How Would You Modify Enterprise-B For A Series?

[Knight Templar]

I've been thinking of an idea of a series based around the Excelsior class Enterprise (not with Captain Harriman). My idea is it would begin in 2319 or so more than 20 years after the launch of the Enterprise Excelsior class.

My thinking is the Excelsior class ship would undergo some kind of "midlife refit" like the original Constitution class Enterprise had (though perhaps not quite as extensive).

For me, I would modify the secondary (engineering) hull considerably. Trimming it down. Removing those extra sections added on in Generations and perhaps flattening out some of the curves of it somewhat. Trimmer, more angular. And an upgrade of the engine nacelles as well.

Keep the saucer like it is.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

In the book continuity, the only captains the B had were Harriman and Sulu with a voyage under someone else while Sulu was on family leave.

As to changing the configuration, the B design was already a refit of the basic excelsior design. Although I prefer the original configuration to the enterprise configuration, why would they later remove all the additions?

Also, we have seen lots of Excelsiors in canon. All of them looked like the original with the exception of the Lakota which looked like the B. I can't imagine a different configuration.

I for one don't see the need to change the layout, especially if the story doesn't require a change to the ship.

 

[Knight Templar]

In the book continuity, the only captains the B had were Harriman and Sulu with a voyage under someone else while Sulu was on family leave.

As to changing the configuration, the B design was already a refit of the basic excelsior design. Although I prefer the original configuration to the enterprise configuration, why would they later remove all the additions?

Also, we have seen lots of Excelsiors in canon. All of them looked like the original with the exception of the Lakota which looked like the B. I can't imagine a different configuration.

I for one don't see the need to change the layout, especially if the story doesn't require a change to the ship.

Who cares? There could be plenty of in universe reasons to make changes to the ship.

As for the book continuity.

Another who cares? I bet most fans would just as soon forget Harriman entirely.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Who cares? If you don't want opinions, DON'T ASK FOR THEM!!!

Harriman was actually well developed in the books and his troubles in Generations well explained.

You asked about changing the configuration, I think it looks fine as-is. Once again, if you don't care, don't ask.

 

[Knight Templar]

Who cares? If you don't want opinions, DON'T ASK FOR THEM!!!

Harriman was actually well developed in the books and his troubles in Generations well explained.

You asked about changing the configuration, I think it looks fine as-is. Once again, if you don't care, don't ask.

I apologize if I seem strident.

But I did not want opinions about "why" the Enterprise-B might be modified. I wanted opinions as to "how".

And I have no interest in the novel rehabilitation of Harrimans character.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Why does it have to be the Ent-B? Why not just do a different ship of the era?

There was an interesting Excelsior crossover in the 2011 SOTL calender named the USS Balmung created by madkoifish. I suggest looking at it to see how cruiser design evolved. Perhaps you can find some interesting design elements there. Or, you may decide to use the Balmung, which could use some development.

 

[Timo]

The modifications in ST:GEN created something of a late 19th century or WWI battleship feel, with the add-ons moving the center of visual gravity down. If you dislike that, or want to distance yourself from that for some other reason, the logical step would be to give weight to the upper parts of the ship.

Say, remove the black flanges from the neck and make it much slimmer and lighter-looking, perhaps with hints of the curving shapes of the Galaxy era, and you have given gravitas to the saucer. And make the nacelles top-heavy as well, by emphasizing their top surfaces; these are light and textured in the "next big thing", the Ambassador class, standing out more than the dark Excelsior ones. Perhaps make the nacelles wider, more "horizontal" as well, again presaging a 24th century trend (but for elegance, remove the ST:GEN forward end add-ons, and replace with classic TNG style ramscoops).

Or something.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Shatinator]

In the book continuity, the only captains the B had were Harriman and Sulu with a voyage under someone else while Sulu was on family leave.

As to changing the configuration, the B design was already a refit of the basic excelsior design. Although I prefer the original configuration to the enterprise configuration, why would they later remove all the additions?

Also, we have seen lots of Excelsiors in canon. All of them looked like the original with the exception of the Lakota which looked like the B. I can't imagine a different configuration.

I for one don't see the need to change the layout, especially if the story doesn't require a change to the ship.

MatthiasRussell

Which novels talk about the Excelsior as you detailed, and which one's deal with Captain Harriman.

And just for the record I do care for others opinions- that is why a take part in a forum instead of talking to my wall.

 

[Forbin]

Why does it have to be the Ent-B? Why not just do a different ship of the era?

Because that's what he asked. Why are you going to such extremes to NOT answer his question and attempting to neuter it?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I never had any problems with the add-ons to the E-B. They needed a section to destroy so they added it. In universe they could house new sensor equipment, or were added for additional cargo space, maybe a larger arboretum.

As for Harriman, we saw him for all of ten minutes in a scenario where Kirk had to be made to look heroic (which really annoys the hell out of me, but that's a matter for another board). If you discount the books, you have to believe that he was obviously qualified enough to command such an important ship. As for the ship only have two long-term Captains, there's no way to know, as there has never been a decommissioning/destruction date for the E-B.

 

[Knight Templar]

Why does it have to be the Ent-B? Why not just do a different ship of the era?

.

Because I like to see Star Trek as the great tapestry of human history played out before the vessels, ships, starships, timeships, what have you named Enterprise.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'd love to see either a series from the early 24th century or one based onboard an Excelsior-Class ship.

So to me its win win

 

[MacLeod]

I think first decide the parameteres of why the ship would have been modified. Why would the bulges have been removed, why would it be more angular. What purposes does this serve.

Once you know what you need the ship to do, then you can think about how this modifications would look..

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Why does it have to be the Ent-B? Why not just do a different ship of the era?

Because that's what he asked. Why are you going to such extremes to NOT answer his question and attempting to neuter it?

I'm just giving a bunch of ideas. That's what you do during an initial brain storming. I noted the one ship to give some ideas and present an alternative.

Open forum. We are free to throw in whatever opinions and options we like.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Which novels talk about the Excelsior as you detailed, and which one's deal with Captain Harriman.

And just for the record I do care for others opinions- that is why a take part in a forum instead of talking to my wall.

A portion of Harriman's tenure is in David R George's Serpents Among Ruins which tells the story behind the treaty where Starfleet agreed not to develop cloaking devices and why the Romulans fled behind the neutral zone for a century.

The Captain's Table anthology tells a story about Sulu as captain.

The Haynes Guide to the Enterprise also speaks of the history oif the 1701-B.

 

[Dukhat]

I've been thinking of an idea of a series based around the Excelsior class Enterprise (not with Captain Harriman). My idea is it would begin in 2319 or so more than 20 years after the launch of the Enterprise Excelsior class.

My thinking is the Excelsior class ship would undergo some kind of "midlife refit" like the original Constitution class Enterprise had (though perhaps not quite as extensive).

For me, I would modify the secondary (engineering) hull considerably. Trimming it down. Removing those extra sections added on in Generations and perhaps flattening out some of the curves of it somewhat. Trimmer, more angular. And an upgrade of the engine nacelles as well.

Keep the saucer like it is.

You're welcome to do anything you want in your own personal fiction, but if you feel you need to stay within the confines of the show's canonicity, then you might have a problem. We saw quite a lot of Excelsiors in DS9, and with only one single exception, they were all of the original variety (and the Lakota looked exactly like the Enterprise-B because, well, it was the same studio model ).

Since none of those other ships had any external changes in their 80-year lifespan, why would the Ent-B be changed so radically?

But I digress...I'm assuming that you're thinking that if someone were to make a new Trek series featuring the Ent-B (which is what I now wish ENT did...), then they'd want a different ship than the Excelsior because that design is so old. Well, I'd just eliminate the secondary hull altogether, and retcon those large thingies on each side of the saucer into warp engines like the Defiant. Now you've got a compact, self-contained starship without all the bulk.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

There is one MAJOR issue I have with the Excelsior/Ent B that could be changed without impacting the general appearance. The secondary hull is largely an empty shell open to space with a rectangular structure inside housing the shuttle bay. Most of that curved region is just a semi monoque shell with nothing in it. That secondary hull is a large waste of space which could use to be enclosed and utilized better.

If anyone ever built the AMT model or has the current Round 2 Ent B model, you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Knight Templar]

I think first decide the parameteres of why the ship would have been modified. Why would the bulges have been removed, why would it be more angular. What purposes does this serve.

Once you know what you need the ship to do, then you can think about how this modifications would look..

Faster at both sublight and warp with more firepower and strong shields.

And a fully functioning cloaking device. My proposed captain not being a big fan of the Treaty of Algeron (see fan fiction short story in the near future).

 

[Wingsley]

Possible changes to the Excelsior-class Enterprise-B:

1: try bringing some aspects of the Enterprise-C's saucer (seen in TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise") backward to the Enterprise-B, like maybe a smoother saucer hull and lighted domes on the topside and underside vortices.

2: I would also add a retro touch from TOS: use the block-style naval hull lettering from the TOS Enterprise.

3: I agree that the "neck"/"interconnecting dorsal" pylon should be thinner. That pylon on the Excelsior and Enterprise-E was both way too bulky, which messed up the "see through" nature of the original Jefferies design, especially the aft view.

4: Find new places for the photon torpedo launchers. Maybe the lower leg of the warp nacelle pylons? Just for something different.

5: The interiors of the ship would be a more imperative challenge. The movies and "Yesterday's Enterprise" did not explore the bridge design (or other set designs) as thoughtfully as TOS's Enterprise or TNG's Enterprise-D. The C and B looked like recycled bits of A and D. That always disappointed me.

6: I'm all in favor of bringing some of the Galaxy-class transporter room's design cues backward. They made a great deal of sense.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

I'd turn the extra impulse drives into cargo or shuttle bays, and add TNG-esque (but different-looking) lifeboat hatches and transporter emitters to imply a move towards that kind of look. Make the nacelle caps amber/orange/red.