What is the ugliest ship in starfleet?

[SchwEnt]

Hold on now...
Regarding shapes that are more "elegant" and "less threatening" to other civilizations.

I get the point. And I can see where people would want their ships to have a measure of beauty beyond pure functionality.

But how can this apply to other civilizations, especially in first contact situations? How would Starfleet know the aesthetics of the Tholians? Or the Gorn? The Metrons? Sheliak? Medusans? A Galaxy class may be perceived as most menacing. How can you anticipate cultural aesthetics of new life and new civilizations? Hodgkins Law of Parallel Planet Good Looks?

 

[kirsten187]

Whatever the ship was at the start of the last Star Trek film that Kirk's dad had to take command of. That was ugly.

 

[Probert]

... you can’t improve on perfection.

When Star Trek first premiered,... the Enterprise was SOOO far ahead of it's time, it was literally jaw-dropping. What can I say?

 

[SilentP]

Whatever the ship was at the start of the last Star Trek film that Kirk's dad had to take command of. That was ugly.

Funny you should say that, I've found that to be the only visually 'believable' version of the saucer/single nacelle style of ship...

 

[RyanKCR]

Mr Probert, I also appreciate your talent. Althought the D is my least favorite it does have some nice views from certain angles. My problem with it is that it is too organic looking. I know that is just preference but the deflector looks like a giant mean eye that would fit in to The Crawling Eye. The saurcer looks overlarge and the warp engines are too low (I know the reasoning for that and I agree with it, it just looks wrong. )And, being a cardiac patient, I had a dream where I was walking into engineering and instead of the warp core it was a very brightly lit open room with a huge heart imbedded in the deck covered by a clear plastic or plexiglass that followed the shape of the heart. Ever since then the D has always unnerved me. But that's just my take. I still prefer the TMP refit as that was the one that hooked me on Trek.

 

[scotpens]

. . . Although the D is my least favorite it does have some nice views from certain angles. My problem with it is that it is too organic looking. I know that is just preference but the deflector looks like a giant mean eye that would fit in to The Crawling Eye. The saucer looks overlarge and the warp engines are too low (I know the reasoning for that and I agree with it, it just looks wrong).

My sentiments exactly.

. . . I had a dream where I was walking into engineering and instead of the warp core it was a very brightly lit open room with a huge heart imbedded in the deck covered by a clear plastic or plexiglass that followed the shape of the heart.

I assume you've seen Metropolis. Maybe your subconscious took the Heart Machine too literally?

. . . How would Starfleet know the aesthetics of the Tholians? Or the Gorn? The Metrons? Sheliak? Medusans? A Galaxy class may be perceived as most menacing. How can you anticipate cultural aesthetics of new life and new civilizations? Hodgkins Law of Parallel Planet Good Looks?

Good point. For all we know, the Martians may see white doves as a symbol of war!

... you can’t improve on perfection.

When Star Trek first premiered,... the Enterprise was SOOO far ahead of it's time . . .

Well, except for that damn radar dish in front.

 

[Arpy]

Well, I like the organic look and think it's one of the most interesting aspects of the ship. If anything, I wish it were more organic. I think Trek, like most, too often falls back on habitual sci-fi ideas like making starships look like battleships - with gray steel hulls, greebles, cannons, etc. I.e. the Soyuz Class. And while cool, it's too anachronistic for my tastes, and doesn't produce the same awe or have the long-term staying power.

 

[F. King Daniel]

... Phase II/Motion Picture NCC-1701 refit resulted in the best starship design I've ever seen in my life. ...

Agreed.

It looks nice... but I've always thought that one good hit at the base of the nacelle pylons would sever both and fatally cripple the ship.

 

[Chaos Descending]

That's why starships have shields. I always figured that the space weapons used by starships are so powerful that with shields down it doesn't really matter where they get hit.

 

[RAMA]

Lots of kitbashes are horrible. Usually something designed to be on screen a lot was pretty decent, this includes the Nebula. Other kitbashes of quality: The Cheyenne and New Orleans.

 

[RAMA]

Seriously, you are not alone, as one being unable to embrace the Galaxy,... my attempt at showing a logical design progression through the many ships named Enterprise. Most people still think of it as being made with steel when it is actually constructed of plastics & ceramics. Many people feel that ships which look like Army tanks are more believable than my organic visions,... and that's okay (understandable even), given the look of NASA's Moon Lander & all. Frankly, I prefer thinking that Mankind will rise above the tin-can look in Spacecraft the way we've risen from the Model-T car to the Koenigsegg-Trevita or the Bugatti Veyron.

As for 'ARPY's' question regarding the Stargazer greebles, that detailing was added to enhance the feeling that the ship had multiple sensors added to it for a verity of purposes... being a Science Research Vessel.

Andrew-

I find this to be true as well!! Some rather unimaginative people on this BBS dislike the E-D (especially in regards to the original) because they feel the more artistic, organic form is less believable to them based on modern tech. Well this just isn't modern tech guys. Always amazed at the lack of understanding...

Unfortunately, the Stargazer is one of me least favorite designs though.

RAMA

 

[RAMA]

Many people feel that ships which look like Army tanks are more believable than my organic visions,... and that's okay (understandable even), given the look of NASA's Moon Lander & all.

And, even more so, the hyperdetailed greeblied look of movie spaceships starting with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Frankly, I prefer thinking that Mankind will rise above the tin-can look in Spacecraft the way we've risen from the Model-T car to the Koenigsegg-Trevita or the Bugatti Veyron.

I’d also like to believe — like to believe, mind you — that future technology wil alllow us to design spaceships for esthetics as well as pure functionality. That’s why the classic TOS-E has always appealed to me — it suggests the look of a graceful, majestic, tall-masted sailing vessel.

Oh, and I certainly don’t intend to denigrate your creative talent or your concepts regarding spacecraft evolution. It’s just that, IMHO, you can’t improve on perfection.

Too bad it was filmed so poorly...

 

[scotpens]

. . . It’s just that, IMHO, you can’t improve on perfection.

Too bad it was filmed so poorly...

I’ll take it as it is, grainy film, matte lines and all, thank you.

Well, I like the organic look and think it's one of the most interesting aspects of the ship. If anything, I wish it were more organic.

You mean like the Boob Ship?

 

[RyanKCR]

. . . I had a dream where I was walking into engineering and instead of the warp core it was a very brightly lit open room with a huge heart imbedded in the deck covered by a clear plastic or plexiglass that followed the shape of the heart.

I assume you've seen Metropolis. Maybe your subconscious took the Heart Machine too literally?

I never got the chance to see that movie. Now I really want to see it.

. . . It’s just that, IMHO, you can’t improve on perfection.

Too bad it was filmed so poorly...

I’ll take it as it is, grainy film, matte lines and all, thank you.

Well, I like the organic look and think it's one of the most interesting aspects of the ship. If anything, I wish it were more organic.

You mean like the Boob Ship?

Also the ovaries and uterus ship. I actually liked most of that design. What I liked was from the windows up. The rest needed help. I also liked it's interior.

 

[Arpy]

Wow, what is that from?

 

[sojourner]

^Battle Beyond the Stars.

 

[MLJames]

I remember one review of that film said the ship looked like a pregnant Enterprise flying backwards.

 

[Scott1768]

1701D. hands down.

 

[USS Triumphant]

1701D. hands down.

The -D is a strange bird, because she sometimes looks (to me) like she should fall over forward with all of that mass in the primary hull. Ugly. But then I remember that I am biased from looking at things inside a gravity well, and that there are aliens in the Federation from many different environments and some of them may have been involved in the ship's design. And then, she's beautiful.

The ugliest ships in the fleet would have to be those tugs with the attachments for the cyndrilical cargo pods. But then, they aren't meant to be pretty, just functional.

 

[T'Girl]

Never been a big fan of the "work-bee."