Starfleet Design Bureau

[Candesce]

For reference here are the shield stats for the Newton and Archer which were on the older shields (probably used Standard sized shields).

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Mmm. And the Archer was outright a noncombatant, and the Newton wasn't exactly great as an answer to D6s, nevermind D7s.

Assuming we're going to aim for the lower end on mass, I think that settles me on the Standard Covariant; we can make a better combatant than the Newton while still being a more than adequate biological science vessel, and I think we should.

[x] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[MS-21H 'Hawke']

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid


Our girl ain't going to be a brawler , even if we go full on Science Frigate.

 

[WCSII]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Onionjones]

[x] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Riggnarock]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

Standard means it can refit to the type 2 standard if it comes within this ships lifetime

 

[A Slipspace Tree]

[x] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Chargone]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid


It gets the job done, no need for anything more than that.

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Problem is, there's a fair bit of debate as to how true either half of that statement is.

[x] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Firehawk242]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Briefvoice]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

 

[Theonetruelordke]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

 

[Bedpotato]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Derek58]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

To better survive Weird Space Shit.

 

[cailco]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid
Better the have it and not need it with a science ship doubly so if it's going to be looking at bio-logical things that may or may not outmass it by a stupid amount. Should give it time to either work out what to fix or just run.

And this is a Trek Universe. Science ships are like the red shirts of the fleet. it's either the first to go out very gruesomely or somehow survive only to die in the next episode.

 

[Tempest Warden]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Wellhello]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

 

[OldGlory76]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

It'd be interesting to see what'd happen if we minimize or outright skip the secondary hull.

I won't deny that I just wanna see a flying saucer!

 

[landcollector]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Vehrec]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

 

[WCSII]

It'd be interesting to see what'd happen if we minimize or outright skip the secondary hull.

I won't deny that I just wanna see a flying saucer!

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*blinks* Given that we need as much space as possible for the science labs, and maybe cargo room for sample acquisition... If we don't go secondary hull, it'd still need inline to minimize engineering. So, it'd be unlikely to be a pure saucer. And that's not even accounting for a deflector dish if it gets one.

 

[NSMS]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[LawsOfRobotics]

[X] Covariant Standard Shield Grid

 

[Horologer]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

All the shields in the world don't stop you from getting eaten by a space amoeba.

 

[LOLROFL]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

Mulled over it a bit and I think that 50% cost increase could be used elsewhere.

This is definitely intended to be a smaller budget ship and with that in mind I'd rather we save a bit on shields to ensure maxed out Maneuverability and a Rapid Fire Torpedo Launcher instead.

Such a vessel would ideally be small and well-specialised.

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Ultimately it is a question as to which is more important: cost or capability. Starfleet hasn't given you any budgetary red lines on this project, although obviously the cheaper the better, and the shield does constitute a significant entry on the balance sheet.

Click to shrink...

Taking a look at the table I made, a Newton sized ship at 130kt with a Light Covariant would save enough in cost (9.75 vs 14.82) to pay for an extra Type 3 Thruster (1 is mandatory) which would guarantee "Maneuverability: Very High".

That increased Maneuverability should give it greater survivability than the Newton which was noted to be capable of threatening a D6 even if it can't reliably beat it.

The Klingon D6 has long been an awkward measuring stick to match ships like the Newton or Kea against, and with signs of increased resource flows to the Klingon interior there are concerns that there has either been a major uptick in production of an already tactically problematic design or even a new and more dangerous vessel.

Click to shrink...

With a Rapid Fire Launcher and better Phasers in tandem with even higher Maneuverability than the Newton we should end up with something that can comfortably see off a D6.

 

[Shard]

Regarding torpedoes it's probably a single rapid launcher to save space. Also, it looks like the Rapid Launcher is like, 3x the efficacy for 4x the cost. Not the greatest thing there.

If we do use a Rapid Launcher, we might want stronger shields because the ship will in fact be pretty capable at combat by that point.

I think our ship is small enough that a single Type 3 thruster will be sufficient, though. Even if it winds up being only High maneuverability.

 

[Model DC.14F]

[X] Covariant Light Shield Grid

The small size makes both options tempting; on one hand, low cost increase for standard, but on other there is less impact. Deciding factor is that the ship will be spending most of its time on research missions planetside/in orbit, so unless an design side goal is to serve as a System Defense Ship, getting into fights is unlikely.