I wasn't the biggest fan of Voyager, I saw episodes here and there so maybe someone can explain this idea to me. I saw a few of the episodes where they described the rationing of replicator usage due to some shortage of something. I never understood this as the replicators are described as transforming a base material into near anything a person asks for which required energy to perform this task.
The ship was the source of the energy and canon suggests that as long as the systems were working properly there was an over-abundance of energy available for use. Granted it wouldn't be a good idea to ask for a cup of tea while the ship had full shields engaged with constant phasers firing during a battle. But during normal warp hops there shouldn't be a problem. If the power system was having problems then it stands to reason that going to warp wouldn't work as it required an immense amount of energy to accomplish. Which is the reason for the massive power system in the first place.
It couldn't be a shortage of base material because just about anything could be used and the ships took advantage of a massive recycling effort that almost everything discarded was transformed back into the base material that was stored on the ship. It would be easy to replace if need be so it had to be an energy shortage of some type.
I always felt the replicator rationing was just a writer's way to excuse Neelix suddenly becoming a cook on the ship for additional storylines. It didn't make sense to me. So, what was the rationale behind the replicator rationing? Did it even make sense?
To be fair, I had lots of problems with Voyager which is apparently why I never cared for it. I probably just couldn't get into the spirit of things to enjoy the show as envisioned.
- not sure about the over-abundance of energy. I remember several episodes where energy shortage was a plot point. It's also possible that assembling matter atom-by-atom takes a non-trivial amount of energy compared to warp travel.
- I also thought the replicators did have certain limitations - eg. you can't replicate living beings. If the "resolution" was limited at the atomic level, you would still need a certain amount of hydrogen and oxygen to replicate water.
I agree, energy problems were plot points, but they were often connected to equipment malfunctions as well.
If replicators were a non-trivial amount of energy as compared to warp drive they wouldn't allow such frivolous use of it constantly on the ship, every hour of every day.
Replicators can replicate nearly anything except very specific complex materials. The limitations they have is in the amount of energy required to create the object and whatever items they are restricted from creating. So the replicators in rooms only have access to enough energy to create typical items you might need your room. Although I believe they can create weapons as well but that would be restricted if your restricted to your quarters due to misconduct. If you require bigger and/or more complex items there are one or more locations on the ship that function as "shops" were you can obtain such items. Plus there's a theory that hasn't been shown anywhere that I'm aware of is that there are large replicators on ships that are capable of creating parts for the ship which would make sense. Star ships would be created with very large part replicators located at orbiting ship yards. Not large enough replicator nor energy source to just create an entire ship from a replicator.
You could replicate a living being because that's the same technology used in the transporters. Beaming down to a planet and back means they replicated you twice. It's just that I would imagine there would sever restrictions on replicating living things for various reasons (ethically, legally, and for safety) and is only allowed via transporters with trained personnel. There could be a discussion over what the "characters" inside the holodeck actually are as they are most likely created with the same technology and have been shown to become self-aware. There have been suggestions that these "characters" are in fact real people but as far as I know they never directly addressed exactly what they are in terms of "living beings" or not. Other suggestions from the show suggest they could be projections and contact with them is handled via clever uses of shield technology but I'd like to know how they simulate the feeling of warm skin with shields. It would mean Riker is always kissing moving force fields, which I wouldn't put past him.
The ship was the source of the energy and canon suggests that as long as the systems were working properly there was an over-abundance of energy available for use. Granted it wouldn't be a good idea to ask for a cup of tea while the ship had full shields engaged with constant phasers firing during a battle. But during normal warp hops there shouldn't be a problem. If the power system was having problems then it stands to reason that going to warp wouldn't work as it required an immense amount of energy to accomplish. Which is the reason for the massive power system in the first place.
It couldn't be a shortage of base material because just about anything could be used and the ships took advantage of a massive recycling effort that almost everything discarded was transformed back into the base material that was stored on the ship. It would be easy to replace if need be so it had to be an energy shortage of some type.
I always felt the replicator rationing was just a writer's way to excuse Neelix suddenly becoming a cook on the ship for additional storylines. It didn't make sense to me. So, what was the rationale behind the replicator rationing? Did it even make sense?
To be fair, I had lots of problems with Voyager which is apparently why I never cared for it. I probably just couldn't get into the spirit of things to enjoy the show as envisioned.