Single species ships

[Teaos]

We know they exist, I believe we have heard of at least two ships staffed with only Vulcans and that would lead one to believe there are other monospecies ships out there. But by far the majority seem to be mixed.

So do you think monospecies ships are a good thing? Why do they have them at all? Why arent there more? Or does a mixed crew hold the advantage.

[Tyyr]

I think monocrews are beneficial in the case of species like Vulcans or Andorians who have environmental preferences outside the norm. I think the reason we don't hear about many of them is that they are also not quite fitting in with the Federation's image as an all inclusive, tolerant, progressive bunch of folks. Segregation isn't going to convince the new guys to join you unless they're xenophobic themselves.

[Sionnach Glic]

I'd say it's a good thing. Quite simply because a crewman isn't going to be performing his duties at peak effeciency if he's constantly sweating or half frozen to death. Then there's the issue of creatures requiring different atmospheric make-ups, different gravity settings, a humid or watery environment, etc.

[Mikey]

I'd agree with the above, if we saw different species' environmental preferences and norms treated as they should be. In general, I'd say that there are specific goals or roles for which a mono-crew is suited; certain science missions, for example, could be more easily completed by a Vulcan crew rather than a mixed crew with the Vulcans constantly ignoring or mistrusting the findings of the humans.

[Lazar]

So do you think monospecies ships are a good thing? Why do they have them at all? Why arent there more? Or does a mixed crew hold the advantage.

Well even the ships that aren't strictly monospecies still seem to be nearly so. I don't remember a single non human on the TOS E-nil other than Spock (himself half human), although TAS (non canon) and the movies did have more diversity. On the E-D, there was a half human (Troi), a few people from non Federation races (Worf, Ro Laren, Sito Jaxa), one Bolian barber, and some very occasional Vulcans (Selar, Taurik), but aside from that the crew was pretty much human. Voyager (when it departed) had one Vulcan and one Ktarian that I remember, plus one half human half Klingon. I don't think we've ever seen a real mixed race ship in the sense of 20% human, 20% Vulcan, 20% Andorian, etc. With all the Vulcan crewed ships that have been mentioned, it seems like there must be a handful of Vulcans who request duty on a non Vulcan ship because they have an interest in interacting with other races; maybe there are some really brave humans who request to serve on Vulcan ships. I like to think that there are Andorian crewed ships, Tellarite crewed ships, etc., although we've never heard of any (and they pretty much seemed to forget that those races existed until ENT).

But about the basic question, I think it makes sense to have single species ships - there are environmental preferences, social problems, all sorts of things that could arise and impede the crew's functioning.

[Bryan Moore]

While not canon, the biodiversity of the Titan is played up almost to the point of feeling ridiculous. It seems like more resources and effort are put into making all the different species happy (different quarters, bio-suits, separate eating times for the carnivores) than actual exploration. While we see that the diversity is beneficial in some cases (the water world) but often it serves as little more than a plotpoint.

[Tyyr]

I think that ya'll are approaching this from the wrong angle. More efficient to put single species on ships in order to accommodate their environmental requirements, sure. However for a peace, love, togetherness hippy love fest like the Federation such severe and wide ranging segregation simply might not be an option. The occasional ship might be tolerated but segregation as policy I can't see flying.

[Mikey]

Very true - but that leaves us with trying to find an undefinable reason as to why humans are SO predominant.

[Sionnach Glic]

It seems like more resources and effort are put into making all the different species happy (different quarters, bio-suits, separate eating times for the carnivores) than actual exploration.

Which is, needless to say, dumb. That's a massive waste of time and resources. Not to mention inconveniences on behalf of the crew members themselves.

I think that ya'll are approaching this from the wrong angle. More efficient to put single species on ships in order to accommodate their environmental requirements, sure. However for a peace, love, togetherness hippy love fest like the Federation such severe and wide ranging segregation simply might not be an option. The occasional ship might be tolerated but segregation as policy I can't see flying.

Personaly I like to think that the few aliens we see on the human-dominated ships are just there to fill up a quota.
Say, each ship operating under a captain must have X number of crewmen of a different race. The ones we see are human-dominated purely because Starfleet realises that, despite the politicians, it's easier to do it that way. The aliens we see are just there from necessity. Presumably there are a few token humans on alien-run ships as well.

[Reliant121]

I imagine the Xeno races like to keep to themselves as a whole as well.

[Sanehouse]

For the Vulcans, it might just be a matter of not wanting to deal with "illogical" humans, among other species. Having several Vulcans in Admiralty positions, I don't think it would be a difficult matter to request a Vulcan-only ship. If I remember correctly, there's one Vulcan Federation starship that had its phaser arrays welded shut, but I can't remember where I heard that from.

[Mark]

Welded shut??? What the hell for?

[Tyyr]

And I'm pretty sure a phaser could blow through a sheet of hull metal.

[Captain Seafort]

Moreover, the terminology sounds distinctly dodgy - it's far too low-tech sounding for your typical Star Trek writer, so I very much doubt that it's canon, and might even be from a fanfic.

[Mikey]

And I'm pretty sure a phaser could blow through a sheet of hull metal.

They can - they just can't penetrate a shipping crate.

Moreover, the terminology sounds distinctly dodgy - it's far too low-tech sounding for your typical Star Trek writer, so I very much doubt that it's canon, and might even be from a fanfic.

Indeed. Real 'Trek would have "quantum iso-molecular bonding," not welding.