Being a look back at cards from the Star Trek CCG, and what I thought of them back when they were fresh and new... in EPISODE order. The trip to the aquarium yields this card, a moment recently homaged on Star Trek: Picard...
PICTURE: A lot of personality, an expression that matches the title, and good composition aren't the only things going for I Hate You. What I especially like is the print behind the punk: "Please hold on. Sudden stops are sometimes necessary." Actual advisory on the bus, but on a dilemma, it means so much more. Especially since this dilemma is a wall. That serendipitous detail makes the score soar to 4.4.
LORE: The lyrics as written, performed and enjoyed by Kirk Thatcher (an associate producer who wrote and recorded the song, then played the role of the punk rocker onscreen). They're a little vulgar for this family card game, but definitely fun. A parody of rebellious punk that mixes big words with profanity and some ridiculous rhyming too. I like the screaming capital letters as well. Hits 3.6.
TREK SENSE: Loud music as a dilemma? Well, it can interfere with important conversations as in Star Trek IV, but I'm also reminded of Jono's musical tastes in "Suddenly Human" (or of "The Way to Eden", for that matter). Both examples are space dilemmas though, and this one insists on being AU, unfortunately meaning that it has to be about punk rock (possibly other loud musical forms) from Earth's past. Well, it could be loud music from the future, or from another dimension, or from another planet's past, or in a dream sequence... I would just drop the icon. As for the requirements, you'd be able to muddle through the noise with a dose of Anthropology (understanding it as music within its cultural context) and Youth (you rather enjoy it!), but if Music is present at all, those personnel cannot carry on because it offends their sensibilities. It's all a little far-fetched, and a little insulting to those who like more, I'll use the word "garagey", types of music. Stuffy Starfleet types do seem to enjoy classical and jazz more than rock, Klingons have their opera, and the Bajorans are definitely into new age, so I don't disagree with this worldview - it's straight out of Star Trek. I will disagree with the strength of the dilemma though. Entire Away Team stopped UNTIL its requirements are met? How about just getting off the bus, or at least waiting til the punk rocker gets off, himself? I do like the Nerve Pinch solution, which is what Spock used in ST IV. Unfortunately, no Vulcan or android need be present. Very cute, even funny, but not very realistic. A 2.3.
SEEDABILITY: A wall with a rarely seen type of requirement, i.e. asking for NONE of a certain skill to be present. This can cause problems for Away Teams that have Music. Such personnel are never along for that skill, so making them stay on the ship will deprive an Away Team of all their other skills, and usually only after having been stopped on a first run-through. Anthropology isn't a super-common skill, and Youth is about as useful as Music, so you won't really plan for its presence. Some affiliations have very, very few Youth personnel, especially in the Delta Quadrant, though conversely, Music isn't too frequently found in their skill boxes either. Basically, the early affiliations will have to filter out their own Music personnel, and the later ones will struggle to meet the Youth requirement. Leading with Frame of Mind is a good idea I heard, giving the taboo Music to a personnel or possibly drawing (and wasting) the wrath of Madam Guinan. Sure, Vulcan Nerve Pinch nullifies the card, but I don't think that's gonna be much of a problem. Mr. Spock might download the interrupt directly to the mission, for example, but that's actually less likely a scenario than someone having the right requirements on the first go. The AU icon is annoying because 1) it can be nullified by the Guinans, and 2) it requires AU support during the seeding phase. Overall, I think it's worth 3.4.
TOTAL: 13.7 (68.5%) I don't hate it back.
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