Is Battlestar Galacitica losing continuity already?

POSTED BY: Veteran
UPDATED: Saturday, September 3, 2005 00:32
VIEWED: 11451
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CALHOUN

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:59 PM

I hear ya regarding Atlantis. There always seems to be some miraculous resolution to major dramatic events. SG Atlantis is losing me.

JARED

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 2:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Veteran:
I especially didn't like the bit about a Cylon virus infecting the computers.

I didn't like that for two other reasons. Horrible and silly plot devices. Why do they even need to go back to the place they screwed up the calculation to do it again? Knowing the old coords should be enough, physically being there won't change a thing about the math. Second, that whole "network allows Cylons to hack us"-part was complete bull. If their computers can't be accessed from the outside when they are disconnected, then connecting them with each other won't magically create a connection to the outside. Wish it did, then I'd simply network 5 computers and get internet access for free. It made sense for the fancy systems on the other ships that were most likely meant to all communicate with each other, but is just nonsense for isolated networks.

Other than that the typical nonsense Hollywood depiction of computers isn't too new. Doesn't one wonder how Gaeta finds the time for a fancy graphical display of hacking progress, especially one that doesn't tell you any details you might be interested in to do something about it? And don't get me started on software firewalls. Nobody in his right mind that cares about security is running a firewall on the machine he wants to protect. That's what dedicated hardware like routers or cheap computers are good for.

MUGTWAINE

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 2:58 PM

Well, in the miniseries, there was some piece of software that was installed on all ships in the Colonial fleet. Baltar had been on the team that developed that software, and he had given Six access to it, at which point she added some backdoors which the Cylons could use to get into the system. I can't remember exactly what the software did but I remember it was kind of specialized and not particularly high-risk, high-priority stuff. Something involving navigation or fleet coordination.

Supposedly they purged the software, but Six might not have given Baltar enough info that Galactica could have gotten rid of anything she left there.

As far as wireless access goes, you never know. Supposedly there are ways to transmit information or even hack modern-day computers in the real world simply by causing specific fluctuations in the flow of a normal powerline. I'm a software engineer and even I have no idea how that would work, but I'm told it can be done on a rudimentary level.

So when those Cylon raiders open up their ports and those red lights come out, who knows what they're doing? A simple wireless connection shouldn't require anything fancy like that. You're right, Galactica wouldn't provide a traditional wireless access point. My guess is they're manipulating some sort of energy flow within the vulnerable system which triggers access through the pre-existing backdoors Six put in. Add to that a hard-wired local network where each system supposedly trusts the others, and they would have free reign on everything through their connection via an "unimportant" subsystem.

It may sound like I'm stretching, but it makes sense to me and seems like a plausible explanation for what the writers are thinking. Maybe they'll discuss it down the road, but I actually doubt we'll ever get it spelled out like that. Can you imagine how dry a scene would be trying to explain the above paragraph?

HERO

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 3:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zoic:

Personally I have really enjoyed these first two episodes, but I can imagine why having so many main characters out of their traditional roles might be a worry for some viewers. At the moment the show is in a kind of stalemate, which will no doubt sort it self out over the next few weeks.

I agree, but I still have issues over the gun thing. Bullets work on Caprica, but not on Galctica. My only solution is that the Cylons either fielded an upgrade once they determined a means to counter standard weapons or they are deliberately using inferior troops on Caprica as part of their "plan".

As for the computer network. I find it confusing because none of Galactica's systems are networked. In order to pull off their plan they networked three systems together: fire control, navigation, and the ftl drive. How then did the virus infect inconnected subsystems like main power and communications? Makes no sense unless they got inside help. I'd say at least one member of the bridge senior staff is a Cylon.

I have also noted that all the Cylons thus far are young. Where's the old lady or old man Cylon?

H

CAPTAINCDC

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 4:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Knibblet:
Without the network it would take the navigation computer 12 hours - with the network, 15 minutes. Five levels of firewall doesn't seem to me to be Gaeta playing possum and I don't think he's a Cylon.

Quote:
Originally posted by captaincdc:
Adama did not reverse himself. He was laying unconcious in the sick bay... Gaeta said that without the network it would take like 15 minutes or something like that. The XO (Tigh) was opposed but relented when he saw they were out of options.

Quote:
Originally posted by Veteran: I wasn't aware that Gaeta set up a network. In the first episode of the Mini-Series Adama was dead set against any kind of network...It's hard to imagine he'd reverse himself on that point

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MN-Firefly/

Oh well, I was only off by 11 hours and 45 minutes. That's close enough...right?;)

---------------------------------------

The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason!

HASLINGER

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 4:40 PM

I listen to the pod cast regarding this ep. I gotta say Ron did mention the fact that this was an aware decision to let the cylons onto the ship in the way that they did it. If I remember correctly he discussed the possibility of explanation but figured it best just to accept it. He basically said that because so much was going on and so many occurances were happening on the ship at the same time that the cylon raid was interweaved with said events. You also have to remember that with the exception of Adama and Col. Ty most of the crew on board are greener than grass. This because more present when the security guy guarding the Pres. is so aprehensive. He's got firefright. Also on kobol the same sort of panic can be seen from the crew members. This is one major beef I have with the show. It's too skewed against the humans. Yes we are fragile and often weak but their portrayal of us is more often than not, childlike and frankly pitiful. But remember I'm a firefly fan. I like hero archetypes. Mal, Jane, River, ect.

AMNESIAC

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 10:48 PM

Quote:
I agree, but I still have issues over the gun thing. Bullets work on Caprica, but not on Galctica. My only solution is that the Cylons either fielded an upgrade once they determined a means to counter standard weapons or they are deliberately using inferior troops on Caprica as part of their "plan".

Helo couldn't take out Cylon Centurions with his pistol. They just played dead because they were keeping him alive as part of their secret plan. The Centurions are easily as smart as people, and are perfectly willing to give their lives for the cause. So one gets hit with a regular round and it takes a fall in an effort to keep up the illusion that they are hunting him. Giving their lives, or at least taking a fall to keep the 'Helo experiment' running is nothing to them. After Cylon Sharon goes all rebellious, there are no more shoot outs between Helo and the Centurions. They also search for Helo and Sharon more vigorously. On Galactica, the centurions have a mission and won't take a fall.

Quote:
I have also noted that all the Cylons thus far are young. Where's the old lady or old man Cylon?

Hey if you could grow yourself a body of any age, how old would you make yourself?

JARED

Thursday, July 28, 2005 4:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mugtwaine:
Supposedly there are ways to transmit information or even hack modern-day computers in the real world simply by causing specific fluctuations in the flow of a normal powerline. I'm a software engineer and even I have no idea how that would work, but I'm told it can be done on a rudimentary level.

Sounds like something to research, because it sounds pretty far out there, especially with todays methods. So far it was all easy. New ships had Baltars latest Windows (*cough* always considered that a nice statement about internet, windows and how certain worms could spread like crazy), so they could be shut down with the press of a button. The old ships didn't and weren't affected.

But if they can be, and if the cylons can really just get into an unimportant system, why would that subssystem be made a part of the network? Statement on people that rather trust another piece of potentially faulty software like a sfw instead of just disabling the problematic software/service? How much computational power could it have, that couldn't be replaced with another system?

I agree that a useful explanation in the show would have been boring and longwinded, but the way it was done felt like a horribly contrieved plot device to me, just to artificially create more tension. Felt strange for a show that usually doesn't require that far out explanations.

BROWNCOAT1

Thursday, July 28, 2005 3:55 PM

Okay, when I saw the episode, the first thing I said when I saw the ship that Apollo said was a "new" bogie was "APC". My wife looked at me funny & I said "It's a troop transport". She asked why & I told her because it was not immediately engaging the Vipers and it was headed straight at Galactica. Add to that the fact that it was bulky with a bunch of engines & only forward firing weapons (those heavy chain guns it fired @ Apollo).

We see the ship crash into the port hangar bay. So why didn't someone check it out? Damage Control team, Marines, janitor, somebody???

Why was the ship not on high alert? Why did no one seem to know a Cylon ship hit the hangar bay?

Why are Cylons on Caprica destroyed by standard small arms fire, but the ones on Galactica require explosive rounds to the head to take out?

Too many questions.....

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

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VETERAN

Sunday, July 31, 2005 10:22 PM

Quote:
LivingImpaired wrote:
If I remember correctly, the people they recruited were already in training to become pilots, yet hadn't completed the course.

The problem with drafts is that they take enormous resources to execute. First you have to devise a system to select recruits, and a bureaucracy to implement the system. Then you have to train the troops, which requires experienced soldiers to take time off their duties to teach, and even then you're dealing with a influx of very green soldiers. This is a large reason that the US military hasn't activated its own selective service; by the time the fully trained soldiers would be ready for service, it wouldn't do them any good. And that's not even getting into the political fallout.

I'm not even talking about a draft,there should be many volunteers. US Army Basic training typically takes about six weeks. Whatever the Colonial Services training takes I'm sure they could abbreviate due to the situation. This would at least give them people to put into support services for Galactica

As far as the pilots go, I think "Hotdog" was the only military trained one in the class. The rest were civilian pilots.

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