OMG! Design the next USS ENTERPRISE (Offical Contest)

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Moments before I fell asleep last night I came up with something that may not have been done before:



-but does it look like an Enterprise?

[edit]
Made a few minor tweaks and re-uploaded.

[General Zod]

Moments before I fell asleep last night I came up with something that may not have been done before:

-but does it look like an Enterprise?

I'm more concerned with "does it look interesting" than "does it look like an Enterprise", personally.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Moments before I fell asleep last night I came up with something that may not have been done before:

-but does it look like an Enterprise?

I'm more concerned with "does it look interesting" than "does it look like an Enterprise", personally.

Does is look interesting?

___________________

I've noticed in your design you've gone with a triangle shape, which is daring to say the least. I'm looking forward to seeing it progress

[General Zod]

Moments before I fell asleep last night I came up with something that may not have been done before:

-but does it look like an Enterprise?

I'm more concerned with "does it look interesting" than "does it look like an Enterprise", personally.

Does is look interesting?

It's definitely different, to say the least.

I've noticed in your design you've gone with a triangle shape, which is daring to say the least. I'm looking forward to seeing it progress

The idea with mine was to start with the sphere and work around that. I might change the rear section later on, but I wanted something that wasn't flat like most Federation ships.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Also, do you really want to align your nacelles directly behind the "saucer"? I don't know if there are logistical reasons for keeping them above of below (do bussard collectors require line of sight?) but aside from that, it better visually establishes "top" and "bottom".

[General Zod]

Also, do you really want to align your nacelles directly behind the "saucer"? I don't know if there are logistical reasons for keeping them above of below (do bussard collectors require line of sight?) but aside from that, it better visually establishes "top" and "bottom".

I can change the nacelle configuration later on, but I'm trying to keep everything streamlined and compact. I was playing around with a version that could extend the way Voyager's do, though.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Also, do you really want to align your nacelles directly behind the "saucer"? I don't know if there are logistical reasons for keeping them above of below (do bussard collectors require line of sight?) but aside from that, it better visually establishes "top" and "bottom".

I can change the nacelle configuration later on, but I'm trying to keep everything streamlined and compact. I was playing around with a version that could extend the way Voyager's do, though.

An advantage would be protection from incoming fire. Perhaps they could extend above or below the saucer only when in use, and retract to safety when at impulse speed?

[General Zod]

Also, do you really want to align your nacelles directly behind the "saucer"? I don't know if there are logistical reasons for keeping them above of below (do bussard collectors require line of sight?) but aside from that, it better visually establishes "top" and "bottom".

I can change the nacelle configuration later on, but I'm trying to keep everything streamlined and compact. I was playing around with a version that could extend the way Voyager's do, though.

An advantage would be protection from incoming fire. Perhaps they could extend above or below the saucer only when in use, and retract to safety when at impulse speed?

Something along those lines. Structural integrity is the main thing I'm looking for, too many Starfleet ships seem horribly flimsy in that regard. I still haven't decided on what its main function is supposed to be though, the design will start coming together a bit more cleanly once I settle on that.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Something along those lines. Structural integrity is the main thing I'm looking for, too many Starfleet ships seem horribly flimsy in that regard. I still haven't decided on what its main function is supposed to be though, the design will start coming together a bit more cleanly once I settle on that.

Long term exploration is a must, or it wouldn't be the Enterprise. Also, it's the flagship, so diplomacy too.

[General Zod]

Something along those lines. Structural integrity is the main thing I'm looking for, too many Starfleet ships seem horribly flimsy in that regard. I still haven't decided on what its main function is supposed to be though, the design will start coming together a bit more cleanly once I settle on that.

Long term exploration is a must, or it wouldn't be the Enterprise. Also, it's the flagship, so diplomacy too.

I was partly toying with the long-range discovery and acquisition of new resources. Since Starfleet is in the middle of a big war in STO, I'd imagine resources are getting stretched thin. It's already going to be bigger than the Enterprise D at 703 meters.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I think I'll move forward with the horseshoe shape idea, which I'll refer to as the "Entusi" from now on (Homeworld players will catch the reference :p)

I may abandon it eventually in favor of something more recognizably Enterpris-ish, but in the meantime, what can I do to make it look bigger and more like the traditional Enterprise without loosing too much of it's distinctness?

[edit]
And no, I don't feel I'm ripping off Homeworld any more than they ripped off the SpaceJockey ship from "Alien." Crescents and horseshoes are fair game.

I was partly toying with the long-range discovery and acquisition of new resources. Since Starfleet is in the middle of a big war in STO, I'd imagine resources are getting stretched thin. It's already going to be bigger than the Enterprise D at 703 meters.

Acquisition as in, like, mining?

[Beowulf]

Also, do you really want to align your nacelles directly behind the "saucer"? I don't know if there are logistical reasons for keeping them above of below (do bussard collectors require line of sight?) but aside from that, it better visually establishes "top" and "bottom".

I do recall there are supposed to be technical reasons why the nacelles must be able to have line of sight forward when at warp. Which is why essentially every official design has the nacelles unobstructed. Now, you could have it be on moving pylons, in order to get them out enough for warp travel...

[General Zod]

Acquisition as in, like, mining?

Depends on the particular resource, but at the very least acquiring promising samples for study and securing sites against attack while dedicated mining ships move in. The class might be suitable for mining though.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Had to post this picture for the sake of sheer epic-ness.

[Eternal_Freedom]

That is pretty epic

Ofc, packed in that tight it would be near impossible to miss a ship...mass broadsides ftw

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Playing with the idea of 4 nacelles.



It's starting to look a bit like a tOS Romulan bird of prey.



I think I need to go longer/slimmer to avoid this similarity.

[Chardok]

I still say incorporate the engineering hull into the saucer section so that the deflector dish is sort of built in to the front of the saucer section (Think Grill of an Aston-Martin) can't get much more slim than that. But I think lose 4 nacelles...they just look wimpy as they are now.

[Crossroads Inc.]

I think I need to go longer/slimmer to avoid this similarity.

No!

Everyone else will be going slim and slender, go thicker! Bulkier! More massive! Buck the trend!

[Chardok]

I think I need to go longer/slimmer to avoid this similarity.

No!

Everyone else will be going slim and slender, go thicker! Bulkier! More massive! Buck the trend!

If he does that with anything close to his concept at the moment, it's going to look like an enormous Defiant.


I think we can all agree that no one wants that.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I'm talking longer rather than wider, as opposed to flimsier rather than sturdier.

In any case, I'll try to strike a balance.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Having fun with my wife's calligraphy pen.



Getting pretty far out there...

Does anyone know if saucer separation is supported in-game? I'm guessing not.

I may keep the same basic shapes though.

Are the curved nacelles kosher?

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Hooooray for the "Prt Scr" key!

[Chardok]

That actually looks pretty damn good. can you "beef up" the Nacelles a li'l?

[Crossroads Inc.]

Not sure what it is but I really like the look of that raised bridge on the sketch. I think because it reminds me a bit like a castle with a wall around it.
Not too sure about the curved nacelles but I'm loving the over all look.

[CSJM]

I've started thinking of a "backup" model, in case multiple entries will be allowed.

So far, this is the result:


So far, design problems I see are:
1) Not sure how well a deflector would work across a kilometer of saucer.
2) Long way from the bridge to the main shuttlebay. (in the thickening in the fore ring)
3) Bridge is more vulnerable to attack from below than in a conventional setup.
4) With the shuttlebay bulge, the saucer looks like a sadface. Without it, like a happyface. Not sure which is worse. Adding a fourth connecting hull section would make the entire thing look odd.