Was/is Andoria ever a major space power?

[Xerxes1979]

As a co-equal founder of Federation we see surprisingly few Andorians in Star Trek. I know Roddenberry wanted to get away from TOS during TNG, but that doesn't explain why we see so many Vulcans around.

Vulcan seemed to have given up independent space operations early on but they are very well represented in the various ranks and departments of Star Fleet.

Was an Andorian space fleet still maintained? We somewhat suspect that their space is near Vulcan and would be away from the Dominion War, yet Romulus should not be close to Cardassia and they were full combatants.

Am I to assume that the generic twin nacelle ship design become the Federation standard sometime in the early 23rd century?

 

[Darkwing]

Yes, Andor maintained the "Blue Fleet". They were a major power before the UFP, at least equal to Vulcan, Tellar, and Terra.
The generic nacelle based warp drive became the standard in the late 22nd century, in the earlier versions of Trek. Then Roddenberry had his spat with Franz Joseph where he found out he didn't own Joseph's work, and he nullified all odd-number nacelle designs by fiat. So if you go by canon, then yes, twin-nacelles no later than early 23rd century, except for the Romulan Bird of Prey scout that later got relabeled Klingon - it has an internal warp drive. But that's also not a UFP ship.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Let's also not forget they are a makeup-intensive race. Andorians are referenced much more often than they appear. Because a Vulcan in the background takes less effort than an Andorian in the background.

They were a powerful planet but there's no indication they ever controlled another world than their own.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

The Andorians were a significant player during Enterprise and made several appearances throughout the series. And as one of the founding members of the Federation, they were a significant Alpha Quadrant race during the twenty second century. It's not clear if they claimed other planets as their own, but the Andorian Imperial Guard had frequent skirmishes with both the Vulcans and United Earth before Archer and Commander Shran were able to develop a rapport.

--Sran

 

[Anwar]

The reason we only saw the Andorians just once in the TNG era was because make-up tech at the time couldn't make them look good. It was only by ENT that they had good looking make-up tech to make them look good.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The reason we only saw the Andorians just once in the TNG era

Twice. "The Offspring" and "Captain's Holiday" - same wig, same antennae and probably the same actress (according to the wardrobe labels).

They were a powerful planet but there's no indication they ever controlled another world than their own.

"Star Trek Maps" mentions Andorians on colony worlds.

According to "Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology" (Pocket, 1980) by Stan and Fred Goldstein, the Andorians created havoc at the first Babel Conference, which had been called to incorporate the United Federation of Planets. It seems they claimed "sovereignty over all stars visible to the eye from Andor."

 

[F. King Daniel]

The Andorians were a big deal pre-Federation, where they were in a long war with the Vulcans. It was Archer helping to bring it to a close that allowed the Federation to come together in the first place.

They play a large role in the post-Nemesis novels, where they've been battling a population crisis.

Am I to assume that the generic twin nacelle ship design become the Federation standard sometime in the early 23rd century?

Before that, according to Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures. While Andorian ships had more efficient weapons than Earth ships, the human designs were far more adaptable and flexible than either theirs or the Vulcan's - hence UFP vessels being patterned after the NX-01. The book does mention the next generation of ships borrowing the duel forward helm/nav stations seen on Andorian ships in Enterprise (and also going from Enterprise, it would seem that the movie-era Enterprise refit uses a Vulcan computer OS)

 

[Ethros]

The reason we only saw the Andorians just once in the TNG era was because make-up tech at the time couldn't make them look good. It was only by ENT that they had good looking make-up tech to make them look good.

I find it hard to beleive that the make up used in 2001 for ENT was so much more advanced than used in say DS9 1993-1999, as for why we never saw an Andorian there. Especially when there were always plenty of Bolians, Pakleds, Ferengi etc etc in the Promenade backgrounds for example which are all pretty makeup heavy. My guess is they just thought the Andorians looked a bit "silly"
It was a big shame though that no Andorians appeared in Nemesis (post their ENT appearance.) A random Andorian officer on the bridge or Engineering would have been cool.

 

[Anwar]

The Bolians, Pakleds and Ferengi don't have movable parts of the face make-up. The Andorians do have their moving antennae, which until ENT they didn't have the tech to do in a good looking way (like how Shran's are moving) and when they did, they probably figured the Andorians would be cool looking for a show now.

 

[Dale Sams]

Just another hard-headed, angry alien race. At least in ENT.

 

[Maurice]

The reason we only saw the Andorians just once in the TNG era was because make-up tech at the time couldn't make them look good. It was only by ENT that they had good looking make-up tech to make them look good.

I find it hard to beleive that the make up used in 2001 for ENT was so much more advanced than used in say DS9 1993-1999, as for why we never saw an Andorian there. Especially when there were always plenty of Bolians, Pakleds, Ferengi etc etc in the Promenade backgrounds for example which are all pretty makeup heavy. My guess is they just thought the Andorians looked a bit "silly"
It was a big shame though that no Andorians appeared in Nemesis (post their ENT appearance.) A random Andorian officer on the bridge or Engineering would have been cool.

You're correct. I'm tired of people incorrectly blaming the state of the art at the time for things which had other causes. I got a memo from Eric Stillwell on TNG which advised against Andorians because "one of our producers doesn't like aliens with antennae."

 

[Therin of Andor]

I find it hard to beleive that the make up used in 2001 for ENT was so much more advanced than used in say DS9 1993-1999, as for why we never saw an Andorian there.

Huh?

The essential miniaturization of the parts required to make the Andorian antennae move, yet be light enough to sit on the actors' heads all day, had only just been achieved before ENT started production. State of the art for 2001.

Prior to that, the quality of latex appliance work to make antennae emerge from a baldcap had only just been perfected before the Andorian was featured in ST IV. State of the art for 1985.

Prior to that, the new slip rubber required to make the antanne featured in ST:TMP (and all the other TMP aliens) had only just been developed. State of the art for 1978.

Prior to that, Andorian antennae were made from the ends of wooden cotton reels from the bin in Wardrobe at Paramount. State of the art for 1960s.

As for 24th century Andorians not appearing in early TNG, former The Next Generation staffer Tracy Tormé once revealed at a New Zealand convention that his original proposal for the episode Conspiracy included an Andorian Starfleet officer as the host of the alien parasites. The lines of dialogue were eventually given to Dexter Remmick, and the blue skin given to Captain Rixx the Bolian, when the producers (ie. Rick Berman) told Tormé: "We don't do antennae on this show."

I'm tired of people incorrectly blaming the state of the art at the time for things which had other causes. I got a memo from Eric Stillwell on TNG which advised against Andorians because "one of our producers doesn't like aliens with antennae."

It was both. For TNG, yes, it was Berman who thought Andorians' antennae to me "hokey", like something from a B-grade sci-fi movie. Ironically, the wig and antennae used in "The Offspring" and "Captain's Holiday" looked the hokiest!

I interviewed Fred Phillips in 1984, and he confirmed that TMP Andorians were only included because they were his "favorites", and the new latex permitted thinner tendril-like antennae for the first time, to make them look more "believable".

There have been numerous articles about the changes in latex makeup technology for ST IV's bald Andorian, and the miniaturization of the parts needed for ENT's antennae having only just been achieved.

As for "Nemesis":

Although a promising quote from John Logan, screenwriter of Star Trek Nemesis, went: "We are going to see some of the original series aliens that we haven't seen for a while. I can't go into detail, but I love the Andorians..." [Star Trek Communicator #132], none survived the final draft or cut. According to Picard in an early draft, Riker's bachelor party was attended by "three Andorians, two Tellarites and a Gorn". The Orion, a Federation delegate ship, was to have been captained by an elderly Andorian named Meelok, who taught Picard at the Academy.

The final scene of the shooting script included a new female Andorian Ops officer (but not in the version filmed).

And DS9 did have an Andorian, but you had to search hard!:


DS9's Andorian criminal by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Above: An Andorian criminal was often displayed on a "Wanted poster" in Constable Odo's security office aboard Deep Space 9. [Vortex; If Wishes Were Horses; The Forsaken; Dramatis Personae; Duet; In the Hands of the Prophets.]

 

[Maurice]

I still don't buy that makeup technology had anything to do with the lack of Andorians on any Star Trek between TOS and Enterprise, especially since said antennae were originally shown poking up through hair and easily done with makeup tech going back to the silent era. I suspect that antennae were just considered old fashioned men from Mars stuff by people later. Persoonally, I'll take antennae over idiotic forehead bumps any day. Bring on the Andorians!

 

[Therin of Andor]

I suspect that antennae were just considered old fashioned men from Mars stuff by people later.

No one is disputing that bit. Rick Berman's quotes about TOS Andorians looking "hokey" are on record. It also has to do with Roddenberry, Gerrold and Fontana's decision, before "Encounter at Farpoint" was filmed, that the new show should avoid previous Federation aliens, although Gene was encouraged to add a Vulcan extra, and then a Klingon officer, who was eventually fleshed out by the second year's Writers' Bible. So no Andorian, no Tellarites, no TMP aliens. And the original premise in "Farpoint" was that the ship was leaving known space for at least a decade. Hence Q making them turn back.

But there was also the miniaturization of the moving parts for ENT's Andorians. It was said that Berman was only really convinced Andorians were a good idea if the antennae could move, and be more believable, and the parts were always too heavy to do that until ENT's first season.

 

[Dale Sams]

Worf wasn't Roddenberry's idea? hunh.

He seems completely a logical extension of the events of "Errand of Mercy"

 

[Captain Kathryn]

TOS and ENT are really the only times we get to see Andorians. Like someone else mentioned, they are makeup-intensive. Vulcans are cheaper.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Worf wasn't Roddenberry's idea? hunh.

Nope. Roddenberry had originally decreed no-previously-known aliens on the ship, in an attempt to stop too many comparisons with TOS and to force the series to branch off on its own. They had locked in references to a UFP/Klingon alliance, and GR was eventually convinced (by Justman, Gerrold and Fontana?) to put a minor Klingon character in the first episode to demonstrate this (and some Vulcan extras, too). As the pilot commenced filming, and perhaps on the strength of Michael Dorn's patience (with the makeup) and acting abilities, they realised the character of Worf had great potential for future episodes.

He seems completely a logical extension of the events of "Errand of Mercy"

Hence the UFP/Klingon alliance mentioned in the TNG Writers' Bible.

There had already been a popular character, Konom, a Klingon "turncoat", whom DC Comics had added as a regular Enterprise crewmember to their post-ST II comics (but when DC's contract was renegotiated during the hiatus between TNG's Season 1 and 2, Konom was abruptly removed). I think fan appreciation of the Starfleet-uniformed Konom in the comics may have influenced the thinking behind adding a Klingon regular to TNG.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

As a co-equal founder of Federation we see surprisingly few Andorians in Star Trek.

To be fair we only see the crews 2 starships and space station and starship and only a fraction of said crews at that plus a fraction of the crews from the relatively few other starships and space stations in the federation, which adds up to only having a pretty tiny faction of the federation and Starfleet being shown on screen

So really judging the Andorians presence in the federation by their TV appearances is kind of laughable.

 

[Lieut. Arex]

The reason we only saw the Andorians just once in the TNG era was because make-up tech at the time couldn't make them look good. It was only by ENT that they had good looking make-up tech to make them look good.

they were little seen in the TNG era vecause Berman said this show doesn't do antennea

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

There could be a whole fleet of Starfleet ships crewed only by Andorians, we've seen Vulcan-only ships before so its a stong possibility.

There is the storyline introduced in the DS9 relaunch, about how the Andorians are slowly dying out due to their biology and the stresses their four sexes place on successful breeding. That would be one way of explaining how there aren't many about by the 24th century.