Question: 'Search for Spock' Excelsior or 'Undiscovered Country' Excelsior?

System

Confused yet? Let me explain...

We all know that in a few weeks, Cryptic will be adding two versions of the Excelsior class into the C-Store - the classic version from Star Trek III ('The Search for Spock') and the Enterprise-B type from Star Trek VII ('Generations'). In other words, the plain version seen a kajillion times in TNG/DS9, and the modified style like the USS Lakota from DS9's 'Paradise Lost'.


Except that there's a problem - the classic Excelsior, as commanded by Captain Sulu and seen so many times in TNG, ISN'T the 'Search for Spock' version.


Turns out that, like the Constitution class, as well as being the two well-known versions, there's also a third 'prototype' version, with a different bridge module, impulse deflector crystal assembly and shuttlebay. As usual, Ex-Astris-Scientia.org has the details:

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/excelsior/excelsior-nx2000-to-ncc2000.jpg

Link to article if hotlinked image doesn't work


So, with that being the case, which version are we going to be getting, come August 21st-23rd? I'm guessing the more familiar 'Sulu's Excelsior' version from 'Undiscovered Country', but then it's not the 'Search for Spock' version, is it?


(With that being the case, might it be a better idea to re-name both versions to something a little more appropriate? For instance, the 'SfS' Excelsior could simply be the 'Excelsior-class Starship', with the 'Generations' version being the 'Excelsior-class Refit' or 'Excelsior-class Variant'.

It's a better solution (IMO) than going by film/series, or using a specific ship name - take the TOS Constitution as an example of how not to do it. It's in the C-Store as the 'Original Series Enterprise' or 'USS Enterprise Preorder' - except it's not the Enterprise. It's just a Constitution-class starship, so the label is misleading.)


Also, while we're on the subject of the Excelsior, are the models still being finished, or are the versions currently in-game as NPC ships the 'finished article'? I say this because there are quite a few things that aren't accurate to the canon ships - specifically the shuttlebay 'fan' doors, and the cargo module/rear probe/torpedo array.

Here's a post I made with all the errors I could find on the Enterprise-B model - some have been fixed in the interim!



Sorry if I'm splitting hairs, but I just reckon it's worth clearing these things up - particularly since the Excelsior's such a beloved fan-favourite, and it goes without saying how militant Trek fans can get over these things!

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Sorry if I'm splitting hairs, but I just reckon it's worth clearing these things up - particularly since the Excelsior's such a beloved fan-favourite, and it goes without saying how militant Trek fans can get over these things!

You don't say?

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Umm, only the tier 5 Excelsior will be in the c-store. The t3 will be available ingame for energy credits.

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Mark_Arac wrote:

You don't say?

Hence the pre-emptive thread!

Ashur1 wrote:

Umm, only the tier 5 Excelsior will be in the c-store. The t3 will be available ingame for energy credits.

Fair enough, although that doesn't change the issue of which Excelsior we'll be getting at Tier 3 - the 'Search for Spock' prototype (NX-2000), or Sulu's Excelsior from 'The Undiscovered Country' (NCC-2000).

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Commander_Shepherd wrote:

Hence the pre-emptive thread!



Fair enough, although that doesn't change the issue of which Excelsior we'll be getting at Tier 3 - the 'Search for Spock' prototype (NX-2000), or Sulu's Excelsior from 'The Undiscovered Country' (NCC-2000).

Why not.....both? it'll give a tiny fraction of customization unlike the Connie.

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forresto wrote: »

Why not.....both? it'll give a tiny fraction of customization unlike the Connie.

That's assuming someone actually realised that the ship models were modified from one film to the next...


But yeah, that'd be so darn cool, if unlikely. I'd love the same for the TOS Constitution, as well - the option to choose parts from the 'Pilot' version (i.e. the one from 'The Cage'/'Where No Man Has Gone Before'), including the nacelle 'rods', a larger, darker deflector dish, grilles on the ends of the nacelles instead of the spherical bits, and the taller bridge module.

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Most people do not count Bridges a a new version. They gave the Enterprise-A a new bridge almost every movies. As for the Excelsior refit. That is coming. You can see it in space dock at Earth. T5 version all the way. A Excelsior refit fought the Defiant to stand still in DS9: Homefront. Yes the ship was updated with the newest weapons and Shields but that is the nature of Star Fleet ships going back to TOS. You can update them.

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To be honest I highly doubt many people will be able to to tell the difference between the Star Trek III and the Star Trek VI version. I am a "regular" Star Trek fan and never actually noticed they ARE different. It took me some time and a comparision chart to note the (very very minor) differences.

T make long things short:
I also agree we should have renames which would be "Excelsior (Classic) and "Excelsior Refit".

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Sleeves wrote:

Most people do not count Bridges a a new version. They gave the Enterprise-A a new bridge almost every movies. As for the Excelsior refit. That is coming. You can see it in space dock at Earth. T5 version all the way. A Excelsior refit fought the Defiant to stand still in DS9: Homefront. Yes the ship was updated with the newest weapons and Shields but that is the nature of Star Fleet ships going back to TOS. You can update them.

It's the OUTER bridge module that changed - from a big round 'bubble' to something to more akin to the TMP Constitution-refit/Miranda bridge module. Just wanted to clear that up.