"MadUniverse" Romulan Battlecruiser

[Kaiser]

Looks cool and reminds me of the big Romulan ship from Star Trek : Starfleet Academy for SNES

Do you have an image of that? I never played that one...

i could try and look for one on Google or Trekcore

nope couldnt find one for the Snes version and Trek core only had one for the 32X Genesis version

 

[Vance]

Doesn't fit with either the Prime or Nu 'Verses, unfortunately. (Nu Verse would still have Romulans stealing Feddie tech to make their first starships, a situation made MORE likely by the movie, when you think on it)

It's also got an awful lot of D'Deridex is the design. I like the D'Deridex a lot, mind you, but seems out of place here. Too modern, particularly for a race that isn't using M/AM drives at all yet.

 

[MadMan1701A]

Doesn't fit with either the Prime or Nu 'Verses, unfortunately. (Nu Verse would still have Romulans stealing Feddie tech to make their first starships, a situation made MORE likely by the movie, when you think on it)

It's also got an awful lot of D'Deridex is the design. I like the D'Deridex a lot, mind you, but seems out of place here. Too modern, particularly for a race that isn't using M/AM drives at all yet.

I never understood the whole thing about how the Romulans were supposed to be almost primitive by Federation standards, back in TOS. To be a "Star-Empire", I would think that they would be at least on the same level as the Feds. To use Enterprise as an example (I know, I know) the Romulans seemed MORE advance than the Starfleet guys. Anyway, I would expect a race that left their home planet thousands of years ago would be pretty advanced.

 

[MadMan1701A]

OOooooooo!! Pretty lights!

You thought about general colours that these Romulans will use? In this kind of era, I would have thought you're almost free to come up with what you want, since the green of the D'Deridex and scout vessels isn't yet being used in-universe, and the only ship we've seen in this era (in the Prime Universe anyway) was the Bird of Prey from the TOS series.

I was actually thinking of a golden/coppery color. that was I can use Green highlights.

 

[Wingsley]

Doesn't fit with either the Prime or Nu 'Verses, unfortunately. (Nu Verse would still have Romulans stealing Feddie tech to make their first starships, a situation made MORE likely by the movie, when you think on it)

It's also got an awful lot of D'Deridex is the design. I like the D'Deridex a lot, mind you, but seems out of place here. Too modern, particularly for a race that isn't using M/AM drives at all yet.

I never understood the whole thing about how the Romulans were supposed to be almost primitive by Federation standards, back in TOS. To be a "Star-Empire", I would think that they would be at least on the same level as the Feds. To use Enterprise as an example (I know, I know) the Romulans seemed MORE advance than the Starfleet guys. Anyway, I would expect a race that left their home planet thousands of years ago would be pretty advanced.

Just because the Romulans used a fearsome weapon in "Balance of Terror" doesn't mean their warp engine technology had to be on par with the TOS Federation. "Balance" introduced the supposition that the Romulans were alien, maybe they bought or stole some of their technology for their ships someplace, but the rest of their culture and technology was completely alien, meaning it did not evolve the same way that the Federation's did. "Balance" was making the point that their Bird of Prey was a one-trick pony: it had a powerful weapon and a cloaking device, but the engines could never match the Enterprise.

As for how it could be that way, well, presumably the Romulans fled Vulcan two millennia before TOS, settled on Romulus, and promptly went into a dark age. (That's how Diane Duane postulated their history in her novel "The Romulan Way".) Much later, they emerged from their dark age and eventually became rivals with Earth and the Coalition.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

How about a little "backstory" on this... why, in other words, does this look different from what little we saw during TOS?

Would the RSE have been aware of Nero's attack on the Kelvin? Would there have been some contact between UFP and RSE post-Kelvin as a result of that attack? How would that have altered the Romulan timeline?

It's always a good idea to figure out the WHY, I think... the "what" follows pretty easily once you've taken that first step!

 

[SilentP]

Well a justification for the changes in Starfleet's design of ships was that it was based off tech scanned from the Narada. Knowing the Romulan's skills for espionage and intelligence gathering, I wouldn't put it past them to have gotten their hands on those scans after they cought wind of the Kelvin incident, whether through being contacted by the Federation demanding an explanation or whether their normal intelligence activities picked up the event.

In either case, 25 years is a decent amount of time to incorporate those new advances into existing Romulan technology, since one could presume that there's more compatibility with their current tech with their future tech, in comparison to Starfleet's compatibility with future Romulan tech.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

OOooooooo!! Pretty lights!

You thought about general colours that these Romulans will use? In this kind of era, I would have thought you're almost free to come up with what you want, since the green of the D'Deridex and scout vessels isn't yet being used in-universe, and the only ship we've seen in this era (in the Prime Universe anyway) was the Bird of Prey from the TOS series.

You know, that's actually a very good point. I've always thought the bird of prey look too damn much like a Fed saucer, like they managed to steal the blueprints and tech specs of the Miranda class. What if, in this universe, the Nerada (and subsequent high alert of the Federation) made that impossible? What if they were forced to take from someone else? The Klingons? Cardassians? Old Vulcan designs, perhaps? How would that influence their ship designs?

 

[MadMan1701A]

I like all the ideas I've heard so far.

So far, the general arrangement of this thing is vaguely Klingon, and my original idea for this had them either sharing tech, or the Romulans stealing it... either way works. The way I see it, the Narada showing up has thrown the whole area into an arms race, I guess is what I would call it... with the Klingons blaming the Romulans, and everyone being scared and whatnot.

About the Bird of Prey, and why this looks so different... we only saw that one type of Romulan ship on the show, and then the Klingon ships show up. I know of the real-world reason, but what if those Klingon styled ships looked more like the one that I am building here? I don't think that that one Bird of Prey was the best that the Empire had... I think is was just used as a disposable weapon.

Anyway, what I am getting at, is that the Empire must have had tons of ship classes we never saw... just like all the Federation ships couldn't have looked like the Enterprise, but that the only kind we saw.

I hope some of that is decipherable...

 

[Vance]

You know, that's actually a very good point. I've always thought the bird of prey look too damn much like a Fed saucer, like they managed to steal the blueprints and tech specs of the Miranda class.

And that's exactly it! The original drafts of the script had it that the new Romulan Cruiser was based on stolen technology, implicating Vulcan heavily in espionage. The only thing the Romulans hadn't build their own of was a M/AM warp drive.

TNG actually picks up on this espionage a bit more.. though sadly not enough.

What if, in this universe, the Nerada (and subsequent high alert of the Federation) made that impossible? What if they were forced to take from someone else? The Klingons? Cardassians? Old Vulcan designs, perhaps? How would that influence their ship designs?

In this universe, they would likely be still stealing from the Feddies (due to using Vulcan), but would have designs more approaching the Kelvin and her ilk. After Vulcan's demise, you can easily expect Romulan agents to 'slip' into refugee settlements, etc. in all the chaos. If anything, the desperation of Vulcan may make it MORE likely that the Romulans would look more to their existing anti-Feddie espionage channels.

 

[Morpheus 02]

This vaguely reminds me of a Klingon cruiser some one did here...i think it was supposed to be 25th century Klingon cruiser. i think it was a looong time ago, as i can't find it in my message subscriptions. Anyone know what i am talking about?

It was red, i believe...

 

[MadMan1701A]

Well, I made some more progress.... Now it has FINS!

Also, I'm thinking some about what powers this thing... I decided it doesn't have a "Warp Core" and it's too early for them to be having their Artificial Singularity power source... but Warp Engines can be powered by Fusion Reactors, right? That's what I figure these things are... Nice big Fusion Reactors.

Does that work, Vance? I remember that plot idea, where the Romulan BOP was built or reverse engineered from a Federation Design... and that's cool for that particular ship. But, I'm sure they had their own designs, too...

 

[Vance]

Well, I made some more progress.... Now it has FINS!

That actually kinda helps. The 'beak' probably needs some tweaking as well, to make it a bit more primitive looking. Maybe steal the Kelvin's bridge dome for the upper half and modify it? (The whole ship doesn't have to look like a Feddie knock-off, but PARTS probably should, since that's what we're talking about.)

Also, I'm thinking some about what powers this thing... I decided it doesn't have a "Warp Core" and it's too early for them to be having their Artificial Singularity power source... but Warp Engines can be powered by Fusion Reactors, right? That's what I figure these things are... Nice big Fusion Reactors.

"Simple Impulse" can power warp drives, just at a lower rate of speed and for fixed duration. Impulse power does indeed refer to the impulse channeled fusion engines. (And is why the Romulan Cruiser was concerned about fuel so much.)

Does that work, Vance? I remember that plot idea, where the Romulan BOP was built or reverse engineered from a Federation Design... and that's cool for that particular ship. But, I'm sure they had their own designs, too...

Like I said, you don't have to have the whole ship that way (though that was the Cruiser's plot point), but recognizable elements could show up, particularly at the parts they're likely to steal! (Such as the impulse core and drive, and perhaps the small-gun mounts.)

Flavor-wise, I would use the slight green tinge anyway. I know we don't really see it until TNG, but I always thought that it went a long way to giving the Rommies some unique character, and there's really no in-verse reason (either one) to NOT do this.

 

[Vance]

So, specific recommendations

1: Use the Kelvin's impulse texturing where the two 'gaps' are on the aft of the ship, on either side of the central fin. This most pointedly keeps our espionage thing going without having the Cruiser.

2: Encompass the impulse stacks with something so they're not exposed. We're not at the D'Deridex level, so some housing is needed. Again, I would look to the Kelvin style secondary hull plating for cues for this.

3: Kelvin/Enterprise hybrid warp nacelles. They're not M/AM engines, so they don't get all the way to the cool stuff, but they should look a little more 'modern' than the cigars. This will likely be the piece that harkens to the Cruiser the most.

4: Use something akin to the Kelvin's bridge dome for the boom's bride. Doesn't have to be a direct lift, again, but it should hint that some of this bird's technology isn't exactly native.

5: Lastly, in the same vein, use Kelvin-style emplacements along the front ventral and dorsal of the secondary hull for it's 'phaser banks'.

Optionally: Add some mass to the boom, like an 'ECM rail', maybe glowing, to show the guts of the Plasma Launcher, if you're inclined to use it. (Maybe even have a visible conduit leading to the impulse generation housing cowls.)

 

[MadMan1701A]

Yep. I agree about the green part.

I don't know that the stolen plans / tech would end up looking the same on the outside... say for instance, the bridge. Why would they build it just like one of ours, instead of just using the parts they wanted, and sticking them into a design of theirs? Meaning, if they want, say the computer core, or the navigation systems, wouldn't it just be easier to replicate that part, and not build the bridge in whole? I don't know... If I was going to steal a design, I think, at the very least, I would stick a different cover on it.

 

[Vance]

I don't know that the stolen plans / tech would end up looking the same on the outside... say for instance, the bridge.

Thematic. The Cruiser was -way- too much of a saucer, etc, but it was supposed to drive home the point that "The Romulans are among us!" with the tech stealing. Having recognizable (not identical) components will accomplish the same idea.

The Kelvin's bridge dome, recolored and slightly tweaked, wouldn't be immediately glaring on the model, but it would be one of those things that a Feddie would say "Those Rommie Bastards!" if they knew to look. (Similar to how a lot of components on Chinese blue-water ships look awfully famliar...)

If I was going to steal a design, I think, at the very least, I would stick a different cover on it.

Well, like I said, they most obvious part will be the nacelles, since the components are most likely identical (or close to it). The gun-emplacements make the most since to be similar since they're the same weapon (stolen or not), working the same way, doing the same thing.

 

[MadMan1701A]

Oops, we were posting at the same time.

I like the idea of a similar texture on the impulse engines... and the fact they had to build two big ones, instead of a smaller one like on the Kelvin.

Another thought... the only habitable areas on this ship are in the "Head". I'm going to add a shuttlebay up there somewhere, and there will be very few windows. Everything in the back of the ship is all equipment... I guess they aren't as miniaturized as the Feds, yet.

 

[MadMan1701A]

OK, I think you're on to something with the Federation Styled nacelles.

I'm going to re-build them, of course, but they'll look familiar.

 

[MadMan1701A]

OK... Here are my Romulan styled nacelles...

I'm really glad Vance suggested this... I think it looks good this way.

Onward to more detailing...

 

[Kaiser]

this vessel looks Romulan to me