Several years ago, Strategic Designs posted some awesome blueprints. But, for some vague legal reasons (the hush-hushness of it all sounded like a murder was involved), the site folded. Then the designer from SD started Cydonia 6 Ink, posted the original two blueprints from SD with more to come. So, now we're a couple of years later...there's been no news. I know we're not entitled to any but it'd be nice to know if there's been any progress or if it was all just a hobby and the designer doesn't have time for it anymore. Personally, I think they were the best Trek blueprints I've ever seen.
Hi, I know, everyone's been waiting very patiently for an update. After I released the Intrepid and Defiant in April of last year I started working at Zoic on Once Upon A Time/Wonderland/Falling Skies and boy does it take up your days! My last 3 pay periods (2 weeks per) were 150 hrs for each one. That means working right through the weekends too. I've had absolutely no time to do the work I've been wanting to do to update the prints. I'm not complaining about being overworked as there are a lot of people out of work and am grateful that I'm employed right now. I'm about 80% done with Oberth and about 20% through refit and TOS Enterprise. Understand that I'm updating them as I've explained on the website and that owners of both the SD and C6 prints will attest, there are changes, not just reprints. So, yes, I haven't forgotten about them and am still actively working on them now that I have more personal time. I'm not going to close the site and disappear on you guys. I know that quality blueprints/deck plans are highly valued by people like us. It's a hobby that I can only do in my off time. The day job has to come first. but it's also something that keeps me motivated and have the most enjoyment doing. I hope that answers your question. Tim
I think some of the works of Strategic Designs was derivative of Star Station Aurora & Mastercom, who came first. There seemed to be more thought and care gone into the plans from McM, especially Ships of the Star Fleet. The backstories were fantastic, the fictional "histories' etc. The background in the Strategic Designs didn't seem to be as wellt thought out. Hopefully there's some effort to maybe "align' the backstories on your new Cydonia products- are you planning it,or thinking in terms of the "official" timelines instead, etc?
Hi, I can't speak for the SD books, such as Prototype or Dynamics as those were before I was involved. I know that they had a lot of references to other fan products. As for the deck plans, I've stuck with the official ships in the "Star Trek public realm", ie the tv shows and movies. Tim
Dynamics if great. There's a few errors here and there, but overall I think it's the exact type of thing that fans want. A general guide to the movie-era tech world. A TNG-era or TOS-era version would be cool. Updated graphics and the like.
I basically devoured Dynamics, although there could have been more and better line drawings of the vessels. But for that you can always pick up Prototype or the Ships of the Star Fleet by SD - or your own drawings Nowadays however, I tend to be torn between having all those ship designs (and some really are cool) and the facts we get from TOS and the movies: They suggest a much smaller fleet, not hundreds and thousands of starships roaming the galaxy. So mostly I decide for myself which aspect I feel like enjoying at the moment: screen accuracy or fleet diversity
Me too. But I doubt that today, with all that stuff on the internet readily available at the click of a mouse button, there would be a big market for new hardcopy, printed, book-type manuals. I´d love to proven wrong, however
While the Internet is certainly a great resource, I don't think it's that huge of a threat to hard copy books. Star Wars still makes reference books fairly regularly, as do most gaming companies. What is definitely more likely in the near future is a higher percentage of new products appearing as e-reader format instead of physical paper, which is the case with some of the current Battletech releases.
True. When thinking of new books like Dynamics (and the potential market for them) I was automatically thinking of the TMP era and the 1980s - the high time for tech manuals and blueprint sets - and not so much of newer shows and movies. Trek is still around today - I sometimes forget that
It's okay. You're new here IMO, Mastercom was pretty much the ultimate for this type of work, at least as far as the completeness of the "reality' they created. None of the others really stand up. As for abbreviations, I tend to shorten them to McM. Of course before that they were SSA*- Star Station Aurora. And they produced the outstanding Starship Design periodical. OMG Another group called Federation Printing Office was pretty good too. Though they never should of used "Printing' in their name -- total anachnronnism nowadays. But oh well. They were known as SFPO, of course. They kind of followed in the footsteps of SSA / McM; followed their lead, yessir, but they did do the Reference Series. 'Course, that got ripped off too easily by unscruopulous dealers as I always heard it. TTFN
So I´m under the protective "newbie umbrella" then, am I? Yes, the Ships of the Starfleet (especially vol. 1) was/is probably the ultimate book in that regard - I love the foldout plans of the Belknap. In overall scope however, I prefer the Dynamics, alas the rather poor drawings make it less fun to look at than the Mastercom works, IMO. But still, as I said before, I never liked their assumption of there being some 1600 starships in Starfleet. It´s just completely contrary to what we know from TOS and the movies. BCNU
Actually, "Ships of the Star Fleet". Two words. My uncle told me once that that's how they always used to write it, even on the show, until things "changed" in the late 80's. The Belknap plans are cool. I just wish there were more of them. For ALL the ships! I think I read an interview once where they said they didnt want to nail things down so much either, but then they said it was just really "Class One' ships only they were talking aabout, so that's cool to me. When you've got so much space to cover, its probably actually not close to enough