In sci-fi terms any ship able to support its crew is going to be able to make ice cream.

[@inquisitorbenediktanders3142]

​​@@terranempire2 so in a nutshell: We have ice cream on all the ships now..

[@enisra_bowman]

in Space, ships that produce fresh food might be that, like the "Valley Forge Model" in old BSG that they took over from Silent Running since storing ice cream today is not a problem but having something that is not something out of a protein resequenzer is. And there is also an expriment at the Von Neumeyer Station in Antartica that research ways on how to produce food on space missions since it's also having a good psychological effect when people tend to a garden. Something missed on Voyager, where they had to build a hydroponic garden, but i would have build one, like the aboretum on the enterprise, directly into the ship as standard when it's a Long Range Ship like the Intrepid Class.

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

A ship dedicated only to serve as a Fleet's R&R provider could have some potential. Pure ammenities, no utilitarian functions. Just cruising along, behind the main force, when someone needs to unwind just take a shuttle to the "USS Sxy".

[@Starfighter-nk4mo]

We don’t need it, we can ship ice cream to the ISS fine on crew dragon! :)

[@annoyed707]

I eagerly await Notional Lampoon's Klingon Vacation.

[@MartinEdwards26]

Red Dwarf used the VR trope extensively. Gunmen of the Apocalypse being a notable example.

[@MichaelBirks]

BTL!

[@fayefalkner]

It's Minnesota, Carter, where the bass are THIS big!!

[@captnh2492]

in my Sci-fi story, bigger ships have squadron-vs-squadron competitions that stray the line between games for bragging rights and training

[@jacara1981]

Years ago I read a sci-fi book (ending was a let down) where Humans were part of a Federation that was spread out over 10 galaxies. The fleets had this outside competition where the players were in EV suits and would attack other ships in the fleet like a war game when the fleet was sublight. Then when 2 or more fleets met it was a really really big deal for the crew. Whole tournaments were organized where the brackets were split up into different crew sizes.

[@captnh2492]

@@jacara1981 In my story, humanity only recently discovered aliens. Humanity is in command of three star systems, and is slowly building up allies and enemies across the Orion Arm, a much smaller setting. Unless you count some rouge cosmononauts who fled earth shortly before their side lost WW3(No nukes used), first contact was in the early 2180s

[@jacara1981]

VR is already being used aboard Subs to help deal with the long isolation under the surface, and even Naval carriers as there isn't much to see when in the middle of the oceans. I suspect the same will be used on missions to Mars. I can't wait for Full Dive tech though.

[@awesomehpt8938]

One thing about Star Trek is you never see anyone use the toilet. Does it work differently there? There’s sonic showers and regular baths but not toilets.

[@mryellow6918]

transporters

[@scottmcintosh4397]

Im space, nobody can hear you fart 🍑💨 🌌🔭

[@roastpuff]

Maybe the poop is just transported out of your bowels.

[@DarthBiomech]

Not that apparent bonuses of a teleport tech...

[@barbarossarotbart]

Well, there was a toilet in Star Trek V.

[@RandyContello]

when one of your fav channels shows clip from shows/movies you love - and then shows you battleship new jersey, a channel i watch as religously as i watch this channel LOVE when worlds collide also - the fact you went from galactica to the new jersey - good placement

[@PavelPastushkha]

In the science-fantasy story I am writing (or at least used to write, before the third year of university kicked in - Aerospace Engineering is no joke), I use the Hohmann transfer windows as a way of explaining the main characters having lengthy shore-leaves amidst a race against the clock to uncover a plot against their colony. As in, "Okay, we have to get from A to B as soon as possible. The phase angles are favorable for going through C, yet we'd still be short 500 m/s delta-vee. As such, D is our best shot for resupply and refuelling, but we won't have a transfer window to B from there in another two weeks. To clarify: everything happens in a system of moons and moonlets of a gas giant, the main cast come from an asteroid-fishing outpost in its rings (bottom of the gravity well, therefore very remote place for everybody else in the system), and their ship, the "Spark", is essentially a Soyuz capsule with a non-pressurized cargo canister and a propulsion block that is oversize enough to haul all of this across 3,5K delta-vee fully loaded.

[@Marylandbrony]

The Orville addiction episode mentioned! 500 cigarettes.

[@mittensfastpaw]

When done right what you said is very true. We can get some truly wonderful story moments in these scenes. I was always a fan when they showed up in TNG.

[@awesomehpt8938]

Do Ice cream machines work in the 24th century at McDonald’s.

[@terranempire2]

We all know in the future all restaurants are Taco Bell

[@TotallyNotAFox]

Don't be ridiculous, FTL travel might be easily available but archieving such technological marvels as working ice cream machines being a thing?

[@hanzzel6086]

​@@TotallyNotAFoxBut Rurope has already achieved such a thing! Turns out all you need to do is break a certain companies monopoly on maintaining them...

[@CathrineMacNiel]

@@terranempire2 oh yeah, the infamous franchise wars.

[@richardstephens3327]

I know of a few hundred Battletech games that have bin played like that with rocks since the mid 80's on various deployments.

[@janhornak5739]

Tbf, as far as i know, Battletech is more lenient in what is considered a playable miniature. So, despite it´s much more complex rules it´s easier to play with random items.

[@FGMagala]

Love the inclusion of virtual spaces. I think that this is the single most underappreciated form of R&R that should be utilized far more in sci-fi. Sure, the holodeck was basically the precursor that did the same thing before telepresence was much of a concept beyond the most hardcore sci-fi, but I think that reserving a spot in your room or even just lying down in bed and hook up to a virtual system to hang out with friends in a virtual place outside of a ship would be the sci-fi equivalent of just hanging out at a bar. There is also the consideration that whatever people do, it would be heavily influenced by the culture of their homes. For example, someone who grew up in a space colony with little open spaces could easily have agoraphobia, even if they're fine doing EVAs without a safety harness. Or people who grew up in sterile environments would suffer panic attacks when put into natural environments like a forest. It might be weird, but depending on the culture they come from, some people might find it more relaxing to simply spend time on a different ship rather than a planet-side resort. In fact, that might be common depending on the sort of habitation that is common for people of a setting. Maybe a person from a mining asteroid colony works on a warship, but takes leave while doing part-time work on a mining ship. Alternatively, hydroponics farms might be a more common place to relax than a natural resort because of the controlled conditions.

[@tangofox7124]

You missed the motorcycle with Garibaldi on "Babylon 5"

[@lonjohnson5161]

Original BSG Pyramid was the card game. The three hoop basketball game was Triad. Ron Moore et. al. made a mistake (Ron Moore admits it in his commentary). I'm sure things were hectic at Ron Moore's BSG, but it would have been nice if someone slowed down and asked why they were trying to build a pyramid in Triad and throwing balls into three hoops in Pyramid as opposed to the other way around.

[@johncage5368]

Nothing better to get to know your teammates better than some shared R&R. Something writers should always have high on their todo list.

[@disky01]

The Expanse needed a beach episode.

[@rakaydosdraj8405]

Season 4?

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@rakaydosdraj8405 yeah Amos drinking and screwing got pretty close. Heck, each other season does have moments like that where they're at some bar on some space station somewhere.

[@SN1PERx64]

Thing is, I don't think you need to go overboard with options and expanse of activities. A couple solid options will not only satisfy the need, but also create camaraderie since most of the ship will be involved. When you're bored, you will be more likely to take in an activity then where had there been more options available.

[@knghtbrd]

I've gotta say that I _absolutely freakin' love_ that a plot thread exists in the RDM Battlestar Galactica about the black market in which it is determined that such a market needs to exist. The episode … that I'm not so keen on, it wasn't as well executed as IMO it could've been. Admittedly the network wasn't going to be too happy about things like a drugs market or some of the other things that were likely to be available for a fee … but the notion that there's a willful blind eye turned to some things might prevent other things that might be worse.

[@robertmacdonald764]

I was sure “Shore Leave” from TOS would be featured under Hazards of Shore Leave.

[@originaluddite]

Love seeing the common recreational areas on ships. Love it if they can fit in any kind of garden. Mind you those _huge_ habitat domes in the Strange New Worlds station seem a bit much for that era of Star Trek.

[@annoyed707]

"Why couldn't we have brought more light?"

[@awesome1365]

I’m surprised the blackbird from bsg wasn’t mentioned because it started off as a passion project for the chief

[@MichaelBirks]

And the Delta Flyer, Garabaldi's motorcycle...

[@matthewschoen9827]

I put together an outline for a story once about the journey of the first interstellar colony ship. It included things like a zero G rec room, where each side was used for a different activity; like group resistance exercising, zero G specific games, ect. I also included a story beat about the ships radio station and TV network, which left earth with a decades' worth of content to be slowly released over time, so there was always something new for the crew to enjoy, along with original content made by the crew themselves playing a role like art and music.

[@leapofaith97]

Okay, but now i want a breakdown of various sci-fi sports...

[@Kyuschi]

I've definitely recommended it before on this channel, but i once again have to recommend Das Boot. Not for a great representation of R&R, but for a fantastic depiction of what happens in an environment that is uniquely terrible for it. The slow descent as boredom sets in, food quality and other creature comforts drop off, weather soaks & knocks the boat around constantly. A simple half bottle of beer, or the act of getting to do something slightly different, even something that could kill you, can cause a great lift in spirits, until it starts going wrong of course.

[@robwalsh9843]

My favorite spot is the Zocalo in Babylon 5. Great for bar brawls and mostly bald but hot Centauri chicks.

[@mrphgil974]

Ending with that Citadel clip…are you trying to make us cry?

[@Necromonger69]

Great video, this is usually forgotten in Sci-Fi. You see a little of it on the reimagined BSG

[@hhjk377]

That music was giving me so much stress at the possibility of missing a 98% shot on a sectopod.

[@tba113]

One of the things that made the SGA episode 'Sunday' so special was how... _Mundane_ so many of the characters' preferred ways to spend a day off were. Painting. Golf. Fishing. In the normal terrifying course of an episode, we see the characters under huge amounts of stress, and that tells us a lot about who they are, but they're not JUST scientists and warriors. They have interests they've pursued for a long time that don't involve blowing something up or reversing the polarity or solving some ancient mystery, things they've grown up learning how to do.

[@Flemdragon]

When I was in basic we made up our own “fallout” rpg game we played in the laundry room when we had time. At my unit we played spades all the time in the field. People always brought cards to the field or deployments. It was a must. Fighting and throwing rocks were also common. 😂

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Every Riker needs a creepy Risa to invade during their breaks

[@filanfyretracker]

3:50, I did not expect to see BB-62 in a scifi focused channel =) Holodecks and similar tech are also handy for the production company saving money on a few episodes a season so they can afford a big space ship battle here and there. Especially if you shoot somewhere like Hollywood where there is bound to be a sound stage, set, back lot or local building that will suit your needs.

[@Batalia122]

When you beam down to Risa, dont forget your horga'hn. It might come in handy.

[@strider2175]

As a navy vet, I cannot state enough how much shore leave meant to us during the six-month long deployments.

[@lightlegion_]

Hey! I really enjoy your content. Keep it coming!

[@boxhead6177]

Shore leave, Chief Medical Officer (or acting) becomes the busiest person on the ship. If it isn't every recreational sports injury on the planet, it's over indulgence, intoxication, local illnesses or the inbox full of permission to engage in "Third" contact.

[@TheAnakinn]

I love how Mass Effect 3 handles this. Yes, there's the Citadel DLC and it's amazing, no notes there, but even in the main game it also plays a big part. Depending on the chapter of the story you're in, your crewmates are all over the Citadel and you can have little (usually relaxing) conversations with them. There's a whole area that's a night club where R&R is a topic in a lot of the conversations and how important it is during war time. Always loved the worldbuilding in ME and this is an important part of it

[@Wafenmeister]

I feel like youd really enjoy the book series: Expeditionary Force, it does a really good job of covering realistic sci-fi ideas

[@rodneykelly8768]

Babylon 5 had a Holo-brothel, (River of Souls.)

[@be-noble3393]

I’m disappointed that Shore Leave from the Venture Bros. didn’t make an appearance.

[@piquels6934]

Sphinx!

[@ranger24ff]

Created just so they could use the Code Nane “Holy Diver” at least once.

[@MCM-yc1rv]

You guys should do a video on shield systems in Sci Fi, cause there are so many forms and rules that each setting applies to them. My personal curiosity is with the style of shields that you see in Star Wars or Star Trek, where they seem to block the shot or damage, but not the inertia or KE because big impacts still shake the ship or cause some internal damage. Under that style, i could see something where nukes or other heavy hitting weapons are able to just rip ships apart from the inside-out, without actually needing to break the shield itself.

[@PaulCashman]

Great installment! And yes, I WAS indeed yelling "holodeck" at the screen. :)

[@JustTooDamnHonest]

All beings needs some R&R after a few years of space traveling.

[@thedragondemands]

The more complex the mind, the more need for a simpler form of relaxation.

[@TSempired]

Finally!!!! Space Dock showing footage of Ryan Szimanski (museum curator from Battleship New Jersey) in between Star Wars and Star Trek!!!!!!!

[@HikariKobayashi]

In the novel I'm working on currently (time travel, first contact, defensive war against alien empire), the idea of shore leave is baked right into the protagonists' doctrine. Unless their presence is dictated by need, warship crews spend three weeks on patrol and one week on leave. Normally this is spent on their mobile space station, where they have spin gravity and tons of recreation options, but some of the protagonists spend it on Earth getting other things done until it's time to go back.

[@samuelmeasa9283]

Once considered what characters on my fictional ship would do in their off time. This included several versions of D&D, card games and various board games seemed like a good idea for starters. It also seemed like something that could feed back into the story. Like during a battle have the R&R personal complaining about how they will be up all night finding all the peaces of the monopoly board, again. How they will be replacing the poker chips after they where "Borrowed" for the checker board. Or having the key to solving the plot be related to someones recent D&D game.

[@gaxsunruskia7839]

One thing that bugs me is how little movies, tv and traditional video games make it into sci fi worlds considering they're a primary leisure activity for most people these days. Much like books, I don't think they're going away anytime soon and unlike most things listed in this video, you can do them in the privacy of your own quaters.

[@peridoodle2644]

This sort of thing is why I loved seeing the recreational and relaxation facilities onboard the Yamato in SBY 2199

[@padawanmage71]

In Space : Above and Beyond, there was an episode were the Wild Cards ( as well as McQueen) were ordered to take leave on The Bacchus, a pleasure station where anything and everything can happen.

[@TheWarmachine375]

It's like the equivalent of Beach Episode for the crews of the spaceships in sci-fi shows and movies.

[@Raguleader]

Narratively, an R&R episode can also give the readers a break from the intensity of what is going on, while giving the characters a chance to process (and maybe discuss) what they're going through. I've read more than a few books where the characters effectively go through perilous situations from safe harbor to safe harbor, with these breaks also serving as a chance for them to regroup and maybe get some new supplies and equipment, like Lord of the Rings where the party tends to get some new thing that helps them later on their journey (Frodo's Mithril armor, Aragorn's reforged sword, and Sam's elvish light all come to mind from Lord of the Rings).

[@Cross3061980]

I'm happy you brought up Gulf Warhammer. It was such an incredible story.

[@patrickdusablon2789]

The Royal Canadian Navy has recently gone to a 3, 8-hour watch system, and changing the rotation after each port call so someone isn't stuck working the night shifts for 6-7 months straight. Leaves 16 hours in a day for admin, extra duties, fitness and rest. I can't speak for other classes, but on the Halifax class, the Main Cave (read: junior ranks' eating space), Chiefs and PO's and the Wardoom all double as those ranks' main social space as well. I can't speak for the Wardroom and Chiefs and POs, but the Main Cave has a significant portion sectioned off with couches, a big screen TV, etc, and the tables can be used outside of meal times for games and whatnot. Now, I would assume that volume would be at a premium on any spacegoing warship, but if a ship is expected to be out and about for months on end, permanent recreation facilities are going to have to be a thing and compromises will have to be made somewhere. Crew morale and fitness are essential, and that would also include the provision for days off even while underway. In fact, that would also be a real concern for an exploratory vessel as well, particularly if there are no port calls planned for a time measurable in years and no guarantee of anywhere with a breathable atmosphere to go and decompress. But green spaces on a ship? I would expect those spaces would likely have life support and maybe logistics implications as well as they might be used to provide fresh fruit and veggies now and again, so they wouldn't really be a "free for all" kind of area because of the mission-essential nature. So those might be restricted access, or only under supervision/suitably trained, or even rank-restricted.

[@DmitriVanderbilt]

I always thought the prevalence of live music and theatre in Star Trek (esp. TNG) was because holodecks allowed for all sorts of simulated experiences but those things are real, physical, and take actual human skill and effort - they are authentic experiences vs. The holodeck which is more like a theme park ride - almost artificially exciting and stimulating.

[@jacara1981]

Sadly I thought of it more like what nobles use to do. Things like fairs, and fights, and such were for the common folks. Meanwhile the high class's would go to plays and musicals. Notice how on TNG you never saw the lower ranks attend them.

[@DmitriVanderbilt]

@jacara1981 Honestly I wouldn't give a fuck about Data playing violin either, I'd be fully holo-addicted to role-playing as a space marine murdering waves of xenos scum

[@UniversalCipher]

A friend of mine sure would like to see how these shore leaves and R&Rs could work in a Multiversal soldier angle. They quote: - "Would the planeswalking equivalent of the SAS be allowed to befriend and hang out the people they're protecting and yet are capable of handling themselves?" - I think they're referring to characters like Kim Possible+Ron Stoppable and the Justice League Unlimited, by the way. - "The Splinter Cell equivalents be allowed to shop/browse for personal household supplies and occasional souvenirs for friends and family from Star Wars Legends and Middle-earth?" - "Can High Command be allowed to have their own 'pool or beach episodes' simply because they're still people and not soulless, uncaring shells like the SCP's O-5 Council?" - "Are numerous games, sports, video games, and other playful entertainment venues originating from countless interesting worlds and 'verses be allowed for all the staff, crew, and so on to enjoy either for leisure and/or competition?" - "...Will there be some weird folk who'll try illegitimately accessing the 'local' Internets, HoloNets, and other web formats so to check on what's coming up on those realms?" That aside, said friend does agree that ice cream should still be a popular confectionary even for the manly toughies protecting time and space from mundane to beyond-beyond mundane threats and dangers. Addendum: No Macross, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, and Martian Successor Nadesico footage? The characters from there sure got their occasional shore leave and R&R. Too much Star Trek here, after all.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

Another problem in visual media science fiction anyway is, how do you depict things that are extreme and do not as yet exist? And how do you do it on a budget? There’s an imagination aspect to at end of course there’s also the practical aspect, which can be pretty hilarious. For instance, there is an episode of space: above and beyond, in which the cast visit a pleasure ship called the “Bacchus.” Before they are allowed to go inside, Coolio comes in and warns them, elaborately about all the pleasures and temptations that exist inside the ship, things that can be addictive, things can be dangerous, things that are wildly, immoral, things that are not accepted in polite society, if you can imagine it, it exists somewhere inside the ship, and there are no legal consequences, offered as a palliative to a bunch of soldiers who are almost definitely gonna die in combat shortly. but he warns that they should not get to involved or attached to it because it can really mess up your mind if you let it and not only does whatever happens in space Vegas stay in space Vegas, but it needs to stay in space Vegas for your own safety and well-being. People aren’t even supposed to know that there is a space Vegas since damn near everything there is illegal anyway. Which sounds pretty impressive and honestly a little intimidating, right? And then we get inside and the only thing that’s in there is a country bar and exactly one hooker. Clearly, their imagination and the budget failed them. I love that could’ve been hilarious. If they came from an extremely Puritanical society where country music was considered scandalous and déclassé, and extramarital sex was a punishable offense. But nope.

[@Thunderous115]

In my universe, it takes on average a week to travel between star systems. During this time, ships pass through a dimension known as The Void. Here, only gravity can be detected. So to avoid insanity, lots of ships which make frequent trips have pets. Humans most commonly have dogs or cats. Though other pets aren't unheard of. There is one cargo hauler where half of the cab portion is turned into a giant reptile house.

[@Makrangoncias]

"Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... Meet me at the bar. I'm buying."

[@jerrjohnpresti]

You have helped me with world building a lot. thanks!

[@SN1PERx64]

I recall Voyager had multiple episodes that deal with recreation, but Equinox, where they encounter a federation science vessel that does not have the amenities like holodecks really poignant. They remark the lack of recreation a big part on why they are struggling, at least until they invent the neural screensaver thing.

[@z3iro383]

In Space Dandy this is the entire motivation of the main character: earning money to go to Boobies, a Hooters-like breastaurant ("where zero-G meets double-D") that sells some concerning-looking alien cuisine. One episode even has the major time constraint be the expiration on his free meal coupon

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

props to the Orville for tackling holographic adult entertainment head-on

[@FearlessSon]

The game _Tacoma_ is a neat example. The titular space station is a waystation between Earth and the moon and has small crew that is contracted to remain there for months at a time. Through the game, we get to see the facility and what the crew get up to in their spare time. The central axis of the station contains a zero-g ball court and a large coupla. Characters are seen playing instruments or augmented reality games in their quarters on the station's rotating arms. One of the arms contains hydroponic green spaces they use for both food and oxygen production. There's a small gymnasium with treadmills and free weights. They have a holiday celebration where they prepare decorations and bake a cake according to the instructions of the station's resident artificial intelligence.

[@bigsarge2085]

Down-time while deployed is definitely necessary.

[@forestwells5820]

I'm surprised you didn't mention that on real ships, often spaces serve multiple purposes. The briefing room is often used as a rec room as well for example. With sci-fi tech, this could likely be taken to the 10th degree. Storage rooms, meeting rooms, any number of spaces could perhaps be converted into whatever space is wanted. You could have a basketball game playing in the same room that can be used for briefings, movies, super official functions, and yes, even a low end C&C location.

[@S.Sparrow]

15 years as a medic in the army, I did manage to play some Epic 40K during one of my deployments. We used different bits and bobs from our aid bags and whatnot lol.

[@Woodclaw]

I'm a bit disappointed that Firefly was only shown in a few seconds of video, a lot of the visuals seemed designed to gave Serenity a "lived in" look. A friend of mine called it "motorvan life in space".

[@Croz89]

Though If you want to take that literally then there's the Eagle 5 from Spaceballs.