One of you people has counted. Don’t tell me you haven’t. Nerds.

And yes, I know the picture isn’t from Voyager. That was the only one I could find with him saying it.

  • @[email protected]
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    410 months ago

    Oh, certainly. All about the story and pacing. But in-universe it would definitely turn into a game of, “Place your bets on where he appears this time! Everyone ready?”

    • @cynar
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      510 months ago

      Starfleet’s computers are a lot smarter than they let on. Just look at how the doors behave.

      In universe, it’s likely some algorithms deciding it. If the activator is explicitly waiting for the doctor to appear, just appear in front of them. If they are involved in something, appear out of direct eyeline, and so allow for a less jarring blend into the situation. The latter is more important around those unused to systems like the doctor.

      • @[email protected]
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        710 months ago

        Yeah, if we’re looking for examples of crazy intelligence in inanimate objects (well, inanimate most of the time), the computers have an excellent knack for understanding context. In universe, it could be argued a computer smart enough to understand context could be smart enough to figure out the optimum EMH placement upon appearance.

        Or maybe he just appears where he was shut off last time. That would be a lot easier, and it matches what we see in the show, in those instances where he’s shut off and then brought back a little later.

        • @cynar
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          210 months ago

          He often appears in the same place he was shut down. Not always however, so it’s not a hard and fast rule.

          But as I said, compared to the mind reading doors, it’s a comparatively simple problem.