Greatest Sci-fi Franchise of ALL TIME

[born2beagator]

Anyone who questions Star Trek, I suggest you watch one of my favorite episodes: "City on the edge of forever".

No need to get snippy

Star Trek just isn't my thing. I find it boring

[Avron the S'wit]

I consider Star Wars as a fantasy story set in a sci-fi universe. It contains the one thing that most (if not all) fantasy stories have in common (the war between good and evil), but the world of Star Wars is clearly sci-fi: spaceships, robots, lightsabers, ...

I would agree. I also think that a lot of science fiction stories are good environments to introduce things that seem fantastical to us. Personally I think there is a difference with fantasy as a genre between something like The Wheel of Time and Star Wars, and by quite a lot.

[p-sto]

For me it's an issue of presentation. Looking at Star Trek as a whole, it's a lot more fantastical than Star Wars. The difference to me is most of the time Star Trek goes to the effort of explaining fantastical events in a way that make them seem like science. Star Wars has this black box explanation of "the force" which doesn't do all that much for me. Then again I'm pretty biased against Star Wars, it's entertaining but not much more than that in my opinion.

[Generalno1]

Play a few of the games and such and the force is a lot more explained, Though I agree wiht the opinion how Star wars is a lot like fantasy interms of it's story and world. Kind of why I like it.

[Unionhack]

Oh, I forgot to add Phantasy Star to my list.
I loooooooove Phantasy Star. Especially the Universe series.

[p-sto]

Honestly the fantasy aspect of Star Wars doesn't bother me so much. What puts me off more than anything else is the Jedi philosophy. If I were to pick a side it would be Gray Jedi (I think I remember hearing of such a thing).

[Generalno1]

yea, Expanded universe.
In expanded universe, there's a fox who's a Jedi master, and Han solo married an ewok.

[Unionhack]

Gray Jedi do exist. If you've ever played Knights of the Old Republic, think of Jolee Bindo.
Gray Jedi is my favorite kind of Jedi. Even the light side of the force can be a little oppressive at times.

[Generalno1]

Sort of I suppose.
I think grey Jedi robes were loot in KOTOR II.
But I never really saw much in that game lore wise.

[Kerr]

Jedi could do far more good by shooting lighting at fools and choking them to death. Wouldn't even need lightsabers. It isn't like the Jedi are opposed to using violence to solves their problems. I mean look how many people must have died when the death stars blew up. They just don't want to use the tactics that are more effective. I just don't see the huge moral difference between killing someone by chopping them in two and killing somebody by snapping their neck at a distance.

[Stendarr]

All sci-fi franchises I know became [&@%!] almost immediately when they began being a franchise, or at least were never that good in the first place, or didn't keep up. For the obvious ones for video gamers, Halo is a nice one for the most part, but lacks anything to showcase some true greatness. As for Mass Effect, it had some potential but I think the writers dropped the ball with ME2 (and even more with ME3) and turned it into a popcorn, cheap, cheesy and pretentious sci-fi franchise, no thanks. Besides, it would've been a bit hard to label Mass Effect the greatest sci-fi franchise considering how much it borrows from other sources. Still, if it was top notch throughout... even the first one had its share of problems.

Not a big fan of Star Trek and Star Wars, so no.

I think where the best franchises are is in books. I haven't read enough, but with the first Ringworld there's potential, there's the Foundation books of Asimov I need to check out, as well as Bank's Culture novels. And Dune.

[Generalno1]

Jedi could do far more good by shooting lighting at fools and choking them to death. Wouldn't even need lightsabers. It isn't like the Jedi are opposed to using violence to solves their problems. I mean look how many people must have died when the death stars blew up. They just don't want to use the tactics that are more effective. I just don't see the huge moral difference between killing someone by chopping them in two and killing somebody by snapping their neck at a distance.

Probably has something to do with the fact that TO choke someone you'd have to Like it(I.E use the dark side)

[Dark Spark]

Star Wars was always envisioned by George Lucas as a "lived-in" kind of science fiction, where the inhabitants are so used to the technologies they encounter that they barely perceive it as science anymore— just everyday tools. That's why there is scant little effort to explain nor dwell upon what we, the audience, see as something out of the ordinary.

To expand on this: your car runs on some hefty scientific principles. So does your refrigerator. But, should either your car or fridge require maintenance or repair, you don't need a scientist to do the job. Except in Star Trek, of course, where you need a Starfleet engineer to fix the air conditioner.

[Mattbott]

Star Trek just isn't my thing. I find it boring

yes, trek is boring quite often because it is the result of committee thinking and essentially shows how the good honest establishment will impose its morality on the universe..

Lucas' vision was star wars' great strength, and its greatest weakness.. when Rodenberry passed away he left a very well realised blueprint which subsequent producers built on but didnt depart from much - even tho they did inject a lot of variety between the various versions. Trek was about a community vs the universe, and theres something very consistent about that and technical manuals of the enterprise 1701E actually fit in very well with that whole solidity

but i loved the star wars 'lived in' aspect - this is what made it unique and what drew me into believing it - and I despise where the franchise has gone with the light sabre blue prints and idiotic explanation of what the force is.. countless games and books have rehashed old locations, races and characters so we have stewed in what we know, instead of being presented a new and changing star wars universe

Spoiler:

- a universe where things move on before you have a chance to wonder how Han Solo can do the kessel run in 1.3 parsecs (which is possible if for example the kessel run is a route between two moving locations, so to do it in 1.3 parsecs is better than to do it in 2.5 parsecs cos the cops might have caught up with you by then.. didnt think of that , did you family guy lol)

imo this is the root of where star wars has utterly lost its way - despite some very good games and the occasional moment of brilliance in new movies - i hope disney puts some magic and mystery back..

sorry for the vitriol, but its still too soon to forget Jar Jar

[born2beagator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJlbPXZEpRE

[Generalno1]

I agree. Force unleashed was brilliant. KOTOR is one my favorite games of all time.

[DarkEastwood]

the Star Wars Franchise !
oh and by the way, i Prefer the Prequel films over the originals, and i saw the originals first

My God... I'm not the only one?...

[p-sto]

As much as I love to hear the imagined scientific specs in sci-fi, I don't mind the lived in approach that Star Wars uses. I'm not even bothered all that much by the force. It's the Jedi that kill it for me.

[Generalno1]

What's with the Jedi hate? It's an order, and a part of the world of the series. Loads of fans familiarize more with the Sith, what with their ambition, and "Stand on your own feet" attitude.

[Abel]

I have nothing against the Jedi, but the live of a bounty hunter/pirate/mercenary has always interested me more. That's why I'm looking forward to Star Wars 1313. That game will follow the path of a bounty hunter.

[Unionhack]

I love the Jedi. I love the sith too, in fact. Though my ideal character would be a grey Jedi living the life of said bounty hunters/pirates/mercenaries, bound to no Jedi Order and using his abilities to help people and get his jobs done regardless of what the Order has to say about it.
Chaotic Good Jedi, please?

[philfredobob]

the Star Wars Franchise !
oh and by the way, i Prefer the Prequel films over the originals, and i saw the originals first

My God... I'm not the only one?...

Heh !
well, im surprised, but its a nice surprise, good to see that there are others who think the same

[thamoirthegreat]

Breaking news!!! JJ Abrams is apparently going to be the director of the new Star Wars movie. For those of you who don't know JJ Abrams directed the movie Star Trek (2009). So I guess that settles it! Star Wars goes to Star Trek to direct their movies!

[philfredobob]

oh crap

i hate J.J Abrams, didnt he help do ''Lost'' ?
oh no ...

[BlackDrake]

Best Sci-Fi series? I'm not sure. Im stuck between Star Wars, Star Trek and Mass Effect. Not just because of the games, shows and movies (of which Mass Effect SHOULD do) but the novels. I would put Halo up here, but the Halo Universe novels are, well...terrible. Star Wars novels are amazingly written, me and my dad have most of them (I currently own ALL of the New Jedi Order books, he has...everything else), and the Star Trek novels are really good reads...although I have noticed they drag on a bit.

Out of all the films, I gotta say, my favourite is Star Wars V. Captivates me from start to finish

oh crap

i hate J.J Abrams, didnt he help do ''Lost'' ?
oh no ...

I cant remember if he did, but I think he's a good director.

Star Trek (2009) was a bit watery, story-wise, but otherwise ok.