If voyager was a Galaxy class star ship???

[Kai Winn]

there are a lot of episodes that wouldn't have worked so good with a crew of 1,000 instead of 150. i liked the voayager design a lot better than the loveboat e-d. which was so much stronger than the difference in size suggests. i believe the replicators can explain the fresh uniforms, the supply with torpedoes, and much more. the holodecks and other indulgences don't necessarily waste energy, possibly almost any matter and energy used on the ship was recoverable.

 

[Red Ranger]

There were enough similarities between VOY and TNG that having a Galaxy-class ship would've made the comparison even more unbearable. It's preferable that each series has its own class starship. It shows that Starfleet is a big organization, willing to experiment with all kinds of starships with different capabilities and technologies, like the neural gel packs and having an EMH on board. Besides, I like the design of the Interepid-class, and the fact that its smaller size and crew make it seem more vulnerable in the big, bad, Delta Quadrant. I do find it interesting that with the exception of TOS, where Enterprise had been in service for years already, and DSN, where they manned an old Cardassian montrosity (before Defiant), that all the other series featured fresh, newly launched ships.

 

[SpyOne]

I was going to say it would be easier with a Galaxy Class, both due to the better weapons and due to the Galaxy having been designed for long-range missions (carries several years' worth of fuel and replicator material, for instance).
But then I remembered that a lot of the ships Voyager went up against were HUGE. As in, MUCH bigger than anything seen before.

If you are fighting a whale, does it really matter if you have a knife or a sword? To a blue whale, you and a housecat are much the same: too small to worry about.

On TNG and DS9, the Galaxy Class was the third-biggest ship we saw, IIRC, beaten only by the Romulan Warbird and the truly huge Borg Cube. But in the Delta Quadrant, it seems like everybody is using huge ships: the Kazon, the Malon, ... nearly everyone.

 

[Deks]

To my knowledge, the Intrepid classes were designed to be pretty much equal to Galaxy class ships in everything but size (and torpedo compliment).

Both ships are well armed (Intrepid has even more phaser strips for coverage though) and have high capacity shield grids.

The Galaxy may have 200 photon torpedoes, but we have to keep in mind that Voyager (specifically ... and not the Intrepid class in general) was launched with the premise of capturing a small (under-powered) Maqui ship and returning home after just 2 weeks.
Logically speaking, Voyager was probably NOT fully stocked with a full compliment of torpedoes or supplies in general.

We can also come to the reasonable conclusion that Voyager (with all of it's technology available) was able to synthesize new torpedoes during their years in the D.Q. by trading with other species for supplies (which sometimes happened on-screen and mostly off-screen) or simply putting their technology to good use by harvesting any type of raw materials.
Shuttles would fall into the same category.
With their ability to turn energy into matter, or matter into energy, plus gather energy from a variety of sources ... they can essentially spend time on various planets or asteroid fields manufacturing necessary things and resupplying themselves.

People sometimes really think in limited terms and ignore the technology which they have ... not to mention completely discarding on what might have happened off-screen.

Would the journey through the D.Q. been easier for a Galaxy class ship?
Hardly.
Let's keep in mind that in Generations a small BOP managed to severely cripple a Galaxy class ship (which even without it's shields was supposed to have the capacity to pulverize the Klingon fly with a Sierra dispersal pattern of torpedoes).
Or let's take an example from several TNG episodes where the ship in question was overtaken by severely under-classed vessels.

 

[exodus]

Besides, a Galaxy class ship can't land on a planets surface like Voyager. How was a ship that size going to get repaired and re-stocked with supplies if there are very few space docks in the Delta Q.?

If I was the captain, I would try to avoid landing the ship for a trade mission. I don't want the aliens seeing all my fancy stuff. I want to trade them junk and not have them slobbering over my high tech doodads. In fact, I wouldn't even beam down if I could help it. I'd just use shuttles.

Repairs are more problematic, though. In fact, I can imagine some hypothetical scenarios in which I'm stuck in the DQ with my hull breached Galaxy class and you're happily on your way home in your Intrepid.

A Galaxy Class wouldn't be fast enough to out run Species 8472 the way we saw Voyager do.

How long was Voyager running at high warp? A Galaxy might have made it, depending on how long they'd have to run the engines all out.

I don't think landing the ship or staying in space for trade would make much difference. Word of mouth about Voyager spead like wild fire through the Delta Quad. anyway, as we saw. So folks would come after them for their tech regardless.

Voyager's steady top cruising speed at warp was 9.5, right? However, they never covered how long it can maintain it. I assumed if it wasn't mentioned, it was a non-issue and could stay at warp for as long as they needed too.

..but that's a wild guess.

I'm also going by how technology advances in just 5 years in our time. It's about 10 years or so inbetween the design for the Galaxy class to the Intripid. So Voyager has to be far superior to a galaxy class, now making the ENT-E the new state of the art ship. Whatever class ship ENT-E is would put a Galaxy class to shame.

 

[Deks]

Minor correction exodus.
Voyager's top cruising speed was stated repeatedly (on-screen) to be Warp 9.975
A velocity which was never adhered to by the writers when it came to actually travelling at such speeds.

As I already mentioned, taking into consideration technological capabilities and advancement in the Federation, the Intrepid class ended up as an equal to a Galaxy class in everything but size.
Smaller and more powerful ships is what the Feds started to focus on after the Borg attacks.

Presumably the Galaxy class would undergo upgrades to keep it up with the rest of the newest ships ... but at the same time, the Intrepid would also, so there would be no difference between the two in terms of power (only size and torpedo compliment).
Although with the Intrepid being 15 decks high and with a decent internal volume, it probably has the ability to store much more than mere 38 torpedoes (the Defiant was far smaller and it carried over 45 quantum torpedoes).

 

[exodus]

Minor correction exodus.
Voyager's top cruising speed was stated repeatedly (on-screen) to be Warp 9.975
A velocity which was never adhered to by the writers when it came to actually travelling at such speeds.

As I already mentioned, taking into consideration technological capabilities and advancement in the Federation, the Intrepid class ended up as an equal to a Galaxy class in everything but size.
Smaller and more powerful ships is what the Feds started to focus on after the Borg attacks.

Presumably the Galaxy class would undergo upgrades to keep it up with the rest of the newest ships ... but at the same time, the Intrepid would also, so there would be no difference between the two in terms of power (only size and torpedo compliment).
Although with the Intrepid being 15 decks high and with a decent internal volume, it probably has the ability to store much more than mere 38 torpedoes (the Defiant was far smaller and it carried over 45 quantum torpedoes).

Assuming this is true, then what makes the ENT-E different than ENT-D besides size?

 

[Deks]

Well, to my knowledge the Enterprise-E (and by extension the Sovereign class) has better phaser coverage (more phaser strips) in comparison to the Galaxy class.
The Sovereign also features more torpedo tubes which would allow it to fire more torpedoes at the same time.
Torpedo launcher capabilities of the Galaxy class ships (plus we have no reason to think other Federation ships tubes lack those abilities) were quickly forgotten in Season 4 and beyond in TNG.

Size/internal volume, torpedo compliment and phaser array coverage would probably be the only major factor between largest and medium sized SF ships (along with storage ability ... but not necessarily power generation).
I would in fact argue that the classes of ships that are smaller than medium-sized category classes of ships start to encounter the problems with power generation that cannot match the medium/larger classes unless they are specifically designed in such a capacity ... like the the Defiant.

If we take certain things into account, the Defiant per on-screen evidence lacked creature comforts and similar amenities compared to the medium/larger classes of ships.
This approach allowed SF to devote most of it systems for a much more efficient power generation and bring it on par with larger/more powerful ships (ergo you get a small ship with an incredible power output).

Similar thing goes with the Intrepid class.
It lacks a lot of the amenities the Galaxy class has in abundance while retaining a good degree of comfort, plus most of it's systems are automated, requiring less crew to man the ship in question (which also results in more available power for other systems and allows the ship to generate power output similar to the one like on large ships).

Size usually plays part in just how many torpedoes a ship can store, along with resource/fuel storage and the likes.

The largest SF ships could retain superiority over medium-sized ones for a short amount of time (say 6 months up to a year) until the newest tech can be implemented in those classes, or vice-verse (whichever comes first).

Finally, with their technology, crews of various ships can usually adapt and find their own sources of energy/fuel/resources in order to be more self-sufficient.
I would imagine that SF equips smaller ships than the Galaxy class with certain facilities if they decide to send them on long term deep-space assignments.

Voyager was in an unfavourable position in the beginning because it was launched for a very short mission and limited supplies (torpedoes only being 1 prime example).

 

[SchwEnt]

Most of the debate here between Intrepid- versus Galaxy- class Voyagers centers around combat capabilities. When faced with the long duration haul across 70,000 ly, there are other factors besides combat; resources, sustenance duration, crew complement, cargo capacity.

For long haul endurance, which is essentially Voyager's situation (aside from fightin' stuff) I'd have to give it to a Galaxy class as better equipped for the task.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Thing is, unless we're talking about a hypothetical (no not Riker's Enterprise from 2395ish.) Galaxy Class refit, even a bog Standard intrepid Class Starp is a more powerful combatant in 2370 than Picards Enterprise in 2363 and able to last longer in deepspace due to greater advances in recycling and resource control.

Then of course, a Galaxy Class Starship has 900 more crewmen than an intrepid, and lets face it, at one ponit they were picking fruit and digging up roots to feed Janeways Starving crew, and how much more space would they've had to allocate to the airponics bay...

God help us about laundry and "waste" recycling.

A bigger ship would have collapsed under it's own wieght.

 

[Withers]

I would think Security would also be a much bigger problem given how often Voyager is taken over. There would have been a larger security force had it been a Galaxy class but doesn't than ergo that there would have been more phaser fights in the corridors? That's to say nothing of finding an intruder when the internal sensors are off line (or unable to detect said intruder.) I don't know that even Worf could have done anything about Hirogen turning Enterprise D into a flying Holodeck.

-Withers-​

 

[Trevacious]

If I was the captain, I would try to avoid landing the ship for a trade mission. I don't want the aliens seeing all my fancy stuff. I want to trade them junk and not have them slobbering over my high tech doodads. In fact, I wouldn't even beam down if I could help it. I'd just use shuttles.

And I'd disguise the shuttles to look like ramshackle deathtraps!

 

[Saquist]

Yes but the point of the series was mean`t to show the struggle of a smaller ship.

The truth is the Intrepid Class had what Galaxy didn't have.
Efficiency.

-Galaxy expends far too much fuel and needs far too many people and resources to keep those people going.

-Galaxy would not have been able to refit her Coils

-Intrepid could see Much Farther than Galaxy (15 lightyears)
-Speed Factor
-Agility

-Combat wise the Galaxy is cumbersome.
Interpid sports more phaser arrays and the maneuverability to bring her torpedoes to bear on other agile targets. As evidenced from Basics the phasers of a Intrepid class starship are at least on par with the Galaxy


There are few ships that would have faired as well.
Nova- Far too little and too slow
Akira- inadequate offenses and speed. It's a power hog.
Sovereign- Likely but the same issues as Galaxy
Defiant would cut a swath of destruction for a year and half and gone dead
Excelsior - Possible
Miranda - Unlikely
Prometheus - Very Likely

 

[C.E. Evans]

Comparatively, the Galaxy- and Intrepid-classes are well-suited for ships of their respective sizes. Both are efficient designs in their own right, but a smaller ship will always generally use less resources than a larger one, if nothing else because a smaller ship usually has a smaller crew.

Combat-wise is more of an apples and oranges kind of thing. Both ships appear to have the same number of phaser arrays and similar firing arcs, but the Intrepid-class has four torpedo launchers while the Galaxy-class has two (with a third presumably hidden in the rear of the saucer section). Squaring off against ships of comparative size, the two designs probably come out even, but the Intrepid can outflank bigger ships and the Galaxy might be vulnerable to smaller, more maneuverable ships at close range.

Performance wise, the Intrepid-class has a much higher top speed, but that's only good for very short durations. Otherwise, I think both the Intrepid- and Galaxy-classes routinely travel around Warp 6 and then it becomes a case of which design has more fuel at any given time.

The biggest handicap a Galaxy-class ship might have stranded on its own is probably its larger crew--more mouths to feed and a greater demand on crew support/environmental systems. In the Delta Quadrant, a Galaxy-class ship may have to continually operate at reduced power levels to sustain itself and limit its contacts only to advanced, warp-capable worlds featuring what they need for repairs and supplies.

 

[PorthosShadow]

I don't think any Federation starship design is intended to spend years and years out there without any support. They're not that self-sufficient, at least they haven't been shown that onscreen anyway. If nothing else, they'll run out of fuel after a few years, so they can only go so far out there at any given time.

I have to disagree with you there because there was an episode of "Enterprise" in season 3 "E2" where The Enterprise crew ecounters an alternate future version of them selves that have been operating all on their own for over 17 years. It's been a while since I've seen the episode but I do recall that the alternate future Enterprise managed to adapt fairly well to isolation.

Now consider that NX-01 was nowhere near as advanced as either The Enterprise D or Voyager. Yet somehow it and it's crew survived for over 17 years in hostil space and was only "probably" destroyed when it encountered its alternate past self. So yeah, it's safe to say Federation Starships can adapt to extreem situations when they have to. I just wish VOY had actually demonstrated this ability to adapt.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I don't think any Federation starship design is intended to spend years and years out there without any support. They're not that self-sufficient, at least they haven't been shown that onscreen anyway. If nothing else, they'll run out of fuel after a few years, so they can only go so far out there at any given time.

I have to disagree with you there because there was an episode of "Enterprise" in season 3 "E2" where The Enterprise crew ecounters an alternate future version of them selves that have been operating all on their own for over 17 years. It's been a while since I've seen the episode but I do recall that the alternate future Enterprise managed to adapt fairly well to isolation.

Actually, they didn't operate all on their own for over 17 years. They had to form various alliances with various other alien governments for food, supplies, and parts to keep their ship running for that long.

 

[PorthosShadow]

I don't think any Federation starship design is intended to spend years and years out there without any support. They're not that self-sufficient, at least they haven't been shown that onscreen anyway. If nothing else, they'll run out of fuel after a few years, so they can only go so far out there at any given time.

I have to disagree with you there because there was an episode of "Enterprise" in season 3 "E2" where The Enterprise crew ecounters an alternate future version of them selves that have been operating all on their own for over 17 years. It's been a while since I've seen the episode but I do recall that the alternate future Enterprise managed to adapt fairly well to isolation.

Actually, they didn't operate all on their own for over 17 years. They had to form various alliances with various other alien governments for food, supplies, and parts to keep their ship running for that long.

Oh yeah, well as I said I haven't seen that episode in a while but anyway they still adapated with out Federation support.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I don't think any Federation starship design is intended to spend years and years out there without any support. They're not that self-sufficient, at least they haven't been shown that onscreen anyway. If nothing else, they'll run out of fuel after a few years, so they can only go so far out there at any given time.

I have to disagree with you there because there was an episode of "Enterprise" in season 3 "E2" where The Enterprise crew ecounters an alternate future version of them selves that have been operating all on their own for over 17 years. It's been a while since I've seen the episode but I do recall that the alternate future Enterprise managed to adapt fairly well to isolation.

Actually, they didn't operate all on their own for over 17 years. They had to form various alliances with various other alien governments for food, supplies, and parts to keep their ship running for that long.

Oh yeah, well as I said I haven't seen that episode in a while but anyway they still adapated with out Federation support.

Which goes back to what I originally said about Federation starships not being that self-sufficient to spend years and years in space without any help.

 

[Deks]

If we talk about self-sufficiency in a manner of not needing raw materials for re-stocking ... that stands.
However, the NX-01 was much less advanced when compared to the Intrepid class of the late 24th century.

By Voyager's time, ships came equipped with plethora of technologies that would allow the crew to collect most resources on their own and manufacture the needed spare parts/hull plating and whatnot.

The only substance I recall that Voyager needed to obtain from another space-faring civilization was 'Tellerium' (they got it from the Mokra).

I would surmise that most of the things Federation ships require to run can be made on the go and by utilizing nearby raw materials given their conversion technologies (and techs readily available on ships).
At least it would allow a ship like Voyager to restock on it's own with energy and resources when getting to planets, asteroid fields, etc.

Substances such as Tellerium (which are not needed in large quantities) would likely be very difficult for the crew to make on it's own.
Trading is usually done because in Trek, space-faring races are relatively close to each other, and it's a faster way of obtaining resources (but as I already mentioned ... in early Voyager, the crew was discussing about creating certain small-scale 'refineries' to manage their resource issues - but was hardly followed upon in dialogue because writers in their utter stupidity simply failed to use the technology at hand properly).

 

[Kaziarl]

Which goes back to what I originally said about Federation starships not being that self-sufficient to spend years and years in space without any help.

Correct me if I'm wrong be it seems like you're talking about self sufficiency on the level of a ship that can make they're on Dilithium, make their own food, make their own deuterium, make their own antimatter, make their own duranium and anything else they might need without any outside influence what so ever. Thats never going to happen.

And that E2 enterprise (if I'm remembering the episode correctly) lasted longer then 17 years by far. If I remember right it was 180 years. Even with help along the way thats outstanding. Now take voyager who has had what? 2-300 years of technological progress? I am not seeing why this is a difficult concept. But then I don't personally see Self Sufficiency as meaning complete and total isolation from anyone they meet along the way.