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Steamrunner Alternate Appearance
kirahitomi
Member Posts: 144 Arc User
So it seems to me that the Steamrunner could use some visual options that go beyond to unmodifiable design as it currently stands and I would like to make the case for at the very least the option of picking an overall alternate appearance.
The current design was created with what I can only assume was an effort to preserve its iconic look as best as possible. Despite the difficulties of taking a ship that was primarily only ever a background ship and putting it into the foreground for us to use and marvel at, I'd say the art and design teams did one hell of a job. The ingame model seems to fit almost every reference picture readily available from the various episodes and sources to which it has made an appearance. The only significantly glaring issues being brought up by many of us players are the incorrect placement of the impulse engines, "barcode" windows on one texture skin and the lack of registry/ship name lighting (though admittidly no registry lighting is ever seen and can be accepted as cannon even though many of us would prefer it had it anyways).
There are many similarities between the Steamrunner design and some of the Fleet Escorts that at least on the surface it seems like there would be the possibility of some part option crossovers (nascels and saucer sections most specifically). Though those options would be a nice addition I don't believe it would fit the spirit of the Steamrunner as a whole which is why I would like to put forward a completely alternate appearance which fits the more modern starships available. The alternate appearance I would suggest and put forward is the Steamrunner Revamp Concept designed for, but not used in, First Contact by Alex Jaeger the designer of the original Steamrunner.
http://drexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/streamrunner_backdesign.jpg
Researching as much cannon*ish material as I can find on the Steamrunner I have been able to find that production on the Steamrunner class began between 2350 and 2365 (some believe as late as 2369 but there are a few references to Steamrunners being in service several years before that). Giving those dates and the current year being 2409+ puts the Steamrunner (giving normal starship operational service times being right around 50 years) 44-59+ years into service with regular refits/upgrades at 5-6 year intervals. This means that the Steamrunners are at the end of, or well past, their operational runtimes (yes I realize several others are as well but I'm only addressing the Steamrunner :P ).
I beleive this would require not just a refit but a complete updating and redesign of the hull using modern starship building techniques to which the Revamp Concept fits well especially for the higher tier Retrofit. The new placement of the deflector dish as well as the new/modified positions of the nascels and pylons seem to fit well in regards to reducing subspace eddies that can damage subspace (which was also taken into account on the new Oddy design). The streamlined, reinforced hull fits well with the idea of the Blockade Runner's speed and heavy armor/armaments and keeps with the mordern, clean lines of current starships.
As stated before this is a proposal for a new skin/design not a whole new ship/layout and meant to get the mind rolling on updating the Steamrunner with some cannon*ish info to help back the idea.
The current design was created with what I can only assume was an effort to preserve its iconic look as best as possible. Despite the difficulties of taking a ship that was primarily only ever a background ship and putting it into the foreground for us to use and marvel at, I'd say the art and design teams did one hell of a job. The ingame model seems to fit almost every reference picture readily available from the various episodes and sources to which it has made an appearance. The only significantly glaring issues being brought up by many of us players are the incorrect placement of the impulse engines, "barcode" windows on one texture skin and the lack of registry/ship name lighting (though admittidly no registry lighting is ever seen and can be accepted as cannon even though many of us would prefer it had it anyways).
There are many similarities between the Steamrunner design and some of the Fleet Escorts that at least on the surface it seems like there would be the possibility of some part option crossovers (nascels and saucer sections most specifically). Though those options would be a nice addition I don't believe it would fit the spirit of the Steamrunner as a whole which is why I would like to put forward a completely alternate appearance which fits the more modern starships available. The alternate appearance I would suggest and put forward is the Steamrunner Revamp Concept designed for, but not used in, First Contact by Alex Jaeger the designer of the original Steamrunner.
http://drexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/streamrunner_backdesign.jpg
Researching as much cannon*ish material as I can find on the Steamrunner I have been able to find that production on the Steamrunner class began between 2350 and 2365 (some believe as late as 2369 but there are a few references to Steamrunners being in service several years before that). Giving those dates and the current year being 2409+ puts the Steamrunner (giving normal starship operational service times being right around 50 years) 44-59+ years into service with regular refits/upgrades at 5-6 year intervals. This means that the Steamrunners are at the end of, or well past, their operational runtimes (yes I realize several others are as well but I'm only addressing the Steamrunner :P ).
I beleive this would require not just a refit but a complete updating and redesign of the hull using modern starship building techniques to which the Revamp Concept fits well especially for the higher tier Retrofit. The new placement of the deflector dish as well as the new/modified positions of the nascels and pylons seem to fit well in regards to reducing subspace eddies that can damage subspace (which was also taken into account on the new Oddy design). The streamlined, reinforced hull fits well with the idea of the Blockade Runner's speed and heavy armor/armaments and keeps with the mordern, clean lines of current starships.
As stated before this is a proposal for a new skin/design not a whole new ship/layout and meant to get the mind rolling on updating the Steamrunner with some cannon*ish info to help back the idea.
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Post edited by kirahitomi on
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So just off the lifeboats alone, I'd estimate Steamrunner and Akira to be around Soveriegn-era. They definitely don't pre-date the Galaxy. Definitely the late-2360s-early 2370s.
Lets take the Galaxy class you mentioned, the Galaxy project was approved in 2343 with 3 ships planned at the time, the USS Galaxy, USS Yamato and USS Enterprise. The USS Galaxy didn't leave spacedock till 2356 and wasn't officially commissioned till the following year. The Enterprise didn't leave spacedock till 2358 and wasn't officially commissioned till 2363. Looking at the Galaxy alone puts development to production time at around 14yrs for the first ship with another 5-6yrs build time per additional ship. Now if we consider the Steamrunner is smaller and less advanced then a full Galaxy class cruiser then its reasonable to consider around a 10yr development to production time with another 3-4yrs build time per additional ship, which does not place the Steamrunner development/production before, but definitely around/during the same time as the Galaxy.
Either way its only a difference of 5-10yrs if we go by the life boat argument, it still places the Steamrunner towards the end of her operational runtime which is still valid to my original argument. Besides who says the Steamrunner class wasn't the hull used as the test bed for that particular life boat system?
Enterprise-E was present at 001 and was launched in 2371. The only reason she wasn't part of the initial attack was because Starfleet Command didn't have confidence in her captain. Jordy stated that she'd been "out in space for nearly a year". So by the time the battle at 001 rolled around, even Enterprise-E was nearly a year in commission.
So Steamrunners and Akiras built in 2370/2371 could've been about the same age and well ready by 2373.
If we had Steamrunners coming online in the 2370s (Which makes sense, since Starfleet seemed to be undergoing a major modernization in the 2370s. We see new ships like Intrepid, Nova, Sovereign, Akira, Steamrunner and Norway all popping up about the same time), and we give her a 50 year hull-life (Which is on the low-end since we have Federation ships still in service that're 100+ years old..), then in 2409, which is the year STO is currently in, Steamrunners built in 2370s would still be in their prime.
On a technical note the Akira and Steamrunner were both comissioned in the year 2368-2369 as a result of Starfleet losing the Battle of Wolf 359. This battle showed Starfleet that they couldn't rely on their older tried and proven starships designs when fighting the Borg. The Defiant was also in this group but wouldn't see service until 2370 shortly before the skirmish battles that eventually led to the Dominion War.
...Actually they really should just shove the design into the Patrol Escort. Any excuse to have a "none" option for that bloody centre pylon.
But it's worth it in a way, since you get two ships, a tier 1 and a tier 5.
All other high-end tier 5 c-store ships are $20-$25.00 too.
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I mentioned the Excelsior (and Excelsior Retrofit aka the Enterprise-B and Lakota) as being a starting point. This is ultimately where I would like to see many canon ships go, including the Steamrunner. I feel it offers the customization options that is a hallmark and defining trait of Cryptic games, while remaining faithful to the Star Trek IP.
Small variations of the original design worked well for the Excelsior in STO, a handful of nacelle options, the ability to remove or add the auxiliary impulse engines on the saucer, and what have you. You could effectively kitbash the Excelsior while making it look like the Excelsior by making very slight cosmetic changes.
By offering cosmetic options to the Steamrunner such as where to place the impulse engines (whether on the saucer or on the pylons as it currently stands), what to place on the front of the saucer (a majority of people seem to agree they want the intended design of a shuttle bay - judging from forum feedback), and any other multitude of slight changes -- you allow players to kitbash the steamrunner to make it 'theirs' while being faithful to the Steamrunner design and thus faithful to the Star Trek IP.
When it comes to signifigant redesigns, I take the very general position of 'more ship diversity in STO'. That said, I have noticed several 2409 Cryptic designs have attempted to show a progression in designs from the canon IP. The Star Cruisers for example clearly show cruiser design, but take cues from other ships of the era -- primarily the 'neckless' designs of the Sovereign and Intrepid (along with the triangular saucers seen in the Prometheus and Nova). The Patrol Escort on the other hand, I feel embodies the 'utiliarian' design and hints at trying to combine elements of the Steamrunner, Akira, and Defiant to produce a new and advanced escort for the early 25th century.
The Zephyr and Oslo were also referred to as Steamrunner and Norway 'refits', and although I have no real love for the designs and felt it was a cop-out to explain why there were no canon Steamrunner or Norway designs in STO while allowing them to be kitbashed with the Akira -- I can't deny that improved designs, modular construction, and advanced technology is a staple of STO starships and the STO time period.
I feel if small cosmetic changes were allowed to the Steamrunner, everyone could get what they wanted from an aesthetic perspective. Optional NCC registry floodlight -- put it on or take it off -- optional impulse engine placement -- even people who want the Deflector Dish boom to be moved could get what they wanted. By giving us options like that, it bypasses the need for an entire new ship design while giving us a faithful Steamrunner look.
Aside from the Lifeboats, Akira, Norway, Steamrunner, Defiant, and Saber were all designs created to counter the Borg threat. This alone forces these ships to be late 2360s to early 2370s.
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*Me* EXACTLY! Its right in front of us and you still missed it! Just step away from the console.