Alien Movie Universe

Alien/Prometheus technology gap

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ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 12:22 AM
It goes with out saying one of the more notable issues with Prometheus is that while it's nearly 30 years before Alien,the technology on display is more advanced than anything else seen in The series.Also it seems as if Alien Covenant May go back to a more retro visual style(sort of like Alien Isolation did.)Do you think a possible reason behind the Prometheus's advanced tech was due to the fact that it was a trillion dollar venture?Spare no expenses if you will.Or is it just a continuity error to be over looked.Will Covenant adress those issues?

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

19 Replies

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 2:13 AM
Spare no expenses like i said

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

Durp004

MemberFacehuggerFeb-18-2017 5:12 AM

It's pretty much the same problem the Star Wars prequels had. Despite taking place before the events of the original the movie was made 20-30 years after it so it looks better(to certain degrees)

 

I'm sure there's some weak or semi logical explanation for why it looks better, but in reality it's just that the movie was made later and we had the ability to do things we couldn't in the 70s, even at max expense and top of the line assets, in 30 years that technology would be dated to even the common man.

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 5:15 AM
I know what you mean.How I've looked at it before is if Alien was made today it might resemble Prometheus.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

Durp004

MemberFacehuggerFeb-18-2017 5:20 AM

It definitely would. Mother wouldn't be some early Macintosh computer she'd probably be a touch screen projection.

It's just one of those movie things you have to suspend your disbelief enough to buy, I know George Lucas first came out and said they did the prequels at the time because he could actually make it come to the screen. Perhaps Ridley did the same since for all the problems I have with Prometheus in terms of looks the movie is fantastic.

SpiteHouse

MemberOvomorphFeb-18-2017 5:27 AM

A top notch exploratory vessel would make a mining ship look like crap. Also, Nostromo may have been in service for a long time (There is a literally 50 year old forklift barely operating at my job).

As Durp says, I do have to suspend disbelief for MU/TH/R's monochrome console screen. Those have been essentially obsolete since the early 1990s.

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 5:47 AM
I don't mind all of Prometheus's advanced tech to be honest,but i think it's worth pointing out when you compare things.Jump to 2179 the year Aliens takes place and you still don't see anything like that.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

Aorta

MemberFacehuggerFeb-18-2017 6:23 AM

There is a disconnect, but the ^above^ reasonings do account for it. The Prometheus was a luxury vessel. I think they were trying to drive that point home with the grand piano in Vickers' escape pod. 

Remember too that the Nostromo Stasis chamber was quite a bit more modern that the rest of the ship.

Also consider that a modern blockbuster that proposes to re-ignite a franchise, and bring in new audiences is likely going to shy away from design that might feel dated. 

Dark Nebula

StaffXenomorphFeb-18-2017 6:51 AM

The USCSS Prometheus was a trillion dollar exploration ship equiped with all modern tech while the Nostromo I suppose was one of the old mining ships that was still used by Weyland corp.

For example,in city where I live we have new trams that look quite modern,and we still use old trams that are quite old.

NEW TRAM FROM 2005

OLD ONE FROM 1973

"We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams."

S.M

MemberXenomorphFeb-18-2017 12:50 PM

The simplest explanation is Prometheus is a brand new Company flagship and Nostromo is a battered old tug.

It becomes more of an issue on Aliens when some of that 3D mapping tech could've really come in handy.

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 2:35 PM
All good points.Where I live there are a lot of old and new bus's in service so that comparison makes sense.I know it's a bit early,but what about the Covenant.I've read that retro tech will be on display.I'm actually leaning on it be a little fancier being a colony ship designed the accommodate a lot of passengers.I would think it has the be in top condition.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 2:37 PM
Aliens is another reason why i brought in up.I believe in Colonial Marines,on the bridge of the Sulaco,there are some holographic displays which made no sense.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

S.M

MemberXenomorphFeb-18-2017 2:41 PM

Don't remember.  I do remember a lot of 2D screens.

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 3:10 PM
I'm pretty sure,but I could be wrong.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

BigDave

MemberDeaconFeb-18-2017 4:15 PM

I have to agree with SM and its exactly how Ridley Scott explained it, he does regret making the Prometheus a bit to far advanced though.

I think in Hindsight when we see Alien Covenant it will give the Technological look Ridley may have wished he had done in Prometheus and i am sure Alien too...

But Technology of the 70's limited what we can be shown.

IF/WHEN Mankind actually does build a long range Space Ship that can sustain a crew of 5-8 for say 2-3 years in say 50 years time i would bet it would be more Advanced than the Nostromo as far as electronics inside such as VDU and MUTHUR computer.

But i dont think as Advanced as Prometheus....

So i think Alien Covenant has actually got it pretty accurate to what our ships would be like in 50-100 years time.

Sadly with Aliens we never had Technology to give us Hi-Res and Hi-Color Flat Screens....  The Technology Gap at the time for Production companies working on movies could not pull it off.

Why Alien was closer to a Star Trek The Motion Picture as far as Ship Interior limitations... compared to the late 80's with advancements such as The Next Generation.

I am sure if Alien was made in the late 80's and Aliens in the  90's then we would have seen a more Advanced looking Nostromo

 

 

R.I.P Sox  01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017

SpiteHouse

MemberOvomorphFeb-18-2017 8:34 PM

Powerloaders and spaceships aside, combat troops have better tech in present day than the Colonial Marines had in Aliens.

The movie Spectral had a better representation of future military tech  than Aliens (and don't get me started on Starship Troopers the film).

ninXeno426

MemberPraetorianFeb-18-2017 8:43 PM
Not familiar with Spectral.I know what you mean but that's the 1980's for you.

Nothing the God of biomechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for 

Lumine

MemberOvomorphMay-21-2017 5:02 AM

Atleast somebody notices....

While the design of the Nostromo is excellent there is sure something really wrong with the technology on display here.

In an era of huge spaceships, smartphones would be able to easily control creatures as primitive,extremely noisy and slow as depicted in Alien.

A basic space truck with artificial gravity would not allow visible toxic liquids to come near it's hull within hundreds of miles.It would be able to defend it's occupants for dozens of miles away in a hostile environment, even against highly intelligent adversaries.Certainly an alien as depicted in the movie would not be allowed to behave like this in a working spaceship,WHY??, not at all.A few hundreds of these creatures would've been contained in microseconds at worst.The Space truck would be able to control , detoxify, clean and mob the floor with the environment of small planets with drones from hundreds of miles away.Entire small planets would be scanned instantly, alien eggs would be brought in safely,quick and professionally, or just destroyed.No human interaction needed at all.Nostromo is the perfect organism.Alien,as depicted in the movie is less than an ant if the technology was a bit more realistic."Aliens" would just be shot in a call center with droids joking around and playing with bugs from lightyears away.

Of course this is just theory, in reality it would be way,way,way  worse for a primitive hostile creature if human interaction would be necessary.

Wonder Boy

MemberOvomorphMay-21-2017 5:06 AM

It is just a continuity error. Scott did use the same computer sounds - those annoying typewriter sounds - on the Covenant computers - as a small nod to the weird computers in Alien.  

Jonesy

MemberFacehuggerMay-21-2017 6:23 AM

It was technical difficulties back in the 70s/80s after all. I am sure about 50 years later our future generations will laugh out loud to the technology used in Prometheus. 

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