Starfleet Design Bureau

[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)

I think the negative consequences of a space plague are worse than the negative consequences of a negative space wedgie.
I'm a bit confused, but I think you may have gotten your vote mixed-up; you're more worried about the negative consequences of a plague, but you're voting for the component for dealing with negative space wedgies, not the one for dealing with plagues?
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)

Science all the way. I would point out that the transporters aren't listed as prototypes, nor does it say the ship doesn't get cargo transporters, so we're not testing them out, just splurging on making trips about 10 minutes faster. Combined with an actual shuttlebay and the fact that most of the survey missions mostly aren't going to be of habitable planets* means that the capability to quickly travel from point a to b via transporters is lower priority that maximizing science. Combined with a computer core probably processing the incoming data faster and speeding up surveys allowing these ships to complete their surveys faster and probably more thoroughly by being able to identify areas of interest faster.

*(any habitable planets within a close distance of the Federation founders are probably already surveyed if not colonized, thus not likely to have a visit by one of these ships)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)

[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)

[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)

[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

Time to seek out new life.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

Better give the future crew of this ship the means to handle some biological hazard in case they stumbled upon it on accident while they survey a planet/system.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

Time for more SCIENCE!!!!
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)
 
[x] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[x] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[x] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[x] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

I thought about it, we can put the sensors on the Explorer, dealing with a biological issue can take weeks and months, time an Explorer wont want to be tied down doing nothing but this ship will be fine with.

The computer however is critical to deal with this many science labs
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
[x] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[x] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[x] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[x] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
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So I've put a lot of thought into slots 2 and 4, and as I see it, our options are basically:
  • Transporters + Sensors: lots of utility, but forgoes a lot of science.
  • Transporters + Biomed: specializes in planetside exploration, potential to solve medical crises
  • CPU + Sensors: specializes in space exploration, potential to detect trouble early
  • CPU + Biomed: max science, but forgoes a lot of utility
I don't think any of these choices are bad, but I'm personally inclined to put the first and last options aside. The first leaves out too much science. The last is more palatable, but I think the loss of utility is tough to justify, especially since we're probably going to go for maximum science for our other slots. This isn't a multirole ship, but it does have to be able to operate independently.

So I think the question is whether we want to make the ship better at space exploration or planetary exploration.

I have changed my mind on this, based on the conversation in the thread. I think the argument Cavalier gave is correct: deep space exploration items and unusual physics anomalies will likely be picked up by dedicated explorers. Survey ships are the ones spending time on the ground, combing over the fine details, and are more likely to have to deal with biological questions. It's very painful to have to choose between that and better sensors– I'd honestly give up a whole slot to have both on the same ship– but again, it is what it is. So:

[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

All that said, I think the issue of plagues is a little oversold. Quarantine exists. Planetside medical facilities exist, and Starfleet ship medical facilities will exist, both of which will be larger than what we can fit on a small survey vessel. This medbay and biolab will doubtlessly save crewmembers' lives, and probably a colony too. But if we forgo it it's not the end of the Federation, and you could make similar arguments about better sensors and deflector shields.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)

I don't think a total 2 science is worth the sensors and transporters.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
Having a dedicated astrometrics lab on this Sureyor is a no Brainer.

[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
As nice as the secondary computer would be. Getting this Ship to have the raw utility extra options for techno babble that transporter provide is simple to good to be left out.

[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
Again multipurpose lab spaces on a surveoyor are important and in.

[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
Time to start the deflector Dish ensor magic Starfleet vessels are known for in the future.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Secondary Computer Core (+1 Science) [+1 Civilian Industry]
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Deflector Array Sensor Analysis (+1 Science, Advanced Scanners)
 
A significant chunk of what starfleet is interested in is down planetside, though I'm largely basing this off of how stuff dealing with lifeforms takes up quite a few episodes of tos, I'm thinking that with the med/lab stuff like the Horta and the weird happy chemical stuff in that one TOS planet that makes people content, could be potentially detected easier and earlier by survey crew.

Edit: Another thing is the Medbay adds one more science than the scanners for some reason(what's up with that anyways, it really feels like we should be able to take Both #4 options) , which is significant, as the other easy pick options are all around two science anyways.
 
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If this was the 23rd century, I think going for the Biosciences might be justified over the improved sensors, but consider the exact area these ships are going to be operating in. Namely within 6 months of the Federation Founders (+1), at Warp 5. Aka, 20 light years out, max. Earth is the newest to space of all of them and probably the only one to have unsurveyed habitable planets within that zone as the rest have had at least decades if not centuries in space. What the ship needs is the better sensors to wiggle out those fine little details that the initial surveyors (IE the explorer ships) missed.

As for the Transporters, I see people saying that they provide utility to the ship. I ask, what utility? This is a ship that's going to spend weeks at a time in one location, it's not going to be carrying passengers or cargo. None of its missions are going to be time sensitive. So why waste a slot on something who's whole point is making travel faster? A transporter cuts out maybe an hour from a mission that was already going to be a week long and even then only on habitable worlds (not the majority of space, and most of which have already been surveyed already). Compare that to a computer core, which might cut whole days off of those week long missions by speeding up the rate at which the processing of the gathered information is done, and what's more, it applies to every single mission the ships might undertake, unlike transporters which only help if there is a place to transport to.
 
[X] 1: Astrometrics (+2 Science)
[X] 2: Biological-Rated Transporter Room (Transporter Capability)
[X] 3: Science Labs (+2 Science)
[X] 4: Biosciences/Medical Laboratory (+2 Science)

As well as serving as a testbed for the transporters with relatively limited consequences if they have to go unused, if they work out I think they synergize well with the biosciences lab. It would allow directly transporting organic samples from hostile environments without needing to send anyone down just to pick stuff up.
 
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