OMG! Design the next USS ENTERPRISE (Offical Contest)

[Eternal_Freedom]

Another problem, it loks incredibly flimsy and about as structurally sound as a sandcastle

[General Zod]

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.

How are they supposed to get from the front of the ship to the back in an emergency? It looks like a safety disaster waiting to happen.

[CSJM]

Well, how do they get from the front of the ship to the back at all? Turbolifts and such. Also, front section is the main shuttlebay, so that's another place you'll want to head to in an emergency.

And yes, looks incredibly flimsy, if it wasn't for the supposed size. Have you seen the (however non-canon) Enterprise-J design? It's like someone took a giant steamroller to the NX-01, and pancaked it into oblivion. This thing at least has some decent thickness.

I've considered other variants, too, but none of them sound too appealing.

I wondered if the saucer section could be made into nothing but the outer ring, with only one intrusion in the back for the bridge, but it compounded the other problems with the fact that it made the whole thing look like a giant "Q" on a stick - I'm not sure if the continuum would find that funny or not, but I think the Federation would rather not seek to irritate them.

Supporting the bridge in the center with three equally-spaced sections gives off a distinct "sponsored by Daimler-Benz" feel. Or something even worse, though I guess it is a peacekeeping ship...

[General Zod]

Well, how do they get from the front of the ship to the back at all? Turbolifts and such. Also, front section is the main shuttlebay, so that's another place you'll want to head to in an emergency.

I was referring to the narrowness of the left and right sides. If there's a breech in both of them from weapons fire or something then they're screwed. That big of a gap also seems like kind of a waste of space that could be used for something.

[CSJM]

It's basically the same principle as the Akira - exiting or entering shuttlecraft gain protection from the surrounding hull.

Also, there's only so much space you really need on an exploration ship, and making holes in the saucer not only reduces mass for better manueverability, but also provides more empty space for enemy weapons to miss into.

Also, it's "breach". I don't think there exist large enough breeches to completely clog up those corridors.

[Chardok]

Well, how do they get from the front of the ship to the back at all? Turbolifts and such. Also, front section is the main shuttlebay, so that's another place you'll want to head to in an emergency.

I was referring to the narrowness of the left and right sides. If there's a breech in both of them from weapons fire or something then they're screwed. That big of a gap also seems like kind of a waste of space that could be used for something.

The D'deridex Class designers said for me to give you the romulan equivalent of the finger and asked that I relay that useless open spaces in a starship design are "frickin(sic) awesome".

[General Zod]

It's basically the same principle as the Akira - exiting or entering shuttlecraft gain protection from the surrounding hull.

The Akira didn't have a giant gap in the saucer.

Also, there's only so much space you really need on an exploration ship, and making holes in the saucer not only reduces mass for better manueverability, but also provides more empty space for enemy weapons to miss into.

I'm not sure it makes much sense as a defense against weapons when they can pinpoint very small targets on the ship already.

Also, it's "breach". I don't think there exist large enough breeches to completely clog up those corridors.

Same difference.

[General Zod]

Well, how do they get from the front of the ship to the back at all? Turbolifts and such. Also, front section is the main shuttlebay, so that's another place you'll want to head to in an emergency.

I was referring to the narrowness of the left and right sides. If there's a breech in both of them from weapons fire or something then they're screwed. That big of a gap also seems like kind of a waste of space that could be used for something.

The D'deridex Class designers said for me to give you the romulan equivalent of the finger and asked that I relay that useless open spaces in a starship design are "frickin(sic) awesome".

At least the Romulan ships make some sense, they're separating the nacelles. Separating the saucer doesn't really serve any purpose.

[Chardok]

don't capitalize romulan. They don't derserve that level of respect

[CSJM]

Heh.

Now for this thing. I'm almost finished with it, but it's kinda odd in places. For example, I can't think of anything to put on the underside of the saucer now that the deflector is up at the front. The cannon is nice, but ultimately out-of-character for the Federation. As is the odd phoenix picture on the hull, which I noticed, embedded, and used for the ship's class name.





I'm not sure what's up with the grill, or the nacelle pylons. I just felt like adding them. I'm sure I'll think up a use for them later.

[Knife]

I have to admit, CSJM, I like that one. Still very Trekkie without being overboard and it is different. I like the old school turrets on the hull, love the lines. If there is anything I could say in criticism, I'd make the nacelles protrude forward a bit from the struts.

[Chardok]

I wish I could see his designs - the site he uses is blocked it actually has old school external cannon as opposed to strips? doesn't that kind of fly in the face of more modern Starship designs? I mean - shouldn't the ENT design be moving forward from the E-E?

[CSJM]

Dropbox blocked? Odd. I'll see if I can put them up on tinypic or something. Haven't used that in a while.





And some screwing around with modelling tools:


And I don't know about ENT-E, but the Riker's Refit of Enterprise-D had a very powerful underslung heavy phaser cannon, which I very much liked.

Nevertheless, I think I'll have to scrap it - the cannon, I mean. And the odd phoenix picture. I want the saucer's ventral surface to be useful, suggestions? Tractor beam in the fore section, torpedo launchers on the lower secondary hulls - maybe a secondary observation deck for the center?

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Lookin good CSJM. I like the most recent picks much better than the smiley face saucer.

It shows a lot of potential, but, IMHO, you are only about 90% done modeling, and 50% done texturing. The contest hasn't even been announced yet, no need to be "almost finished with it" we have loads of time
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Couldn't sleep last night and scribbled these while half-awake:


The first one I drew is the big one on the left. After that I decided to retreat back to the familiar enterprise silhouette, but keep the stacked saucer/horseshoe, as you see on the bottom right.

The doodle on the top right is the only one I really like.

[CSJM]

It's a swan. No, wait, it's a toucan/pelican/swallow hybrid. I wonder how would it look in 3D.

The one on the left is a little too different. Its design is definetly trekkish, but reminiscent of a class I can't remember the name for - definetly not Enterprise material.

The on the lower right, however, has potential, even if it looks like a Sovereign class that plowed into a Bentusi tradestation.

Also, by "almost done" I meant the general design. I could be tinkering with details till the heat death of the universe, and still not be satisfied. And I prefer to refrain from texturing - that somehow turned out to be my dump stat. I'm much better off making details in polygons than try to make the necessary textures and normal maps.

[Chardok]

CSJ - that's just F*ing sick. I like it a lot!

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I'm going for kind-of a flying animal vibe.

[Crossroads Inc.]

I got to be hounest Fuzzy, while I dig the secondary section around the bridge, I just can't see why there needs to be a "gap" there. I mean you have this section out front, and its connected by two bits, why not just fill in the middle bit? Style wise it would be almost the exact same, you would still have the 'indentation' you have now, and it would still look different. I guess I just don't like such things for the sake of being different. I mean all these holes an such, whats the reason?

Its like those sketches you put up, I actually really like the middle one, the compact pic thats done top down. I just don't see the need for that middle bit to be an empty hole. Why not fill it in and give yourself more structure?

As for the newest pic, The side view looks a bit odd around the lower hull. Where it curves in and then back out around the deflector. I'd change that ro be rounded out rather then curving in. Also I might beef up the pylon connections to the engines as well.

But of course I tend to bulk up all designs

[Fuzzy_Modem]

I'm thinking maybe the lower horseshoe shaped section of the saucer is removable, and can be replaced with any number of mission specific modules, the default being heavy firepower?

[Crossroads Inc.]

Sounds like a good idea, I am a big fan of flexible ships. But still doesn't need to have the hole in the middle to do that

[Fuzzy_Modem]

To be perfectly honestly, the separation is there primarily for an animation I want to make when I'm done. I want to pull the camera back through that gap.

That may not be the best reason to keep it however, and I'll ponder.

[CSJM]

Modified profile with offset nacelles (not obvious), smooth ventral saucer hull with observation deck, and extra torpedo tubes.



edit:
Another angle:


Lovely view down the shuttle landing vector:


I still have some smoothing group problems here and there.

[Fuzzy_Modem]

Modified profile with offset nacelles (not obvious), smooth ventral saucer hull with observation deck, and extra torpedo tubes.

I'm really diggin the shape, but those windows look awful. Too uniform. Remember too that not every window should be lit. I forget this myself constantly, but I've been making a real effort recently to not only have some windows dark, but to imply people and objects behind them, rather then just being a solid color with a glow.

I think I'll go so far as to model simple interiors and have truly transparent windows, if I have time.

[Knife]

Ventral hull looks a bit plain, toss some of those weapons turrets down there. Other than that, looks really great CSJM.

[CSJM]

I'm really diggin the shape, but those windows look awful. Too uniform. Remember too that not every window should be lit. I forget this myself constantly, but I've been making a real effort recently to not only have some windows dark, but to imply people and objects behind them, rather then just being a solid color with a glow.

I think I'll go so far as to model simple interiors and have truly transparent windows, if I have time.

Hey, getting them to line up was enough of a task. I'll stick them all with a UV texture later on, for now I'd like to keep them the way they are. I'm still not sure if I really want so many windows in the first place, especially further back near the impulse engine.

Edit: unblandifying the ventral hull:

Does that work?