History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E21PeakPerformance

* UnusualUserInterface: Strategema is played with a device consisting of two pairs of five-thimbles, and the game id displayed with three planar layers that spin around slowly.
* WeWinBecauseYouDidnt: In his rematch with Kolrami, Data decides to play to a stalemate instead of a win. Eventually, Kolrami gets so exasperated that he {{Rage Quit}}s. At first Data insists that he did not technically defeat Kolrami, but bows to his fellow crewmembers' insistence that he "busted him up."

* CharacterShilling: Picard goes on in his episode about how Riker is the best officer he's ''ever'' worked with.

* FakeUltimateHero: Discussed. While talking about Zakdorn history, it's noted that they've been renowned for their strategic prowess for centuries, which is why the Federation is seeking their advice now. However, they've never once had to prove their skills in battle. Worf believes that makes the reputation worthless.

** Data takes a third option of playing Strategema to ''tie'' rather than win or lose.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: Kolrami's make-up only goes as far as his hairline. In HD versions of the episode, you can see his natural skin tone through his hair.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: Kolrami's make-up only goes as far as his scalp. In HD versions of the episode, you can see his natural skin tone through his hair.

* ConflictBall: The crew raise several objections to the whole idea that don't make sense in-character.
** Worf states that the training exercise is useless because a victory with no chance of death would have no honor. But we've already seen that he trains his fighting chops in his holodeck "calisthenics" programs.

** This was the franchise's last attempt to depict the Ferengi as a serious military threat, as evidenced by their disabling the ''Enterprise'' (albeit while the ship's weapons are locked into simulation mode) and Bractor speaking disdainfully of the Federation's strength of character. Starting with the following season, the Ferengi start being depicted as more sneaky and underhanded than actually being dangerous in their own right.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Kolrami is constantly doing odd things in the background. After getting embarrassed by Picard and Riker's success, he begins awkwardly shuffling around and pats a Gold Shirt on the back.
** Also, when Riker first addresses the crew of the ''Hathaway'', you can see a grin break out on Wesley's face the first time Riker calls himself "Captain".

In preperation for the exercise, Riker and his team beam over to the ''Hathaway'' and begin fixing her up, but they don’t have much to work with. Geordi looks over the engines and deems the ship incapable of warp drive, since even if he got it running, he doesn’t have any antimatter to fuel it with. Wesley is dejected and believes they're simply being set up to fail, but Riker insists that the test is about being innovative. Suddenly Wesley says he needs to return to the ''Enterprise'', because he left an experiment running and needs to shut it down. Picard allows it, on the condition that he be escorted and not allowed to do anything but shut down the experiment. Wesley announces that his experiment is busted and needs to be transported outside of the ship to dispose of safely. Geordi is surprised to see the experiment materialize right in the ''Hathaway'''s engine room. With that, the ''Hathaway'' will have warp drive after all... for two seconds, at warp 1. It’s not much, but Riker thinks it may be useful as a surprise tactic.

* ArmchairMilitary: Kolarmi is a master of strategy, at least when it comes to theory and games. When he's put into an actual battle, his first impulse is to cut and run. Only Picard, the seasoned captain, has the bravery and ingenuity to come up with a successful gambit.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Granted, we never learn enough about Zakdorn culture to say whether or not Kolrami's behavior is normal for his species, but by Human standards he's a real oddball; the only other Zakdorn ever seen (in ''Unification'') is less arrogant/objectionable than merely self-confident.

* CryingWolf: Riker gets Worf to use the ''Enterprise''’s sensor codes to feed them a fake image of a decloaking Romulan ship, startling Picard into trying to cancel the exercise and letting the ''Hathaway'' get some shots in. Picard orders the codes changed, only for a ''Ferengi'' ship to appear. He wonders how Worf managed to circumvent the changed codes but resolves not to fall for it this time--and it turns out to be a ''real'' Ferengi ship that attacks them.

* DirtyCoward: It's implied that Kolrami's insistence on fleeing to save the bulk of Picard's crew is largely influenced by the fact that Kolrami is part of the crew to be saved.

** Also, early in the episode Worf notes that everybody is so intimidated by the alleged strategic brilliance of Kolrami's people that nobody will risk attacking them, thus leaving their ''actual'' military competence untested. Sure enough, Kolrami is mostly useless when the Ferengi attack, and his people seem to play no role in Federation conflicts with the Borg, the Cardassians, or the Dominion.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Kolrami's advice to abandon the ''Hathaway''. The crew on the Hathaway are in no way expendable (there's several key officers on that ship) but staying ''would'' put more than a thousand lives on the ''Enterprise'' at greater risk. Even Riker admits that Kolrami may be right, until they TakeAThirdOption.

* PaintballEpisode: A sci-fi SpaceNavy version -- the ''Enterprise'' and the ''Hathaway'' use low-power laser weapons to simulate phasers, with "damage" recorded by computer.

* SelfPunishmentOverFailure: Data loses at a game, surprising everyone including himself. He relieves himself of duty and hides in his quarters doing one self-diagnostic after another. As he tells Picard, "I have not been able to isolate the problem. I might make a mistake." Picard has to tell him that it's possible to lose without making a mistake, and that this is a part of life.

* WorthyOpponent: Picard is most impressed after the ''Hathaway'' crew pull the sensor trick--referring to Riker as "the best."

** Picard states that Starfleet is supposed to be about exploration, not conflict. But he's already been in numerous space battles and is proud that a space combat maneuver was named after him. He also has first-hand knowledge of the threat of the Borg. If Starfleet isn't going to protect the Federation against them, what will?

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Everyone treats combat training as a foreign and unnecessary concept, with Picard stating that Starfleet is not a military organization. While the show has already referenced conflicts with other nations in the past, Starfleet's role in fighting wars becomes a more overt part of the plot in later seasons. In fact, according to "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E12TheWounded The Wounded]]," two seasons later, the Federation is currently at war with the Cardassians during this very episode!

* InformedAbility: In-Universe, this is Worf's opinion of the Zakdorn, the race of Kolrami. They are regarded as the most strategic thinkers in the galaxy so they haven't been attacked in nine millennia. For Worf, though, not having to prove this ability leads to this trope.

* PlanetOfHats: We are introduced to the Zakdorn race, whose hat is [[TheStrategist strategic thinking]]. Apparently they are so unbeatable that no other race has dared to challenge them for a very long time. [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]] points out some FridgeLogic here; the reputation is meaningless if they never have to prove it.

* InformedAttribute: Kolrami's "arrogance", except Picard, Riker, and everyone else on the ''Enterprise'' come off as being so pretentious, it's hard to notice that Kolrami is being arrogant. That said, Kolrami does not have much to offer in the way of useful strategic suggestions when the Ferengi attack. To be fair, Riker actually agrees with his advice of "KnowWhenToFoldEm" until they gain new information.

* InsufferableGenius: Kolrami is confident to the point of arrogance and has the strategic knowledge and skill to back it up ([[InformedAttribute or so everyone says]]).

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Everyone treats combat training as a foreign and unnecessary concept, with Picard stating that Starfleet is not a military organization. While the show has already referenced conflicts with other nations in the past, the idea of Starfleet fighting wars in defense of the Federation becomes a more overt part of the plot in later seasons. In fact, according to "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E12TheWounded The Wounded]]," two seasons later, the Federation is currently at war with the Cardassians during this very episode!

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
** Actually more of a case of an outright {{Retcon}}, but even while everyone is insisting that Starfleet is not about fighting wars, according to [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E12TheWounded "The Wounded"]] two seasons later, the Federation is at war with the Cardassians ''during this episode''!
** Related to this, everyone treats combat simulations as a foreign concept and an unnecessary training tool. Given all the enemies Starfleet has fought against, especially in TOS, the fact that the ''Enterprise'' has never had combat training is bizarre.

* ConflictBall: The crew raise several objections to the whole idea, Picard because Starfleet is supposed to be about exploration, not conflict, and Worf because a victory with no chance of death would have no honor. But it's ridiculous to think that the ship would not engage in regular training exercises (even if this particular one has some unconventional rules).

*** In the drill, Riker goes up against Picard, with Picard having clear advantages in strength, firepower, and personnel numbers, and Riker relying on his wits to overcome that advantage. [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds A year later]], the same dynamic plays out for real.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Kolrami is constantly doing odd things in the background. At one point he seems to be flirting with a random Gold Shirt on the bridge, or at least engaging in some inappropriate touching.