Spoilers Starship Design in Star Trek: Picard

[Longinus]

It's more like curiosity. I'm terrible with photoshop but, 15 years ago, I took some elements from the Enterprise-E and added them to the Refit.

Then here's another one I did at the same time, giving the TOS Enterprise, some Refit and Enterprise-E elements.

Sadly my photoshop skills have not gotten any better over the years. As a recent photo where I gave myself a beard demonstrates.

So go easy on me! But it should still give a basic idea of what it could look like.

The beard is the best idea of these three.

 

[fireproof78]

Because presumably the ship are not just empty shells that can be filled with any sort of tech and the shape is just an afterthought. Real technology doesn't work like that. The function informs the shape. You simply couldn't make a modern airplane that looks like a WWI biplane.

Current tech, sure. But this is a supposed post-scarcity world. The Excelsior shape is similar enough that I don't see enough of a difference that would render the Constitution shape any less usable with 24th century tech.

As I said it is my favourite class too, but I'm fine with it staying in the 23rd century.

It can stay in the 23rd century. Fine by me. Just stating a preference, as well as confusion at the notion that a Constitution couldn't be built from the keel up with 24th century materials.

 

[cooleddie74]

Mirror Universe Lord Garth interests me.

 

[Longinus]

Current tech, sure. But this is a supposed post-scarcity world. The Excelsior shape is similar enough that I don't see enough of a difference that would render the Constitution shape any less usable with 24th century tech.

They seem similar to us. But presumably not to people in the setting that understand the technology at more nuanced degree. The things are built in certain way for some purpose. Form follows function and all that. It simply breaks the verisimilitude for this not be the case.

 

[fireproof78]

They seem similar to us. But presumably not to people in the setting that understand the technology at more nuanced degree. The things are built in certain way for some purpose. Form follows function and all that. It simply breaks the verisimilitude for this not be the case.

I don't think it is an impossible task with the supposed tech available to them.

 

[BillJ]

Excelsior was the replacement.

Ambassador class was the replacement for the Excelsior, the Galaxy a replacement for the Ambassador, the Sovereign a replacement for the Galaxy. Yet the Starfleet still seemed to be full of them all the way to the 2370's.

Just because they were retiring the Enterprise doesn't mean they were retiring the entire line.

 

[Longinus]

Ambassador class was the replacement for the Excelsior, the Galaxy a replacement for the Ambassador, the Sovereign a replacement for the Galaxy. Yet the Starfleet still seemed to be full of them all the way to the 2370's.

Just because they were retiring the Enterprise doesn't mean they were retiring the entire line.

Not at once. But by all reason by TNG era they're gone. Also, there definitely should have been more Ambassadors and less Excelsiors. But still, Excelsior was two generations behind TNG era state of the art, Galaxy, so certainly not unreasonable that they would still be in use. Connie would be three generations behind. And by the Picard era Disco ships are like six generations behind the current tech. It is just getting silly.

 

[BillJ]

As late as 2293, we only knew of one Excelsior class ship in service, the USS Excelsior. That was nearly ten years after they were going to retire the "original" Enterprise.

I imagine the Constitution class served well into the 24th century.

 

[Kelso]

I suppose we should all start preparing ourselves to see Discovery ships still in operation in the 31st century.

 

[DaveyNY]

I suppose we should all start preparing ourselves to see Discovery ships still in operation in the 31st century.

Well, at least one anyway...

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[F. King Daniel]

Don't know if this is funny or makes sense, I scribbled it last night when I couldn't sleep

I love this

 

[The Wormhole]

I can't wait for EAS to weigh in on this one. I bet those 4 seconds of spacedock will get 10x the word count of the actual content of the episode

Here you go

Continuity: "Children of Mars" is a Picard prequel set around 2380. Yet, it totally relies on Discovery aesthetics. There is nothing that would insinuate we are some 120 years in the future and in the same continuity as TNG. Even the Federation emblem is DIS-style! The yellow(!) Discovery shuttle may be fitting, considering that it never looked like 23rd century anyway. The same goes for the Magee class and the two tugs at Utopia Planitia. Still, with tons of highly detailed free meshes of authentic 24th century ships floating around, is there an excuse for using exclusively Discovery ships? I mean, other than this being an attempt to retroactively establish Discovery through a backdoor, however unlikely it is for all new or freshly upgraded vessels at Utopia Planitia being over 120 years old designs.

Though, I got to say the part of that review that made me go "Da Fuck?!" was when he claimed the school resembled something out of North Korea.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Here you go

Though, I got to say the part of that review that made me go "Da Fuck?!" was when he claimed the school resembled something out of North Korea.

Got! To! Love! The! Exclamation! Marks! Emphasising! His! Rage!

 

[Noname Given]

You're right. I mean, how frigging hard or expensive could it have been to give us the proper TNG era designs we all love and deserve?

I mean, all they needed to do was take the DSC era digital models and:

1. Turn all the round saucers into ovals
2. Triple the number of windows on them
3. Put stupid looking giant red bubbles in the front end of all the warp nacales

Voila! Instant fan satisfaction regarding the unbelievably important need for representation of TNG era ship designs!

The SAME thing that kept TOS fans (like myself) from getting the original 1701 look WE also deserved in ST: D Season 2. Namely they want do do what they feel is a modern/fresh (production-wise for 2020) and not be beholden to production design decisions from 33-55 years ago.

It's a new production era for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. Deal with it.

 

[Longinus]

The SAME thing that kept TOS fans (like myself) from getting the original 1701 look WE also deserved in ST: D Season 2. Namely they want do do what they feel is a modern/fresh (production-wise for 2020) and not be beholden to production design decisions from 33-55 years ago.

It's a new production era for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. Deal with it.

And I really doubt there would have been much complaints if there were had been some new 24th century ships here. If they want to do their own thing visually, then this is a great opportunity. This is new era that has not been seen before, so they can establish its look. But instead they recycled Discovery assets.

 

[Noname Given]

And I really doubt there would have been much complaints if there were had been some new 24th century ships here. If they want to do their own thing visually, then this is a great opportunity. This is new era that has not been seen before, so they can establish its look. But instead they recycled Discovery assets.

Yep - and it's establishing their take - that the Federation uses ships for a LONG time (much as was infered by the use of the ILM Excelsior Class filming model and other ILM 23c Star Trek film models throughout the run of TNG.)

 

[BillJ]

Don't know if this is funny or makes sense, I scribbled it last night when I couldn't sleep

Brilliant. But you flubbed the comm badge. So NON CANON!!!

Not at once. But by all reason by TNG era they're gone. Also, there definitely should have been more Ambassadors and less Excelsiors. But still, Excelsior was two generations behind TNG era state of the art, Galaxy, so certainly not unreasonable that they would still be in use. Connie would be three generations behind. And by the Picard era Disco ships are like six generations behind the current tech. It is just getting silly.

The Excelsior was still in service when the Sovereign hit the scene, so it was also three generations behind state of the art and still in service in the 2370's.

 

[Ronald Held]

Should we assume the Excelsiors replaced the Connies, if not for technical,then potitical reasons?

 

[BillJ]

Should we assume the Excelsiors replaced the Connies, if not for technical,then potitical reasons?

The Excelsior-class probably spent a time as the top of the line Starfleet ship. But the Connies continued on in support roles well into the 24th century. They simply had to, at least until there was a viable fleet of Excelsiors.

 

[Vger23]

The SAME thing that kept TOS fans (like myself) from getting the original 1701 look WE also deserved in ST: D Season 2. Namely they want do do what they feel is a modern/fresh (production-wise for 2020) and not be beholden to production design decisions from 33-55 years ago.

It's a new production era for the Star Trek franchise as a whole. Deal with it.

I hope you realize that the post I made was basically a giant sarcasm sandwich dripping in ironic sauce.