^^ Well, if most everyone starts from the description of the ship's internal arrangement as given in The Making Of Star Trek then I think there's likely to be quite a bit of common ground.
There are some things to consider:
- is the 947 ft. figure for the ship's length set in stone? I'd say "no" because it has never been stated onscreen. I believe it was Shaw who came up with a figure slightly shy of 947 and there's also been a case made for a 1080 ft. length if the 11 ft. model was measured in a proper scale. aridas and others have managed to fit everything into a 947 ft. ship so that tends to give the figure weight and credibility. But it might be interesting to see someone render a 1080 ft. ship and see what effect that would have for some of the ship's internal arrangement. It's only about a 13-14% difference in length, but what difference would that make in terms of total internal volume gained?
- in like manner is the 190,000 gross tons displacement as referenced in TMOST set in stone? Again I'd say "no" because it's never stated onscreen.
- whether the bridge forward facing or offset it's dead certain it's at the top of the primary saucer hull. The shuttlecraft flight deck is unquestionably at the aft end of secondary hull.
- Engineering is definitely situated in the "lower levels," but does this mean the lower levels of the primary hull or in the secondary hull?
- onscreen we hear reference to aft phasers, but where are they located? TMOST makes references to phaser banks atop the main hull, but where? Exactly where are the photon torpedoes firing from and of what nature and form are they?
- where is Auxiliary Control located?
- Sickbay is said to be in the heart of the saucer, but where exactly?
It's interesting to see the different solutions to the same issue because information is weighed and interpreted differently.
