I'm presuming that in these cases, the upper picture has the "flight forward" direction pointing picture down, and the lower picture shows the aft aspect of the ship. That way, the "bright light" you see on the top view of Charlie would be the illumination of the Main Deflector Dish.
I am firmly of the belief that Charlie here shows the greatest influence of Starfleet/Federation ship building aesthetics, not just because of the "saucer section" influence, but also because of what looks like the design element of a ring phaser around the "edge" of the saucer, yielding a free field of fire in all directions both above and below the plane of flight. It would appear that there would be a "gap" on the aft edge in this ring phaser design element where the impulse engine exhaust would be emitted from (see the lower view showing the aft angle perspective).
An extremely obvious omission from the Charlie design, which should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Galaxy and Nebula classes would be ... the Shuttlecraft Bay. There's no hint of there being a shuttle bay aperture anywhere on the dorsal surface of this early sketch. There SHOULD BE some sort of hangar facilities visible, even at this stage, and that the precedent of having a hangar bay opening towards the aft of the ship, so that any launch/recovery of small craft happens in the ship's "wake" should be honored. Note, I'm not talking about a game mechanical Hangar Pets slot on the ship as an equipped item, but rather an artistic element.
The other thing that I find problematic about the Charlie design is that as Star Trek fans, we've been ... conditioned ... to think of warp engines as being essentially Linear elements (see: nacelles) rather than circular ones (the D'Kyr and other examples of Ring Warp Drives notwithstanding). The Charlie design doesn't leave a whole lot of "design space" available for the expected TWO (or four?) linear warp drives, although I suppose the cuts in the upper hull surface MIGHT possibly be the Bussard Collectors, but even then, it's a stretch.
Delta ... no. Just no. From a Star Trek engineering elements perspective ... it just makes no sense. I can't even look at this and PRETEND to start theorycrafting what the design elements are, where they would go, how they're supposed to work ... any of that. If we were voting on a 30th century ship design from the Lukari ... okay, THEN I might consider Delta as a possibility. But as a FIRST ship for the Lukari to build, when offered technical assistance from all the major sources in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants? No. Delta is just too much of a stretch to be credible in the 25th century for a NEWLY warp capable indigenous (with help) effort.
wow on team Charlie. Not only is it a cool looking. I love the fact it doesn't have all the sensor as the alpha ship. I only hope when all is set and done that it does come with three device slots unlike most escort class ships.
But as a FIRST ship for the Lukari to build, when offered technical assistance from all the major sources in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants? No. Delta is just too much of a stretch to be credible in the 25th century for a NEWLY warp capable indigenous (with help) effort.
Which is actually a plus for Delta - it can be used to echo the 'Camel is a Horse designed by committee' situation in which the Lukari find themselves.
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it's not for the timid." -- Q, TNG: "Q-Who?"
^Words that every player should keep in mind, especially whenever there's a problem with the game...
Must have some sort of crop circle designs for the hull and shields, (sort of like the pulsating energy seen on the Iconian gear- NOT PINK, though......MUST BE DARK PURPLE energy pulse!!
But as a FIRST ship for the Lukari to build, when offered technical assistance from all the major sources in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants? No. Delta is just too much of a stretch to be credible in the 25th century for a NEWLY warp capable indigenous (with help) effort.
Which is actually a plus for Delta - it can be used to echo the 'Camel is a Horse designed by committee' situation in which the Lukari find themselves.
Uh ... no it isn't (a plus for Delta). If you're trying to "kitbash" together something from already proven design aesthetics, you need to produce something that WORKS from "known working technologies" without developing something that is such a radical departure that there is no sense of "how did you get HERE from THERE?" anymore. You have to work from precedent. The Delta design has no precedent. There isn't even a pretense of trying to adapt an already existing design/motif into this shape.
This is why I have no problem with Delta being something that the Lukari will develop eventually after a lot of iterations and advancement ... but not as a first time "we don't even know what we're doing wrong yet" initial effort when working with completely alien technologies that you don't understand yet. In other words, Delta makes sense more as an "artistic" aspiration for a species with a developed knowledge of warp technology, rather than a "first effort" like we're supposed to be assuming here.
"Realistic" Engineering FIRST ... Artistic License LATER. There's more than enough Engineering Risk to go around working with unfamiliar tech to begin with. Don't make the odds of failure even higher(!) by trying to shoehorn everything into forms and shapes it was never intended to work with in the first place. Form should follow Function when getting started with new tech. Later on, with greater skill/mastery, you can start getting fanciful.
If you think about it, it seems like a reasonable conjecture that all of these ships are intended to be very UFO-looking rather than reflect any of the engineering principles of any of the usual 25th century Trek factions.
I agree that expecting the Lukari to go from a first-generation Warp-1 drive (which I believe they obtained from the Ferengi?) to a modern starship with the help of the Alliance while developing a radical new design is quite a stretch. None of the designs look like an evolution of Alliance technology. Granted, the Lukari influence (whatever that is) would change things up, but not that radically.
No, this is entirely intentional. It's a hint at where the Anniversary story is going. Might not necessarily be time-travel, but... who are we kidding? It's totally about time-travel. Heck, look at this picture:
The Lukari even look a little bit like the stereotypical bald-headed alien.
I'm presuming that in these cases, the upper picture has the "flight forward" direction pointing picture down, and the lower picture shows the aft aspect of the ship. That way, the "bright light" you see on the top view of Charlie would be the illumination of the Main Deflector Dish.
I am firmly of the belief that Charlie here shows the greatest influence of Starfleet/Federation ship building aesthetics, not just because of the "saucer section" influence, but also because of what looks like the design element of a ring phaser around the "edge" of the saucer, yielding a free field of fire in all directions both above and below the plane of flight. It would appear that there would be a "gap" on the aft edge in this ring phaser design element where the impulse engine exhaust would be emitted from (see the lower view showing the aft angle perspective).
An extremely obvious omission from the Charlie design, which should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Galaxy and Nebula classes would be ... the Shuttlecraft Bay. There's no hint of there being a shuttle bay aperture anywhere on the dorsal surface of this early sketch. There SHOULD BE some sort of hangar facilities visible, even at this stage, and that the precedent of having a hangar bay opening towards the aft of the ship, so that any launch/recovery of small craft happens in the ship's "wake" should be honored. Note, I'm not talking about a game mechanical Hangar Pets slot on the ship as an equipped item, but rather an artistic element.
The other thing that I find problematic about the Charlie design is that as Star Trek fans, we've been ... conditioned ... to think of warp engines as being essentially Linear elements (see: nacelles) rather than circular ones (the D'Kyr and other examples of Ring Warp Drives notwithstanding). The Charlie design doesn't leave a whole lot of "design space" available for the expected TWO (or four?) linear warp drives, although I suppose the cuts in the upper hull surface MIGHT possibly be the Bussard Collectors, but even then, it's a stretch.
Delta ... no. Just no. From a Star Trek engineering elements perspective ... it just makes no sense. I can't even look at this and PRETEND to start theorycrafting what the design elements are, where they would go, how they're supposed to work ... any of that. If we were voting on a 30th century ship design from the Lukari ... okay, THEN I might consider Delta as a possibility. But as a FIRST ship for the Lukari to build, when offered technical assistance from all the major sources in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants? No. Delta is just too much of a stretch to be credible in the 25th century for a NEWLY warp capable indigenous (with help) effort.
Well, one thing's for sure, Delta would have to fly in sideways to fit most drydocks
I've went with the crowd this time around and picked Team Charlie.
The Rising of the Delta is the best expansion ever, and people love it to death because it is a good day to die in the endless struggle for supremacy of your own conviction. (A spin off of the Delta Rising is the best expansion ever and all the players love it.)
I voted for Charlie. Why? Well, of the two....it makes sense as a ship and, if trimmed right, has the potential to look downright mean. I'm not talking paint job, but how the hull is, uhm, cut, if that makes sense. Look at ID4's aliens, the bad guy ones that is, for reference as to what I mean by that.
As is, Charlie looks like its going fast while sitting still, kinda. If this is for an 'anniversary event prize ship', I doubt we'll be getting something on the huge side of things. Yes, I know, some of the event ships, like the Obelisk carrier, have been rather...large, but Charlie, to me, screams, scout and, with all the time tech floating around these days, could also explain modern 'saucer' sightings, lol. Generally, we've gotten smaller ships from any event reputation projects - the Nandi, the Risian pair, the Vorgon escort, et cetera - with, maybe, a rare 'larger' one.
As for Delta....have to agree, looks like it would be better as a static station or something.
Comments
But, Charlie reminds me oF the Enterprise D Saucer aftrer seperation. So it has already been seen in the Next Gen Although without warp capability.
I'm presuming that in these cases, the upper picture has the "flight forward" direction pointing picture down, and the lower picture shows the aft aspect of the ship. That way, the "bright light" you see on the top view of Charlie would be the illumination of the Main Deflector Dish.
I am firmly of the belief that Charlie here shows the greatest influence of Starfleet/Federation ship building aesthetics, not just because of the "saucer section" influence, but also because of what looks like the design element of a ring phaser around the "edge" of the saucer, yielding a free field of fire in all directions both above and below the plane of flight. It would appear that there would be a "gap" on the aft edge in this ring phaser design element where the impulse engine exhaust would be emitted from (see the lower view showing the aft angle perspective).
An extremely obvious omission from the Charlie design, which should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Galaxy and Nebula classes would be ... the Shuttlecraft Bay. There's no hint of there being a shuttle bay aperture anywhere on the dorsal surface of this early sketch. There SHOULD BE some sort of hangar facilities visible, even at this stage, and that the precedent of having a hangar bay opening towards the aft of the ship, so that any launch/recovery of small craft happens in the ship's "wake" should be honored. Note, I'm not talking about a game mechanical Hangar Pets slot on the ship as an equipped item, but rather an artistic element.
The other thing that I find problematic about the Charlie design is that as Star Trek fans, we've been ... conditioned ... to think of warp engines as being essentially Linear elements (see: nacelles) rather than circular ones (the D'Kyr and other examples of Ring Warp Drives notwithstanding). The Charlie design doesn't leave a whole lot of "design space" available for the expected TWO (or four?) linear warp drives, although I suppose the cuts in the upper hull surface MIGHT possibly be the Bussard Collectors, but even then, it's a stretch.
Delta ... no. Just no. From a Star Trek engineering elements perspective ... it just makes no sense. I can't even look at this and PRETEND to start theorycrafting what the design elements are, where they would go, how they're supposed to work ... any of that. If we were voting on a 30th century ship design from the Lukari ... okay, THEN I might consider Delta as a possibility. But as a FIRST ship for the Lukari to build, when offered technical assistance from all the major sources in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants? No. Delta is just too much of a stretch to be credible in the 25th century for a NEWLY warp capable indigenous (with help) effort.
Protonic Kool-Aid Down The Drain Cruiser
Immortal BOff Skills combo for Ground
Which is actually a plus for Delta - it can be used to echo the 'Camel is a Horse designed by committee' situation in which the Lukari find themselves.
^Words that every player should keep in mind, especially whenever there's a problem with the game...
or perhaps:
Are we voting on geometric symbols FOR REAL?
Original STO beta tester.
Admiral Wilkens: "I bend our rules so folks don't have to live in fear strictly obeying someone else's".
LOL!
Uh ... no it isn't (a plus for Delta). If you're trying to "kitbash" together something from already proven design aesthetics, you need to produce something that WORKS from "known working technologies" without developing something that is such a radical departure that there is no sense of "how did you get HERE from THERE?" anymore. You have to work from precedent. The Delta design has no precedent. There isn't even a pretense of trying to adapt an already existing design/motif into this shape.
This is why I have no problem with Delta being something that the Lukari will develop eventually after a lot of iterations and advancement ... but not as a first time "we don't even know what we're doing wrong yet" initial effort when working with completely alien technologies that you don't understand yet. In other words, Delta makes sense more as an "artistic" aspiration for a species with a developed knowledge of warp technology, rather than a "first effort" like we're supposed to be assuming here.
"Realistic" Engineering FIRST ... Artistic License LATER. There's more than enough Engineering Risk to go around working with unfamiliar tech to begin with. Don't make the odds of failure even higher(!) by trying to shoehorn everything into forms and shapes it was never intended to work with in the first place. Form should follow Function when getting started with new tech. Later on, with greater skill/mastery, you can start getting fanciful.
Protonic Kool-Aid Down The Drain Cruiser
Immortal BOff Skills combo for Ground
I agree that expecting the Lukari to go from a first-generation Warp-1 drive (which I believe they obtained from the Ferengi?) to a modern starship with the help of the Alliance while developing a radical new design is quite a stretch. None of the designs look like an evolution of Alliance technology. Granted, the Lukari influence (whatever that is) would change things up, but not that radically.
No, this is entirely intentional. It's a hint at where the Anniversary story is going. Might not necessarily be time-travel, but... who are we kidding? It's totally about time-travel. Heck, look at this picture:
The Lukari even look a little bit like the stereotypical bald-headed alien.
It uses abducted cows for fuel
Well, one thing's for sure, Delta would have to fly in sideways to fit most drydocks
As is, Charlie looks like its going fast while sitting still, kinda. If this is for an 'anniversary event prize ship', I doubt we'll be getting something on the huge side of things. Yes, I know, some of the event ships, like the Obelisk carrier, have been rather...large, but Charlie, to me, screams, scout and, with all the time tech floating around these days, could also explain modern 'saucer' sightings, lol. Generally, we've gotten smaller ships from any event reputation projects - the Nandi, the Risian pair, the Vorgon escort, et cetera - with, maybe, a rare 'larger' one.
As for Delta....have to agree, looks like it would be better as a static station or something.