Rusty but new Klingon flagship

[Enterprise1701]

I don't remember if this was stated in canon or non-canon materials, but Romulan warships have green hulls because that's the color of Romulan blood, and such colorations seem to work for them. Suppose humans operated blood-red-colored ships. Wouldn't that seem less than proper somehow to us?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Romulan warships have green hulls because that's the color of Romulan blood

Really? I have never heard of anything like that, canon or non-canon. Maybe Romulans just like the color green for some cultural reason?

Remember, Romulans and Vulcans are one species, and Vulcans don't particularly concern themselves with green. So I think it must be something cultural attached to the Romulans as a people.

As we've seen on some Romulan vessels, the emblem of the Empire shows an 'eagle' clutching the two Romulan homeworlds in its talons - one of which is green, the other blue. So I think green is associated with Romulus, the planet. (I'm not aware of any blue-colored Romulan ships but there probably are some.)

 

[TheSubCommander]

Maybe its a prerequisite for all Klingon vessels to crash land into the San Francisco Bay on their maiden voyage, for that well-worn, rusty look.

 

[Nebusj]

If you scrape off that "rust" you'll see brand new metal.

Yes, the Klingons use faux finishing!

They like having that well worn look.

``It's worse than Klingons, Mister Spock … it's Klingon hipsters.''

 

[Ithekro]

Maybe they liek the look, feel, and texture of iron oxide.

 

[-Brett-]

I don't remember if this was stated in canon or non-canon materials, but Romulan warships have green hulls because that's the color of Romulan blood, and such colorations seem to work for them. Suppose humans operated blood-red-colored ships. Wouldn't that seem less than proper somehow to us?

For the peaceful, benevolent Federation, yes. If they were introducing a militaristic, aggressive, imperialist human nation, I don't think blood red ships would seem improper.

 

[137th Gebirg]

IIRC, throughout TNG's run, phasers seemed to be loosely linked to the species' blood color, but not hulls. In fact, the Romulan ship miniatures (Bird of Prey, Warbird) were built and painted to be pretty much a dull gray. The Warbird didn't get it's green color until post production.

 

[fireproof78]

IIRC, throughout TNG's run, phasers seemed to be loosely linked to the species' blood color, but not hulls. In fact, the Romulan ship miniatures (Bird of Prey, Warbird) were built and painted to be pretty much a dull gray. The Warbird didn't get it's green color until post production.

Perhaps the post work was done to show it off better against the black background. That is an interesting tidbit.

And I am inclined to agree with the idea that Klingons just use whatever raw materials are available, regardless of quality. In a similar vein, they reuse hulls because it is cheaper, and a better use of resources, only adapting as the situation demands it.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I'm sure there is a quality control issue as well. Scotty's constant harping on the inferior "Klingon [Dilithium] Crystals" in TVH is an indicator that Klingon tech and its usages are not up to Starfleet specs (a clear Cold War swipe/analogue against shoddy Soviet tech back in the 80's when the film was made). This could lead to a premature degradation of materials if not properly manufactured and/or maintained.

 

[wulfio]

How new is "the new Klingon flagship" from DS9: "Way of the Warrior"? I ask because, when we first see it, the interiors are just as rusted and dilapidated as the rest of the Klingon fleet. Of course, the real reason is due to the stock Klingon set being used. But how can we justify this and all the other nonsensical Klingon stuff we have seen over the decades?

(No, "It's just a TV show" isn't allowed!)

I wonder if the Klingons inherited their ships and technology. The old novel Ishmael says the Klingons were enslaved by a race called the Karsid Empire for centuries, and that 600 years ago the Karsids mysteriously vanished, leaving the Klingons with everything they had.

IMO this neatly explains why the Klingons have used the same ships with the same interiors in ENT that they do in DS9 225 years later, how they went from totally outgunning Starfleet in ENT to being roughly even in TOS to being cannon fodder in DS9, as well as how a culture like the Klingons ever made it into space in the first place. Perhaps the Neg'Var was recently found at some ancient Karsid outpost and pressed into service. And maybe Mirror Worf's supersize version is still out there somewhere, like an abandoned Karsid version of the USS Vengeance.

Thoughts? Workable theory or herecy against doctrine?

Why do people buy ripped jeans?

Maybe klingons were actually super trendy and went for the faux rustic look?

 

[PicardAnyCard]

Most metal, after being molded, looks streaky or unfinished or scraped up. My guess would be that, unlike Starfleet, who polish everything to a mirror shine and seal off anything they can with smooth, featureless bulkheads for the sake of a comfortable interior, the Klingons most likely just assemble a ship and leave it at that. Beyond necessary bulkhead coverings (for instance, over potentially dangerous power conduits), they build their ships for form and not function. Sort of like the difference between a cruise ship and an aircraft carrier.

 

[Marsden]

Why do people buy ripped jeans?

Acid wash Klingon ships, the latest in menacing!

 

[137th Gebirg]

I believe it's called the "distressed look". I'm reminded of a scene from "Sh!t my Dad Says" where Shatner was commenting on the price of "distressed" clothing when he said something to the effect of "I have a whole drawer full of distressed underwear that maybe I should sell at a premium". I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that was the general gist. A mediocre show overall, but it did occasionally get me to smile, mostly by the Shatman's doing.

 

[BK613]

[pedantic] The term you are looking for is patina [\pedantic]

 

[Richard Baker]

Most metal, after being molded, looks streaky or unfinished or scraped up. My guess would be that, unlike Starfleet, who polish everything to a mirror shine and seal off anything they can with smooth, featureless bulkheads for the sake of a comfortable interior, the Klingons most likely just assemble a ship and leave it at that. Beyond necessary bulkhead coverings (for instance, over potentially dangerous power conduits), they build their ships for form and not function. Sort of like the difference between a cruise ship and an aircraft carrier.

What was really jarring is seeing parts of the K'Tinga TMP Bridge set being recycled for STII in the Engineering, Torpedo Bay and Regula One Transporter Room- of course everything was painted up pretty and polished to a mirror shine...

 

[phredy]

My view is that it's the sign of a culture in crisis where everyone is so busy trying to be an honorable warrior no one does maintenance.
If the Klingons have an empire, it is most likely that in contains many non-Klingon humanoids. Now they could be genocidal, but given the number of advanced beings on the Federation side that we know of, the Klingons probably play nice and have an assimilative empire instead: speak Klingon and adopt Klingon ways and you are a Klingon. (It's always been my view that the TOS Klingons were Klingonized humaniods.)
For non-Klingons, a Pax Klingonica might be a pretty sweet deal: for example, while the proper Klingons are out expanding the Empire, your Klingonized people are doing all the merchant shipping, gaining wealth and power along the way.
Anyway, after a while, proper Klingons would notice that they were losing control over their own country, so to speak, and getting it back would be difficult. One way to assert your difference and superiority would be to hearken back to the 'good old days' when everyone ate raw food, wore hockey gear, sang opera, fought with big knives and went on constantly about their warrior ethos. If everyone is expected to do that, then no one is going to school to learn a real job, so there is no money for new ships and no one to keep them running. They don't want non-Klingons on their ships to do the work because they are trying to keep control by only having proper Klingons in the military, but don't want to do maintenance themselves; things get worse so the Klingons spout more about their honor. Classic negative feedback.

P.S. The later era Klingon ships seen in "Enterprise" have been sent back in time to try to avoid the crisis of Empire.

 

[Hypaspist]

If the Klingons have an empire, it is most likely that in contains many non-Klingon humanoids. Now they could be genocidal, but given the number of advanced beings on the Federation side that we know of, the Klingons probably play nice and have an assimilative empire instead: speak Klingon and adopt Klingon ways and you are a Klingon. (It's always been my view that the TOS Klingons were Klingonized humaniods.)

The way I've always looked at it is that the Klingons don't value intellectuals in the same way as the Federation, but they obviously see the use in having skilled technicians and would utilize whatever technology they could find. Whether they came up with the transporter on their own doesn't matter - they saw its practical use and adopted it with zeal. They didn't use photon torpedoes in TOS, but they saw that it was a powerful weapon and presumably reverse engineered it from captured Federation ships. Now it seems like photon torpedoes are their primary weapon, just like the Federation. Their priorities have never been on aesthetics or on comfort, but they are glad to use other technology.

As for those subject planets - I think it's pretty clear that they are basically following the exact opposite of the prime directive. The only way for them to stay competitive is to squeeze every last bit of manpower from their subject worlds to do their menial tasks. Another nod to the Soviet analogy is that they never throw anything away. They are using still using D7s in the Dominion War. The only time the Federation is interested in refitting 100 year old ships appears to be in "Yesterday's Enterprise," where Starfleet is a military force akin to the Klingon deep space fleet.

 

[Amaris]

Actually, I recall seeing a number of Miranda class starships in the Dominion war. I like to refer to them as "cannon fodder."

 

[137th Gebirg]

Pretty safe to say that they may be Miranda-types in appearance only, and use what appeared to be a tested and long-lived spaceframe (unlike the Constitution class, apparently), but all its internals are strictly 24th century (judging how Sisko's Saratoga looked on the inside at Wolf 359). All the registry numbers we've seen for TNG and DS9 Mirandas appear to place them as newer builds and I doubt very few original 23rd century models are still in service.