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[Suggestion/Request] Parliament Class Mirror Warship variant
rsilverblood87
Member Posts: 12 Arc User
The problem:
1. The Parliament-class is hard to get (Lockbox). Plus, there's virtually no customization options for it, aside from material.
2. The 4/4 weapons layout isn't as powerful or versatile.
3. The bridge seating isn't very good, nor is the mono-specialization for two MW seats.
4. The in-universe purpose of the Parliament-class was to be a space tractor and engineering vessel. That's fun from a lore perspective. But not a gameplay perspective.
The solution:
1. Create a new variant of the Parliament-class, but themed after the Mirror Universe.
2. Give it a 5/3 weapons layout.
3. Keep the 5 engineering consoles, as Isomag consoles make it better.
4. Give it a better bridge seating layout. Work with respected content creators to ask for feedback on what a good improvement/alternative to the Parliament-class should look like. An energy-weapon optimized layout would be ideal.
5. Give it dual specializations. MW/Temp would be great (since Legendary Avenger already does 5/3 MW/Int), with MW as the primary.
6. Please put it on the C-store for 3000z. Please don't put it behind yet another lockbox, nor inside of a bundle, nor the Lobi store, nor the Phoenix store for an epic token.
7. Please give it a turning rate of 11.5 or higher, but please keep the Hull Modifier above 1.35, as the Parliament should still be fairly tanky. The turn rate increase would make it more comparable to other warships (which all have 12 or higher turn rate), and would help make it not feel like a massive downgrade from the Legendary Avenger, only a slight downgrade. Which is fair if it's also being sold for less.
8. Make space tractor go pew pew.
Aesthetic suggestions:
2. Give it a ventral spinal phaser lance (similar to the Lexington-class Dreadnought cruiser).
3. Add a mission-specific modules (similar to the Luna-class): Sensors module, and Multiple Torpedo Launcher module. By placing such a module directly above the bridge, it would cover the bridge from being fired at as easily.
4. Add a third impulse engine behind the deflector, and move the two rear torpedo launchers elsewhere. And lower the deflector to give room for the spinal phaser lancer.
5. Have a few options for nacelle pylons. While the swept-back pylons look great, I'd love to see some straight-across pylons and for forward-swept pylon options.
6. Ensuring that the new pieces can be easily mixed and matched is definitely going to improve the usefulness/appeal of this, and give players a reason to try it out.
7. Adding a new saucer section that includes two dorsal ridges (like the Luna-class or the Akira-class) would be great. There's a functional reason why it would help: it covers the bridge from being hit from the sides.
Lore suggestions:
1. Call it the Edict, or the Decree. In opposition to a Parliament which legislates, an Edict or Decree is something which a tyrant might do. Also, the names Tyrant, Dictator or Despot would also be great names for such a ship class that really fit in with the Mirror Universe theme.
2. It would actually be a great opportunity to feature other Mirror Universe TNG characters: Geordi La Forge and William T. Riker could make for great opportunities to feature those characters again, especially if they were to captain the new ship.
1. The Parliament-class is hard to get (Lockbox). Plus, there's virtually no customization options for it, aside from material.
2. The 4/4 weapons layout isn't as powerful or versatile.
3. The bridge seating isn't very good, nor is the mono-specialization for two MW seats.
4. The in-universe purpose of the Parliament-class was to be a space tractor and engineering vessel. That's fun from a lore perspective. But not a gameplay perspective.
The solution:
1. Create a new variant of the Parliament-class, but themed after the Mirror Universe.
2. Give it a 5/3 weapons layout.
3. Keep the 5 engineering consoles, as Isomag consoles make it better.
4. Give it a better bridge seating layout. Work with respected content creators to ask for feedback on what a good improvement/alternative to the Parliament-class should look like. An energy-weapon optimized layout would be ideal.
5. Give it dual specializations. MW/Temp would be great (since Legendary Avenger already does 5/3 MW/Int), with MW as the primary.
6. Please put it on the C-store for 3000z. Please don't put it behind yet another lockbox, nor inside of a bundle, nor the Lobi store, nor the Phoenix store for an epic token.
7. Please give it a turning rate of 11.5 or higher, but please keep the Hull Modifier above 1.35, as the Parliament should still be fairly tanky. The turn rate increase would make it more comparable to other warships (which all have 12 or higher turn rate), and would help make it not feel like a massive downgrade from the Legendary Avenger, only a slight downgrade. Which is fair if it's also being sold for less.
8. Make space tractor go pew pew.
Aesthetic suggestions:
2. Give it a ventral spinal phaser lance (similar to the Lexington-class Dreadnought cruiser).
3. Add a mission-specific modules (similar to the Luna-class): Sensors module, and Multiple Torpedo Launcher module. By placing such a module directly above the bridge, it would cover the bridge from being fired at as easily.
4. Add a third impulse engine behind the deflector, and move the two rear torpedo launchers elsewhere. And lower the deflector to give room for the spinal phaser lancer.
5. Have a few options for nacelle pylons. While the swept-back pylons look great, I'd love to see some straight-across pylons and for forward-swept pylon options.
6. Ensuring that the new pieces can be easily mixed and matched is definitely going to improve the usefulness/appeal of this, and give players a reason to try it out.
7. Adding a new saucer section that includes two dorsal ridges (like the Luna-class or the Akira-class) would be great. There's a functional reason why it would help: it covers the bridge from being hit from the sides.
Lore suggestions:
1. Call it the Edict, or the Decree. In opposition to a Parliament which legislates, an Edict or Decree is something which a tyrant might do. Also, the names Tyrant, Dictator or Despot would also be great names for such a ship class that really fit in with the Mirror Universe theme.
2. It would actually be a great opportunity to feature other Mirror Universe TNG characters: Geordi La Forge and William T. Riker could make for great opportunities to feature those characters again, especially if they were to captain the new ship.
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Comments
From a lore standpoint, its armament is supposed to be mainly defensive (though powerful enough to join in on an attack if necessary) so the 4/4 hardpoint arrangement actually makes a lot of sense, as does doubling down on MW since it is an engineering auxiliary ship. The bridge seating isn't exactly ideal for a combat ship, but then again it isn't one, and it allows for all sorts of engineering "kludges" (such as the ever-popular space freeze attack skill from the Winter store and other dirty tricks) in combat, which is how an engineering aux forced to fight would ideally operate.
The extra-weaponized supertractor thing would be nice, but the T6 Norway/Valdres already has that tractor and fills that role more or less. Technically, at least according to behind-the-scenes information, the Norway is a tactical hospital ship and that slot between the nacelle slots normally holds a sort of forward MASH or triage pod that is landed by a heavy tractor beam. There is no realworld oceangoing equivalent to that kind of ship yet, though there is a proposal to convert a few of the San Antonio class amphibious assault ships into that kind of hybrid hospital ship that can defend itself and support landings with the fleet instead of being behind friendly lines like the passenger-liner or cargo ship based hospital ships.
Originally, when the Norway class is seen attacking the Cube, someone on the Enterprise bridge was supposed to comment that "they're even throwing hospital ships at it!" ("it" being the Cube), but the line didn't make the final cut. Another idea in the movie that never made it to screen was that the Akira class was supposed to have a "bouncy energy projectile" weapon, probably something like STO's Ba'ul canons.
The Mirror Universe would probably have the same need for an engineering auxiliary ship like the Parliament class, but why would they then degrade its suitability for its primary purpose to add more tactical capability? It seems more likely that they would just use more pragmatic (and cruel) weapons in the 4/4 hardpoints, like agony phasers or those extra-creeping disruptors that were featured in a TNG (or DS9?) episode to discourage others from attacking the ship.
Likewise, why have a spinal lance? If it was a mining ship that could be useful for blowing holes through planetoids to get at minerals in the core, but for an engineering ship using it for anything useful for its primary purpose would be like trying to do dentistry with a sledgehammer. Spinal weapons are supposed to take up big gobs of the ship's resources and internal space beyond just the gun itself, which is why only certain ships can have them, otherwise they would be bolting the things onto practically every ship.
On the other hand, tweaking the turn rate would make it fit the source material better as ships in that cartoon tend to make ridiculously fast (by movie standards and later anyway) turns and other odd maneuvers that would theoretically be impossible at impulse or thruster maneuvering.
The role of being a supertractor thing could still be useful. After breaking through, the Parliament Warship could tow itself and any other damaged ship out of battle. Hit hard to lift a siege and exploit a breakthrough, then exfiltrate damaged friendlies and evacuate. (That's why it would need the spinal phaser lance. To carve a few holes in the enemy lines.)
Basically, long-term staying power in battle would be replaced with alpha strike, short-term defenses (think ablative armor) and lots of maneuverability. Expensive ships designed to patrol in small gangs. Inspired by the real world Operation Chrome Dome, where B-52s would circle around the USA during the Cold War to provide a response. But in this case, instead of mutually assured destruction, this would be more focused on lifting a siege/blockade on any world controlled by the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe. While some worlds wouldn't be worth the cost to take control back, and so it might be preferrable in some instances for the Terran Empire to simply go scorched earth on some planets taken by alien species, there are some worlds that might have strategic importance for the Terran Empire, like worlds rich in dilithium ore or duranium or tritanium, all of which are essential for starships.
Basically, how do you overcome an entrenched enemy and avoid a drawn out war of attrition? You need to break through the lines. If an enemy has time on their side during a siege or blockade of a strategic asset your side needs, and they have the defensive advantage, what's the most cost-effective way to ensure that you secure that strategic asset for the lowest cost possible in both resources (man and material) and time? This was what I was thinking would be the answer. You'd still need accompanying ships to join in to provide support. Probably a few broadside-focused ships, along with ships that have shields which could be extended to provide a small formation with greater defensive capabilities.
One ability which I thought could be interesting would be that in such a scenario, ejecting a secondary warp core and cloaking it before detonating it near an enemy battle line would end up being a fantastic way to surprise enemy formations. Once an enemy became aware of this tactic, it would force them to spread out their forces a bit more, making it easier for the MU Parliament Warship to achieve its goals. Which forces a dilemma on the enemy: become more vulnerable to cloaked ejected warp cores, or become more vulnerable to MU Parliament Warship. It's always better to give an enemy dilemmas, because while problems can be solved, dilemmas require the enemy to make one of multiple bad choices.