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Starship Design Submission Request: The USS Lakota - Lakota Class Starship
marino1980
Member Posts: 20 Arc User
Hi there,
I've not done this since my submission for the 'Design the next Enterprise' competition all those years ago but I would like to submit a design to the Arc Designers for their consideration for inclusion into Star Trek Online. This is a design that I have called the 'Lakota Class' and here is a bit of background info on her:
Length = 500m,
Width = 178.78m,
Height = 55.05m
Commissioned in 2412, the Lakota class starship was designed to act as a heavy destroyer. Smaller than the Sovereign class, but able to pack just as big a punch, the Lakota is cheaper to produce in large numbers and comes equipped with Type XIV phasers, regenerative shielding, ablative armor (over key areas) and quantum torpedoes . After it's testing phase with the Aventine class, the Quantum Slipstream Drive has now been perfected and is installed on the Lakota as standard. This multi-role ship can also act as a long range explorer and is equipped with a modular sensor package (4 of each are located on the lateral edge of the saucer section) that can easily be pulled out and swapped over for specific missions, or simply to receive further upgrades with ease. There are plans to be able to insert, not only sensor packages but also portable weapons platforms into these modules. Two current variants of these platforms would be retractable micro torpedo launchers and rotational pulse phaser cannons, both of which are still in the testing phase. The first ship-of-the-class is named after the U.S.S. Lakota, which gained notoriety after being one of the few Federation ships ever to fire upon another. *That ship later went on to survive the Dominion War and was later destroyed after serving with distinction during the Iconian War. Whilst the Lakota's design still holds true to Starfleet's aim of peaceful exploration, it reflects the more contemporary attitude that deep space exploration vehicles need to be better able to defend themselves against ever more advanced and aggressive species.
*Not strictly canon information, but made up to suit the background info for the design.
I've not done this since my submission for the 'Design the next Enterprise' competition all those years ago but I would like to submit a design to the Arc Designers for their consideration for inclusion into Star Trek Online. This is a design that I have called the 'Lakota Class' and here is a bit of background info on her:
Length = 500m,
Width = 178.78m,
Height = 55.05m
Commissioned in 2412, the Lakota class starship was designed to act as a heavy destroyer. Smaller than the Sovereign class, but able to pack just as big a punch, the Lakota is cheaper to produce in large numbers and comes equipped with Type XIV phasers, regenerative shielding, ablative armor (over key areas) and quantum torpedoes . After it's testing phase with the Aventine class, the Quantum Slipstream Drive has now been perfected and is installed on the Lakota as standard. This multi-role ship can also act as a long range explorer and is equipped with a modular sensor package (4 of each are located on the lateral edge of the saucer section) that can easily be pulled out and swapped over for specific missions, or simply to receive further upgrades with ease. There are plans to be able to insert, not only sensor packages but also portable weapons platforms into these modules. Two current variants of these platforms would be retractable micro torpedo launchers and rotational pulse phaser cannons, both of which are still in the testing phase. The first ship-of-the-class is named after the U.S.S. Lakota, which gained notoriety after being one of the few Federation ships ever to fire upon another. *That ship later went on to survive the Dominion War and was later destroyed after serving with distinction during the Iconian War. Whilst the Lakota's design still holds true to Starfleet's aim of peaceful exploration, it reflects the more contemporary attitude that deep space exploration vehicles need to be better able to defend themselves against ever more advanced and aggressive species.
*Not strictly canon information, but made up to suit the background info for the design.
0
Comments
Why does part of the secondary hull block the Deflector Dish?
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
The Pathfinder as well
-Lord Commander Solar Macharius
Ok, well it looks strange, like the bottom of the secondary hull is squashed up into itself.
It doesn't have a natural flow to it, it seems like it has been tagged on as an afterthought.
Maybe if you took off the "wings" it would flow together better.
It's an interesting design overall though.
Is the entire nacelle wing structure one deck thick or two?
And what is the purpose of it being so wide?
Also, your different renderings show the pylons joining to the underside of the nacelles at assorted angles.
Some show the connection at about 90 degrees while others show it at about 45 degrees.
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
I guess what I'm asking is what are the practical reasons for the assorted design combinations.
If it's just aesthetic, then that seems redundant. We already have ships that look similar.
Slapping assorted parts and pieces together just because you like the way they look, isn't a great way to impress folks into supporting your ideas.
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
Personally though when someone says "Lakota" to me, I think Excelsior, not Sovi and reading your backstory on the ship I thought you might have done something more along the lines of this which with a slightly modernised saucer would fit the background better and would better fit people's expectations for the name. Futhermore, you could (if you got the rights from the owner) reason this design either as a stepping stone from the Excel to Sovi (like the Ambi was a stepping stone from the Excel to the Galaxy) or learning lessons from the Sovi and the still active Excel design to make something cheaper and possibly more effective.
My suggestion is to try & remove the feel of 'negative' from the posters and pick up anything which could help you to improve the ship. Sometimes, it's better to overlook the form people use in their criticizms, to find useful informations. Good luck & I'd say, have fun. Art is about fun & enjoyment, after all. If you enjoy it, you're more likely to produce a fantastic result.
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Thanks, that's good advice! It's okey, I totally get it. And let's face it, us Trekkies are a pretty varied bunch and trying to please everyone is an exercise in futility (kind of like resistance - lol).
It's a multi role ship. Good at science, but can kick TRIBBLE when it has to. Think of the original Lakota from DS9's Paradise Lost episode. I'm sure that was able to do all the good sciencey stuff like any other Excelsior class ship, but it had a lot of extra punch for a ship of it's class.
Ok, so in trying to take some of the constructive criticism parts out of previous comments, I've done a couple more renders with some home improvements. I've been playing around with the textures a bit, the new skin is more akin to something found on STO... Also I've been working on the deflector dish. It's now slightly recessed with more of a rim around the glowing section. Just wanted to give less of an impression that the secondary hull was blocking the deflector dish, more that the dish was moulded around it. It's a subtle change, but hopefully that can be seen here. Also, rather embarrassingly, the registry had the wrong letter at the end of it. I've corrected it so that it now reads 'A' at the end instead of 'B'.
Norway and Yeager dammit... I still want my Typhoon and Jupiter though.
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And here are a few shots of the Lakota's bridge:
Thanks deaftravis05, appreciate that.
I've been working on a new feature for the ship, in order to give it a bit more of an advantage in combat situations. I liked the concept of the Prometheus' 'Multi-Vector Assault Mode' but I always questioned the validity of how practical it would be. What if one of the sections were destroyed? Especially if the middle part was to be lost, how would the ship re-connect? The idea of attacking one's enemies from multiple angles had me thinking, as did the use of battle drones by the USS Vengeance in Star Trek Into Darkness. Wouldn't it be a much better idea to have automated drones (much like we do today) to defend the ship from attack?
So, taking design cues from some of the retractable weapons pods on Deep Space Nine, I designed these Tactical Defence Drones. Stored in hatches along the saucer edge of the ship, these would adopt strategic positions around the ship and lay down covering fire. If the Lakota has neutralized the attacking threat, these can be quickly called back and tractored back into their storage bays. Should the Lakota have to flee the area, these can self-destruct as soon as the ship has gone to warp. These pods are armed with phasers and micro-torpedoes.
As for the name, isn't Lakota technicly a more modern variant of the Excelsior already in game? I have nothing against keeping the name, though, but in case you'd want or need to change the name, Iowa class sounds awesome.
Keep up the good work.