Arimai
Curmudgeon
This isn't the Federation of Kirk. This is at the founding where the allies were a trade network that decided to create a mutual defense pack. That eventually founded the Federation
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StriderInCosmos
Wanderer in the Worldsea
- Location
- Somewhere in... Terminal Dogma? I think?
Sounds fascinating. Do you happen to have a link to it?
- Location
- Illinois
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We are, in fact, at the founding of the UFP, if you re-read the update. The mutual defense pact and trade network was the Coalition we fought a war alongside, and the Federation has just been formed. It's not Kirk's Federation yet, but it's the Federation.
- Location
- EcksEcksEcksEcks
ive changed my mind, i want to refit the NX and call the BlockII the Enterprise class
ooc i dont really want to design a brand new explorer just yet.
ooc i dont really want to design a brand new explorer just yet.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
was under impression romulan war-bird only exist because romulans did a deal with the klingons. and that that deal happend after the war?
oh well bloody battle that we won yay.
now we have some time to build some more generalist ship and tinker with prototypes. while maybe not us all of our industry.
oh well bloody battle that we won yay.
now we have some time to build some more generalist ship and tinker with prototypes. while maybe not us all of our industry.
LunaMoth
Wings of Kynareth is my comfort song...
- Pronouns
- He/They
I think that was just Romulans giving away the cloaking tech to Klingons? I'm unsure though, regardless I'm fairly certain that the Romulans have had warbirds for the entirety of their time in space, or maybe that's just what most Romulan warships end up being called.
- Location
- Philippines
- Location
- Illinois
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We've all been talking about shields and the Warp 7 engine, and those are likely the two biggest items coming down the pipeline for us, but I wanted to take a look at the technology sheet and see what else might be coming for us.
Hull: We haven't seen a hull upgrade yet, so wouldn't be shocked to see a new hull material in the next few designs.
Tactical: We've just upgraded to photonics and pulsed phase cannons, so I think true photons and phasers are a generation or so off still. Shields seem like the next big upgrade, and we know to expect that.
Sublight: Probably not right away, but it seems likely we'll have an update to the impulse systems in the next few classes.
Warp: I expect the Warp 7 engine to come with a pretty total overhaul of the equipment we use at warp, not just the engine. I'm betting a new set of nacelle coils and a new deflector are going to pop up. I also wouldn't be totally surprised to see the new deflector and shields connected somehow, though they might not be.
Endurance: I don't think we'll see anything to replace the antimatter pods particularly soon.
Computers: I think a computer upgrade is unlikely in the immediate future, but it is a possibility for certain.
Transport: So far, we haven't built anything large enough for an actual shuttle, it's all been shuttle pods. I don't see this changing very soon, honestly. Maybe with a new heavy explorer. We haven't heard much about transporters, but the change from "people in emergency situations only" to "standard transport method" should be coming soon, and might require a new fit.
In short, I think there's a big wave of prototypes headed our way, and I suspect most of them are going to end up getting trialed on the same ship design, which probably should be the heavy explorer, since it'll be eating industry anyways. I would suspect no new weapons, but a total overhaul of the warp system is going to be a pretty intensive change to make to our designs. If we don't prototype everything at once, I'm hoping we can do some of the prototypes, maybe for shields, as a refit to the Enterprise-class, in order to be able to put everything together on the newer explorer. The last thing I want is to build a new explorer with either shields or the warp 7 engine, instead of both.
Hull: We haven't seen a hull upgrade yet, so wouldn't be shocked to see a new hull material in the next few designs.
Tactical: We've just upgraded to photonics and pulsed phase cannons, so I think true photons and phasers are a generation or so off still. Shields seem like the next big upgrade, and we know to expect that.
Sublight: Probably not right away, but it seems likely we'll have an update to the impulse systems in the next few classes.
Warp: I expect the Warp 7 engine to come with a pretty total overhaul of the equipment we use at warp, not just the engine. I'm betting a new set of nacelle coils and a new deflector are going to pop up. I also wouldn't be totally surprised to see the new deflector and shields connected somehow, though they might not be.
Endurance: I don't think we'll see anything to replace the antimatter pods particularly soon.
Computers: I think a computer upgrade is unlikely in the immediate future, but it is a possibility for certain.
Transport: So far, we haven't built anything large enough for an actual shuttle, it's all been shuttle pods. I don't see this changing very soon, honestly. Maybe with a new heavy explorer. We haven't heard much about transporters, but the change from "people in emergency situations only" to "standard transport method" should be coming soon, and might require a new fit.
In short, I think there's a big wave of prototypes headed our way, and I suspect most of them are going to end up getting trialed on the same ship design, which probably should be the heavy explorer, since it'll be eating industry anyways. I would suspect no new weapons, but a total overhaul of the warp system is going to be a pretty intensive change to make to our designs. If we don't prototype everything at once, I'm hoping we can do some of the prototypes, maybe for shields, as a refit to the Enterprise-class, in order to be able to put everything together on the newer explorer. The last thing I want is to build a new explorer with either shields or the warp 7 engine, instead of both.
I absolutely categorically disagree with this to the point where I honestly don't know where you're getting this from. The Dreadnoughts did their job and did it extremely well. Without them taking ridiculous amounts of enemy firepower and protecting all our other ships from attacks to the rear we almost certainly would have lost this battle. Their impact was absolutely massive
TheOmnimercurial
Dragon Bard
- Location
- UK
Hospital Ships in Canon usually feature a Spheroid Primary Hull, we could do that but with a Warp Ring?
The Sphere with two Nacelles just look bad most of the time sadly, though a Triple or Quad Nacelle layout would look good with a Sphere!
- Location
- Lake Wobegon
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
That two of the three we ever built are currently cluttering up Cheron orbit (one as a hulk, the other debris) might have something to do with that perception. Then again, most ships of the class having the good grace to get themselves killed before they can retire to a life of hangar queendom, or otherwise muck up Starfleet design priorities or doctrine, is a good thing on balance.
EDIT: on the other hand, it's not like the NXs had a much better showing, with six (Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour, Endeavour-A, Buran, Orion) out of nine (the above plus Enterprise, Columbia, and Atlantis) ships of the class destroyed over the course of the war.
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- Location
- France
- Pronouns
- She/They
I don't think we're going to build a lot more of the dreadnoughts as it is. They're woefully behind the new technology brought by our allies, they're totally outclassed in terms of warp manoeuvrability, and unlike the skate, they can't be mass produced and maintained as something to launch from a colony to ensure its system defense because they're going to be beyond the capacity of anything but our most developed worlds.
Now that we put the concept down, we will probably design another battleship the next time we're in an existential war, but I think it's back to peace cruisers for us.
Now that we put the concept down, we will probably design another battleship the next time we're in an existential war, but I think it's back to peace cruisers for us.
TheOmnimercurial
Dragon Bard
- Location
- UK
The Skate could still be useful as a Carried Vessel?
- Location
- EcksEcksEcksEcks
what can carry it though? Probably need the Auxiliary transport ship first
Derek58
Rocket Punch is Best Punch
- Location
- Getter Valhalla
Sounds like way too much effort for a class that's going to be outdated pretty quickly. Let's just keep them as system defense ships for now.
I say we make a new cargo ship and then we upgrade the thunderchild and nx classes cause they both need upgrading and we might end up getting 1 or 2 more of each before the refits as war production finishes.
Also more work on the thhnderchild will help keep our dolcyards knowledge able about larger ship construction
@Sayle are thier any ships that began construction during the war of the nx or thunderchild classes that didn't finish by the end of the war, like typically happens.
Also more work on the thhnderchild will help keep our dolcyards knowledge able about larger ship construction
@Sayle are thier any ships that began construction during the war of the nx or thunderchild classes that didn't finish by the end of the war, like typically happens.
- Location
- wherever
The Vulcans are giving UE shield technology, back at the start of Project Selachii. The problem is establishing a entire new industry and field of science doesn't happen overnight, even with the Vulcans helping. Presumably, attempting to take Vulcan, or Andorian, shield generators and plugging them into Starfleet ships is impossible due to fundamental design incompatibilities or something.
Driven by Apathy
Formerly known as Brain_Caster
I rather doubt we'll ever build a single Thunderchild or Skate again. And that's fine.
They were warships, designed in a hurry to win a specific war. The war was won. Mission accomplished.
Now we have an influx of new technologies and the demands of peacetime, rather than the breakneck pace of an intense war with murderous casualities on both sides. That means the mission profile for our fleet has fundamentally changed. Suddenly, it matters again if a ship can be easily maintained and refitted for decades - for the Skate, that was very much optional, since we knew when designing them that half of them would probably be blown up in the fighting and the other half would be mothballed or relegated to system defense duties soon after the war was over.
The NX-class might still have a future, if it can be sufficiently upgraded. But for the most part, I think we'll soon find ourselves designing a new fleet for a new era.
I will say one thing though: It might be a good idea to establish a tradition of designing a Skate equivalent every 10 years or so and build a few. Not many. Not even more than a handful. But enough to be able to extensively test the design, learn some lessons, and know that we have the design for a strong, cheap, and quick-to-build combatant in reserve if it should ever become necessary. The Skate would never have been built in numbers without the pressures of the Romulan war, but imagine how much easier the war would have been if we had possessed the ability to mass produce something like it from day 1.
They were warships, designed in a hurry to win a specific war. The war was won. Mission accomplished.
Now we have an influx of new technologies and the demands of peacetime, rather than the breakneck pace of an intense war with murderous casualities on both sides. That means the mission profile for our fleet has fundamentally changed. Suddenly, it matters again if a ship can be easily maintained and refitted for decades - for the Skate, that was very much optional, since we knew when designing them that half of them would probably be blown up in the fighting and the other half would be mothballed or relegated to system defense duties soon after the war was over.
The NX-class might still have a future, if it can be sufficiently upgraded. But for the most part, I think we'll soon find ourselves designing a new fleet for a new era.
I will say one thing though: It might be a good idea to establish a tradition of designing a Skate equivalent every 10 years or so and build a few. Not many. Not even more than a handful. But enough to be able to extensively test the design, learn some lessons, and know that we have the design for a strong, cheap, and quick-to-build combatant in reserve if it should ever become necessary. The Skate would never have been built in numbers without the pressures of the Romulan war, but imagine how much easier the war would have been if we had possessed the ability to mass produce something like it from day 1.
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Unrelated, but what kind of signal do our ships use for general quarters?
Do we still use the (recording of a) bosun whistle?
Do we still use the (recording of a) bosun whistle?
2162: Birth of the Federation
While there is talk about how the future will involve a united Starfleet with crew from all member species, for the moment the cooperation is limited to the free exchange of ideas and information while member species recover from the expenditures of the Earth-Romulan War. Not to mention plenty of political discussion over what the united Starfleet would look like - goodness knows there are plenty of ship types and design philosophies from the member races. But everybody is talking to each other now, and this has resulted in a massive leap forward in Earth's technological capabilities when it comes to starship design. But experience in applying new insights and technology will have to come the old fashioned way, as it ever does. You certainly have some experience to gain, too, given all the new advancements that are becoming available. There's quite a list of options for integration with new designs, starting with propulsion.
The Warp 7 Engine is the result of building off the same philosophy as the Warp 5 Engine with an antimatter-fed reaction chamber. The project was massively accelerated by assistance from the Vulcans, who provided insights on the design of a superior injector system and a number of additional control systems to finetune the operating tolerances.
Type 2 Warp Coils are the result of using the same materials as the Andorian Imperial Guard, although the different design philosophy of United Earth starships has necessitated experimentation with the arrangement and shape of the overall assembly. They will also allow a certain amount of cladding to be added to the nacelles themselves, protecting the coils from external damage.
Type-1 deflector shields are based on Tellarite graviton emitters. While not capable of as much particle density as Vulcan designs they have the most commonality with existing human sensibilities in regards to ease of maintenance and durability. The hope is that with multiple species providing advice and basic cooperation that an elegant solution will present itself for the next generation of defences that maintain those vital qualities while equalling the capability of the more fiddly designs.
Last but certainly not least is the Type-1 phaser. While Andorian designs use a liquid helium loop for a cold-cycle particle emitter, human designers agree that there are still advancements to be made to the basic principles of the weapon. The cooling loop also introduces mechanical complexity and bulk which require eternal mounting points which are not compatible with current practice, so while the Type-1 isn't quite as powerful as the Andorian variant it is less picky about where you put it.
It is something of a comfort that in some areas good old human ingenuity has not been overtly surpassed. The current deflector dish designs are admittedly an element not present on the vessels of other Federation species, but there are also no obvious improvements to be made with the application of superior scientific experience.
All these components (minus the phasers) are now gearing up for mass production by companies which have passed United Earth's strict security and safety audits, though it's fair to say that final regulatory approval is still pending until the prototypes undergo full testing on a shakedown. But that's where you come in. With the war over and the wartime economy dialling back to more sedate industrial levels, your blank cheques have sadly started having numbers added to them again. But you do have a certain degree of latitude in what projects to take on.
The first request is for a utility cruiser - a ship capable of responding to the needs of Earth and her colonies (and those of other Federation members, now!) in times of distress. That will most likely consist of hauling emergency materials, but includes tactical interventions. When not diverted from usual duties it should be able to conduct basic patrols and cargo transfers.
The second request is for a survey ship. With the addition of Denobula the borders of the Federation have expanded beyond those mapped by the Vulcan explorator ships of old, and plenty of examination and investigation remains to be done in areas of space that are now firmly within the Federation sphere of influence. It should be a (relatively) safe assignment, primarily focused on scientific discovery.
The third request is for a new explorer ship. The NX-class was a project decades in the making for all that the actual ship design was a matter of only a few years, the remainder taken up in component development. Now you have a more solid foundation to work from you can create an explorer capable of the three main tasks: self-defense, scientific research, and emergency response. More expensive than multiple ships for the same tasks? Probably. Nonetheless an important instrument in United Earth and the Federation's interest in furthering their knowledge of the universe and other species? Most definitely.
[ ] Begin work on a utility cruiser for workhorse duties.
[ ] Begin work on a survey ship for scientific survey and investigation.
[ ] Begin work on an explorer to expand the final frontier.
Two Hour Moratorium, Please.
The Warp 7 Engine is the result of building off the same philosophy as the Warp 5 Engine with an antimatter-fed reaction chamber. The project was massively accelerated by assistance from the Vulcans, who provided insights on the design of a superior injector system and a number of additional control systems to finetune the operating tolerances.
Type 2 Warp Coils are the result of using the same materials as the Andorian Imperial Guard, although the different design philosophy of United Earth starships has necessitated experimentation with the arrangement and shape of the overall assembly. They will also allow a certain amount of cladding to be added to the nacelles themselves, protecting the coils from external damage.
Type-1 deflector shields are based on Tellarite graviton emitters. While not capable of as much particle density as Vulcan designs they have the most commonality with existing human sensibilities in regards to ease of maintenance and durability. The hope is that with multiple species providing advice and basic cooperation that an elegant solution will present itself for the next generation of defences that maintain those vital qualities while equalling the capability of the more fiddly designs.
Last but certainly not least is the Type-1 phaser. While Andorian designs use a liquid helium loop for a cold-cycle particle emitter, human designers agree that there are still advancements to be made to the basic principles of the weapon. The cooling loop also introduces mechanical complexity and bulk which require eternal mounting points which are not compatible with current practice, so while the Type-1 isn't quite as powerful as the Andorian variant it is less picky about where you put it.
It is something of a comfort that in some areas good old human ingenuity has not been overtly surpassed. The current deflector dish designs are admittedly an element not present on the vessels of other Federation species, but there are also no obvious improvements to be made with the application of superior scientific experience.
All these components (minus the phasers) are now gearing up for mass production by companies which have passed United Earth's strict security and safety audits, though it's fair to say that final regulatory approval is still pending until the prototypes undergo full testing on a shakedown. But that's where you come in. With the war over and the wartime economy dialling back to more sedate industrial levels, your blank cheques have sadly started having numbers added to them again. But you do have a certain degree of latitude in what projects to take on.
The first request is for a utility cruiser - a ship capable of responding to the needs of Earth and her colonies (and those of other Federation members, now!) in times of distress. That will most likely consist of hauling emergency materials, but includes tactical interventions. When not diverted from usual duties it should be able to conduct basic patrols and cargo transfers.
The second request is for a survey ship. With the addition of Denobula the borders of the Federation have expanded beyond those mapped by the Vulcan explorator ships of old, and plenty of examination and investigation remains to be done in areas of space that are now firmly within the Federation sphere of influence. It should be a (relatively) safe assignment, primarily focused on scientific discovery.
The third request is for a new explorer ship. The NX-class was a project decades in the making for all that the actual ship design was a matter of only a few years, the remainder taken up in component development. Now you have a more solid foundation to work from you can create an explorer capable of the three main tasks: self-defense, scientific research, and emergency response. More expensive than multiple ships for the same tasks? Probably. Nonetheless an important instrument in United Earth and the Federation's interest in furthering their knowledge of the universe and other species? Most definitely.
[ ] Begin work on a utility cruiser for workhorse duties.
[ ] Begin work on a survey ship for scientific survey and investigation.
[ ] Begin work on an explorer to expand the final frontier.
Two Hour Moratorium, Please.
- Location
- France
- Pronouns
- She/They
I think we should do the explorer. Multirole ships are still our peacetime answer and it can do the other two tasks described in a pinch while also being able to go farther. It's also going to be a much better testbed for our new prototypes because it'll have plenty of scientists and technicians on board to deal with any capricious components.
Cornuthaum
Be kind to each other.
- Location
- Austria
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We definitely should make the first post-war ship something that serves all members of the Federation with equal aplomb and efficiency.
I know the urge to make an explorer is undeniable but Starfleet is a political organ too - can't not be, with this many phasers, right? - and committing to the common good of all from the outset is a solid message.
And, of course, we really need a new generation of workhorse cruisers because what else are we gonna use, Stingrays???
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- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
Sayle, would it be safe to assume that the next three ship-roles we design are all going to be one of the three options here, or might we end up with an interrupt of sorts?
If we are doing all three, I'd be inclined for the order of:
Utility
Science
Explorer
If we are doing all three, I'd be inclined for the order of:
Utility
Science
Explorer