Joss Whedon did a remarkable job of this in Firefly. They had a big spinny analog with mechanical parts that could be fixed by one woman with wrenches. Never explained interplanetary travel, never had to explain it. When you saw the engine room, you knew exactly what you were seeing, because you filled in the spaces with your own imagination. Simple, satisfying, character-driven storyline. “Engine breaks” was the driving plot point of one episode and it was effective, because the crew didn’t have time for technobabble. The ship was the deeply loved character in danger. They had to abandon her to save themselves. One part would fix her and they didn’t have it available.
Joss Whedon did a remarkable job of this in Firefly. They had a big spinny analog with mechanical parts that could be fixed by one woman with wrenches. Never explained interplanetary travel, never had to explain it. When you saw the engine room, you knew exactly what you were seeing, because you filled in the spaces with your own imagination. Simple, satisfying, character-driven storyline. “Engine breaks” was the driving plot point of one episode and it was effective, because the crew didn’t have time for technobabble. The ship was the deeply loved character in danger. They had to abandon her to save themselves. One part would fix her and they didn’t have it available.