Ships from Star Trek Online

[SicOne]

Mods, not sure if this should have gone to Trek Tech or Trek Gaming, so bear with me.

Anyone have any thoughts about the two new Federation ship classes as described in Star Trek Online (www.startrekonline.com), the new game?

There is the Oslo-class, a modular design which appears to be a follow-on to the seldom-seen Norway-class, as well as the "NX-91001", which appears to be a Sovereign-class with slightly longer nacelles, some kind of pod (torpedo launcher? NX-01 nod?) suspended between the nacelles, and a more pronounced blade-like forward portion of the primary hull. From the source material, the Oslo is most definitely a warship, with parts interchangable between the Zephyr (?) and Akira-classes, and the NX-91001 even more of a dedicated warship.

Not to knock or flame the creators, but quite frankly I thought I would have seen more originality than a modification of the somewhat milquetoast Norway, and more flair on a modified Sovereign than what appears on the NX-91001 (IMHO, the pod between the nacelles breaks up the graceful Sovereign lines a little too much). And also thought the Luna-class would have figured more prominently in the material, as well as the Vesta-class (USS Aventine from the "Destiny" trilogy), as those were also newer designs, as well as (from the various novels) battle-tested. Or even variations on the Intrepid and Prometheus-classes.

Also, and just thought of this, does anyone know if this game predates the "Titan" novels? That would also explain some of it...as well as the timeline inconsistencies with the novels.

But that's a thread for Trek Lit.

Discuss.

 

[Dukhat]

I think the ship designs for Star Trek: Online are absolute crap, and that the designers have not a single original bone in their bodies. I mean, really, the Klingon Raptor from the 22nd century as a 25th century ship, with zero modifications? They couldn't even create their own design...they had to steal it from ENTERPRISE? When I go to SciFi-Meshes and see the terrific, original artwork that Joe Startrekfan has created, and then see STO's garbage that people are PAID to create, I shudder in revulsion.

And no, it doesn't predate the Titan novels, it takes place 30 years after them. Which again shows how sloppy the are. In 30 years since "Nemesis" I would expect both the Federation and the Klingons to have come up with brand-new types of ships and propulsion systems, and not knock-offs of previous designs.

 

[JNG]

Haven't been too impressed. Many of the notable talents from Cryptic moved with City of... when it was sold—or were swept under the rug towards the end of its genesis

 

[nx1701g]

Star Trek Online started out by borrowing from the novels with some events, but when Trek XI was announced they started moving closer to the movie storylines. You can see this in the history of the future posts that they have on their website.

Their upgrade of the sovereign the pod is an impulse engine.

 

[The_Beef]

I kind of like the Oslo but I'll agree it's definitely not very creative. The mutated Sovereign, however. . .

I've definitely got my doubts if this is the general direction it's going in. I smell another Star Wars Galaxies here.

 

[Jono]

I don't mind the Oslo but I really don't like their Miranda update as shown in their screenshots. Really dislike the jutting sections of the forward hull and the two holes in the hull for no apparent reason.

 

[Kaziarl]

I think they look ok. However from what I've read of the setting; 30 years in the future, etc. etc. I also think their should have been more change in design. Heck, I'd like to see them headed towards the Enterprise J style. Not exactly the same, but getting there. Maybe the extra thin and long pylons.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Looks like somebody's art department has been eating too much Campbell's Chunky Hull Plating.

I'd expect Starfleet ships to get swoopier, sleeker and shinier, not duller, blockier and more angular.

 

[Praetor]

I think what they're doing is trying to move ahead in the timeline far enough that they can do what they want plotwise, yet keep 'familiar' ships (slightly disguised by modifications) because they think the familiar ships will be more of a draw than totally new ships. There might be a lack of creativity there, but I suspect it's more a dramatic conceit for what they're trying to do.

Either way, I'd say they are wrong.

If they wanted to use familiar ships, they should simply have set it in the post-Nemesis timeline and ignored any 'canon' consequences. Then we could have the familiar ships without stretching disbelief so far...

And yes, they do seem to be getting klunkier rather than sleeker.

 

[Captain_Amasov]

Looks like somebody's art department has been eating too much Campbell's Chunky Hull Plating.

I'd expect Starfleet ships to get swoopier, sleeker and shinier, not duller, blockier and more angular.

If you want your ships to look sleeker I'm sure they'll let you reconfigure them, since the game allows you to swap out various external ship components. If you want your Galaxy or Miranda-class to look like they do in the films and tv series then you can leave them as is.

 

[Ronald Held]

Wouldn't better armor be useful during a period of heighten warfare?

 

[Praetor]

Yes... except that based on what we've seen, the ships are pretty much made of cardboard with their shields down. Then again, the Defiant had armor and was relatively smooth.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Wouldn't better armor be useful during a period of heighten warfare?

That's a pretty common conceit. Chunkier does not equal better armored.

That and, the aforementioned cardboardnium alloy used in hull construction.

 

[Unicron]

Yes... except that based on what we've seen, the ships are pretty much made of cardboard with their shields down. Then again, the Defiant had armor and was relatively smooth.

* chuckles * And many ships in Star Wars are said to have shields, yet they seem to blow up fairly easily regardless!

 

[Praetor]

Yes... except that based on what we've seen, the ships are pretty much made of cardboard with their shields down. Then again, the Defiant had armor and was relatively smooth.

* chuckles * And many ships in Star Wars are said to have shields, yet they seem to blow up fairly easily regardless!

Yeeaaahhh... sometimes it's like those shields aren't even there.

 

[SicOne]

I'm thinking the Arvel Crynyd Piloting Award, from the A-Wing crash into the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer from Return Of The Jedi...now THAT'S a ship that could have benefitted from a battle bridge!

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

The common justification is that there were other control centers, but they weren't able to stabilize the ship in time.

 

[miraclefan]

Yes... except that based on what we've seen, the ships are pretty much made of cardboard with their shields down. Then again, the Defiant had armor and was relatively smooth.

* chuckles * And many ships in Star Wars are said to have shields, yet they seem to blow up fairly easily regardless!

Yeeaaahhh... sometimes it's like those shields aren't even there.

You noticed that too huh? I swear both the Rebellion & Empire were cutting corneres in that department!

 

[Unicron]

What's interesting is that SW has two clearly distinct shield systems, one of which is mentioned by name in ANH (ray shields). Their technology might be seen as less efficient than Trek's in some respects. Ray shields work well against lasers and other energy emissions, but are also more energy consumptive and thus only raised in serious combat. Particle shields deflect physical objects, including munitions, and are more commonly in operation. Neither type will deflect the category it's not meant to deflect, and so a particle shield is useless against lasers.

 

[hellsgate]

Atolm could E-A-S-I-L-Y run circles around the guys from "S.T.: Online". They should've hired ~HIM~.

This is just a taste Atolm's designs.

Credit: Titan-Class / U.S.S. Titan by Atolm

http://xfep.com/coolships/Federation USS Titan 00.JPG
http://xfep.com/coolships/Federation USS Titan 01.JPG

Sources:

http://xfep.com/coolships/
http://outalance.battleclinic.com/Azel/