What Kind Of Ship Is The City Of New Orleans?

brian334

I've been looking into ship classes not yet implemented in STO, and the New Orleans class Frigate comes up in many places. (Well, except for on TV...)
Some describe it as a mini-Galaxy, which it is in appearance, but it's called a Frigate, which is another kind of ship: a more belligerent classification.

So, what exactly is the New Orleans Class?

And what are those markers... pods... on the saucer for?

Light Cruiser/Frigate: In this configuration the saucer separates to become its own warp capable ship, but when berthed to the engineering hull the saucer's secondary warp drive feeds power into the ship's grid. In this case the pods are warp nacelles protected in armored housings.

Escort/Frigate: In this configuration the saucer cannot separate because it requires a shipyard to reassemble the pieces. The power generated in the saucer is used by the oversized impulse engines and the structural reinforcement field generators to prevent them from flying off the ship.

Science/Frigate: In this configuration the saucer is incapable of warp after separation, and requires a shipyard to reassemble.The dorsal pods of this variant are filled with sensors and laboratories, enabling renovation to suit the needs of the mission.

While Trek writers use ship classifications almost at random, the very word Frigate evokes images of fast raiders out on the high seas far from home. It cannot be a mistake to have used the name in reference to the class, and therefore I envision the class to be as close to a raider as Starfleet ever builds. This would make them useful on the frontier, and explain why only one was in range to respond at Wolf 359.

silverlobes

I've read unofficial online ideas, that the pods are additional torpedo launchers, and that the New Orleans is essentially a gun-ship (I've also seen them refered to as additional nacelles, so...) But yes, it is essentially a mini Galaxy Class, and if it was to be added to the game, my suggestion would that it be a Captain Rank option, and that it have the same basic stats as the Galaxy, but a turn rate of 16/17, making it a combat cruiser, rather than an exploration cruiser

roguegamer23

pretty much what silverlobes, but i only read that the pods are torpedo's pods that carrier's and fire extra proton torpedo's. it's just a small galaxy without the neck part but design for combat. the federation is known for have battleships cruiser for war only after that they are decommission or just receive regular mission's not design for it's purpose.

brian334

The markers have neither Bussard collectors nor torpedo tubes on the forward end, but I've never seen the rear view which may have torpedo launchers or shuttle bays, or even rear-facing deflector dishes.

With no canon explanation, those pods can be anything you imagine them to be. It might be an advantage that they could be anything: warp nacelles, impulse engines, torpedo launchers, sensors, whatever.

While I'm a fan of science vessels, (and this would be a good candidate,) the look of the ship suits a light cruiser or heavy escort. As for giving it a less than T6 version, I doubt that will happen. All the C-store action is in end-game gear.

jonsills

The City of New Orleans isn't a ship, or a boat. It's a train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMS_ykiLiQ

angrytarg

It would in function be a proto Akira minus the carrier (in STO terms of course. Canon Akira wasn't shown what's in STO either). So instead of a "Escort Carrier" it'd be a "Escort Cruiser" probably, meaning it'd be a light cruiser with DHC support and "heavy weapon" slot.

nikephorus

I'd imagine if the New Orleans-class gets added to STO that it will most likely be an escort/destroyer since that seems to be the closest classification this game has to a frigate. As for those pods they are more often than not assumed to be additional torpedo pods, but that's just fan speculation. Another popular theory is that the pods are modular and can be changed depending on the ships mission profile. Either way it's a cool looking little ship.

koppster

I vote the 3 pods be configured as Spinal Phaser Lances, now we can have a wrecking machine a la The Defiant, except it's a tough big ship instead of a tough little one.

thay8472

uhhh Escort? with some kind of torpedo heavy weapons slot? :O

tyler002

If Memory Alpha's anything to go by, escort would make some sense.

Memory Alpha: Frigate

In starship classification, a frigate was a fast, medium-sized starship intended to protect other vessels.

jkwrangler2010

Ex Astris Scientia has a good article reconstructing the ship with clear pictures of the model, but it also does not know what hte pods are for.

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/neworleans.htm

asuran14

I definitely like the idea of the pods have a variable use type function, which either based on the needs of the mission, or on if the saucer is connected or disconnected from the hull. Also I see two versions of this ship one with the two normal warp-nacelles like is shown most of the time, and then another that shows a third warp-nacelles that is under-slung below the main hull, which I like both version actually as options.

Honestly even though I am not sure how they would match up size wise, could they turn it into a prototype of the battle-cruiser class?

brian334

New Orleans class predates the Dominion war era. It is obviously built with a Galaxy hull, (because it was built with a Galaxy model kit,) but it is smaller in canon. I can't buy it as a Galaxy prototype, but it could have been a testbed for aspects of the Galaxy design, such as weapons. It maybe a case of simultaneous design of mutually supporting fleet elements, with a Galaxy flagship cruiser, a Nebula workhorse cruiser, and a New Orleans escort cruiser, each designed simultaneuosly to offer complimentary assets required by a modern fleet.

angrytarg

The Cheyenne belongs to the same roster. The Galaxy is obviously the flagship of the era, the Cheyenne, new orleans and Niagara and to an extend the Nebula use at least parts that aesthetically mark one uniform level of technology. Predating them were the Excelsior influenced ships, Excelsior, Centaur and the Excelsior study models (including a four-nacelled one). Before those the Miranda/Connie refit defined an era and so on. Post TNG from VOY to FC ships get a lot less uniform.

bloodyriz

jonsills wrote: »

The City of New Orleans isn't a ship, or a boat. It's a train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMS_ykiLiQ

Dangit, you beat me to it.​​

angrytarg

But the Nebula also entered serial production during that time and had a reputation amongst Cardassians. I personally believe the Nebula significantly tipped the balance in that case.

ussvaliant

She's a beautiful design that i'd happily pay money to see in the game and at t6 as well.

eldarion79

reyan01 wrote: »

> @brian334 said:
> New Orleans class predates the Dominion war era. It is obviously built with a Galaxy hull, (because it was built with a Galaxy model kit,) but it is smaller in canon. I can't buy it as a Galaxy prototype, but it could have been a testbed for aspects of the Galaxy design, such as weapons. It maybe a case of simultaneous design of mutually supporting fleet elements, with a Galaxy flagship cruiser, a Nebula workhorse cruiser, and a New Orleans escort cruiser, each designed simultaneuosly to offer complimentary assets required by a modern fleet.

Dominion war, yes - but not the Federation- Cardassian war.

Actually, the USS Rutledge, O'Brien's ship before the Enterprise fought in the Cardassian Wars from at least 2347, was an New Orleans Class according to the Star Trek Encyclopedia and Michael Okuda.

artan42

brian334 wrote: »

WHAT KIND OF SHIP IS THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS?

Non-existent.

It's the New Orleans Class.​​

rattler2

brian334 wrote: »

WHAT KIND OF SHIP IS THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS?

seaofsorrows

eldarion79 wrote: »

reyan01 wrote: »

> @brian334 said:
> New Orleans class predates the Dominion war era. It is obviously built with a Galaxy hull, (because it was built with a Galaxy model kit,) but it is smaller in canon. I can't buy it as a Galaxy prototype, but it could have been a testbed for aspects of the Galaxy design, such as weapons. It maybe a case of simultaneous design of mutually supporting fleet elements, with a Galaxy flagship cruiser, a Nebula workhorse cruiser, and a New Orleans escort cruiser, each designed simultaneuosly to offer complimentary assets required by a modern fleet.

Dominion war, yes - but not the Federation- Cardassian war.

Actually, the USS Rutledge, O'Brien's ship before the Enterprise fought in the Cardassian Wars from at least 2347, was an New Orleans Class according to the Star Trek Encyclopedia and Michael Okuda.

Twisting that quite a bit..

The Star Trek Encyclopedia lists the Rutlidge as New Orleans Class, but the class of the Rutlidge was never given on screen. It doesn't even specify if it's the same Rutlidge that O'Brien was on. The class of O'Briens ship is listed as 'uncertain.'

Okuda's comments were on the U.S.S. Kyushu, not the Rutlidge.

djf021

ussvaliant#6064 wrote: »

She's a beautiful design that i'd happily pay money to see in the game and at t6 as well.

I'm not sold on that pod/nacelle on the underneath, but besides that, I'd take it

smokebailey

ussvaliant#6064 wrote: »

She's a beautiful design that i'd happily pay money to see in the game and at t6 as well.

I'd love to know where one gets that 3D model o.o

brian334

I kind of like the idea that the pods are configurable. Buy secondary deflector pods for science goodies, torpedo pods for torp boat mayhem, warp pods for extra power and speed, phaser lance pods, fighter bay pods, etc. How many 300-800 Zen pod sets would you buy?

thay8472

none, default pod is good enough for me.

trejgon

I must say this thing looks MUCH better than the galaxy class....

just sayin'

tyler002

trejgon wrote: »

I must say this thing looks MUCH better than the galaxy class....

just sayin'

Blasphemy!

ltminns

Oh heavens, we are talking about a Kit-bashed pile of scrap from Wolf 359.

Yes, it is the New Orleans class, and as stated, the 'City of....' is a train.

potasssium

The New Orleans seems up the alley of a Destroyer classification. I wouldn't imagine a Saucer Seperation, Although if it did the secondary hull would look rather Oberth like.

The Cheyenne/Stargazer/Dakota/Constellation class of ships would move from Heavy Cruiser to Advanced Support Cruiser. Just like I would see a T6 version of a non-Temporal Klingon D7, which I doubt would ever happen.