Poll Does the Discovery look good?

[eyeresist]

I caught a glimpse of the monstrosity recently, and found myself thinking it looked potentially quite interesting. Oh god! What's wrong with me? Is this what it's like to go mad?

That pic taken from underneath doesn't help, as it gives the impression the saucer and triangle are on one plane, whereas actually the saucer "floats" above and ahead of the triangle. They'll need to adjust the textures and lighting so that this is clear from all angles.

 

[Mach5]

I caught a glimpse of the monstrosity recently, and found myself thinking it looked potentially quite interesting.

It really does look interesting, though. Just not in an appealing kinda way.

Here's a take on the McQuarrie design that I really like:

 

[Albinator]

I haven't read the first 7 pages, so maybe it's been noted, but...

While I am not in love with the design, it certainly is different and interesting, and the connection to Trek's past if nothing else shows a deep respect for the property, rather than the reverse, as many fans online seem to suggest.

And let's keep in mind that when 1701-D was first unveiled it too was deemed "ugly" by Trek fans...

I am far more interested in the story, characters and show itself anyway than how the ship itself looks, though I can understand the fact that it looks SO different, both in terms of structure and aesthetic (with it's blockiness, for example) why some fans would be really turned off by it.

Patience, I say. I do recall BEYOND being greeted with boos and hissing and predictions of the death of the franchise upon the first teaser for THAT film, and is now generally considered the best of the new trilogy and more faithful to classic Trek in spirit.

 

[Albinator]

It really does look interesting, though. Just not in an appealing kinda way.

Here's a take on the McQuarrie design that I really like:

This looks far more inspired by the Enterprise-D than the McQuarrie design-- almost a melding of the A and D, in fact. The key components of the McQ design are the big triangle "wedge", small nacelles, and smaller saucer in relation to the secondary hull.

 

[JWPlatt]

It's growing on me the more I view it. It's distinct and rough and I could come around pretty easily once the visual effects are implemented.

...as a friend has said many times, "Put your head in a bucket of shit long enough and you'll end up liking it."

 

[Saul]

The F is supposed to resemble the E or Voyager it is supposed to represent an era of Trek that was on for 20 years as Sto takes place right afterwards.

Yes, I realize that which is why I was addressing the poster who said that Discovery should be closer to that. That era of Trek design is fatigued.

There are plenty of ways to go in a different direction regarding ship design without it ending up hideous and having to resort to ripping off 40+ year old rejected concept art.

From the sounds of it there are some rights issues involved with this design as Fuller has said so it's not a rip off and I imagine credit will be given where due.
Secondly it's not a rejected design, it's an unused design for an abandoned Movie.

 

[eyeresist]

Here's a take on the McQuarrie design that I really like:

I'm afraid I don't like that (though in the future, who knows?). It has a very sterile, impersonal look, like an MRI machine or some other piece of hospital equipment. Also, it's basically the D with its arms stretched out.

 

[BK613]

Ugly.

 

[Mach5]

lso, it's basically the D with its arms stretched out.

The nacelle struts are the only thing they have in common. The saucer is very different (a classic "sombrero", compared to D's elliptical saucer), the "neck" is much slimmer, and the main deflector, and the nacelles themselves look nothing like D's.

 

[eyeresist]

I'm just talking about the overall impression I'm getting.

 

[John Clark]

I'll want to see the final design (and it won't stop me watching the show whatever) but at the moment, I'm not that keen on the design.

We'll see how it looks when they've published some finished shots.

 

[Draculasaurus]

It's a little clunky, but I don't really subscribe to the idea that they ought to all be beautiful like some fans do. I like it well enough.
There's kind of an '80s feeling to some of the shapes, specifically around the deflector. -kind of post-chrome, thin bezeled modular angles.
Funny that we didn't see the classic hero ship 3/4 view.
The triangle is kind of heavy. I wonder if it's designed with solo star drive section looks in mind.
For all we know, the saucer will get destroyed in the first episode and the rest of the adventure will be in the star drive.
Who knows.

 

[Cox of Seagulls]

It's ugly as sin. But I have a feeling that might be intentional. Maybe it's an old failed experimental craft that Starfleet has taken out of storage for whatever reason. Or maybe the crew is made up on screw-ups who are posted to this thing as a punishment like in the rebooted Battlestar Galactica.

 

[eyeresist]

It's ugly as sin. But I have a feeling that might be intentional. Maybe it's an old failed experimental craft that Starfleet has taken out of storage for whatever reason. Or maybe the crew is made up on screw-ups who are posted to this thing as a punishment like in the rebooted Battlestar Galactica.

How is that a punishment? If they're inside it, they don't have to look at the thing!

 

[JD]

I really wish there were more options, I don't think I'd call it gorgeous, but I do like. It's very different than the usual ships, but that's part of what I like about it.

 

[Cyfa]

I like it! In my eyes it does "look good", but it's hardly beautiful, or nicely proportioned. I like a lot of the details - the indented, ridged circle on/under the saucer; the deflector, the triple Bussard collectors on each nacelle - for me, it is the sum of its parts, but I think (hope?) the finished article will make it 'come alive'.
The teaser we've had has made me even more excited for the new show - even if this isn't the 'hero ship' (I have a feeling - like many others - that all is not as it seems, and this Discovery will be found many years after it was actually in service, either drifting, or a wreck, or after travelling through time etc.).

 

[Psion]

I liked the McQ design and it was a treat seeing an adaptation of work he did decades ago finally come to life. While I wouldn't have liked seeing it as the Enterprise, it sure works nicely for a different starship.

Some changes I'd like to see:

• More refinement of the nacelle domes. I like the idea of multiple domes per nacelle and the cage assembly over the domes themselves, but it looked a little clunky.
• An impulse engine at the starship's center-of-mass. The blue squealing things, which I assume were the impulse engines, were a little low on the ship to work right. Of course, McQ's original design was even worse in this regard.
• A proper dish for the main deflector. Yeah, I like glowy things, too, but a good, old-fashioned parabolic dish looks more functional.
  
• What a honking-huge shuttlebay! That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're going to make the shuttlebay so large, put some thought into shuttle operations. Maybe a wide center door for retrieval flanked by two smaller doors on either side for launches.
• Drones. Reflect your production era. A starship surrounded by unmanned vehicles that fan out when the ship exits warp and enters orbit adds to the logistical and data-gathering capabilities of that starship. It also explains how a ship can support landing parties on a planet while the ship's orbit takes it below horizon. Imagine this ship looking like a beehive surrounded by countless support craft.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Here's a take on the McQuarrie design that I really like:

She's beautiful. That's the same shape, but sleeker and with more graceful lines. Recognisably classic elements, that can be swapped out to reflect whichever era Discovery was built.

 

[Jedi_Master]

My first impression was not good - clunky, to small of a saucer, way too many Ralph Mcquarrie angles, and that copper color. Ugh.
I haven't warmed up to the design, but at least it is unique and somewhat original. Over the past thirty years we have had one sorta grey, smooth angled, cookie cutter ship after another. This is a unique design, so it bodes well for the series being unique as well.

 

[Kahless the Unforgettable]

It's not all the little accents or even the color scheme most people have an issue with. It's that big, stupid attempt to shove the Starfleet symbol into the design that makes the ship look like the aborted fetus of a Klingon-Human mating of technology. No amount of accents, polishing, or color changing will fix that. Nothing will make it look good other than to completely redesign that entire section of the ship from the ground up.

Not entirely sure why so many other people seem to imply otherwise when "analyzing" the critics' dislike.