Where does your TREK take you?

Beleriphon · Sep 28, 2016

Once the new game comes out I'd love to run a game set in the same era as Star Trek Online. I adore the new ship designs, especially the Enterprise-F, and the fact that her captain is an Andorian.

Water Bob · Oct 25, 2016

I think the new designs are OK, but I wish they weren't so streamlined. Few of those vessels enter atmosphere, and those that do don't rely on wind lift. The first hint of this started with TMP Enterprise with its swept pylons and nacelles. Then, the TNG Enterprise D took it to an all new level. And, ships just kept getting more and more "swept" looking.

aramis erak · Oct 25, 2016

Water Bob said:
I think the new designs are OK, but I wish they weren't so streamlined. Few of those vessels enter atmosphere, and those that do don't rely on wind lift. The first hint of this started with TMP Enterprise with its swept pylons and nacelles. Then, the TNG Enterprise D took it to an all new level. And, ships just kept getting more and more "swept" looking.

Think of it as reducing particle drag at sublight - at 0.1 C or faster, the interplanetary/circumsolar medium does induce quite a bit of drag

Water Bob · Oct 25, 2016

Come to think of it, it was the TOS Romulan War Bird that first started with that type of design.

Morrus · Oct 26, 2016

Water Bob said:
I think the new designs are OK, but I wish they weren't so streamlined. Few of those vessels enter atmosphere, and those that do don't rely on wind lift. The first hint of this started with TMP Enterprise with its swept pylons and nacelles. Then, the TNG Enterprise D took it to an all new level. And, ships just kept getting more and more "swept" looking.

That argument leads to all starships being spherical, though.

Water Bob · Oct 26, 2016

Morrus said:
That argument leads to all starships being spherical, though.

No, not really. There are lots of designs that aren't aerodynamic looking. The original TOS Enterprise, for example.

Morrus · Oct 26, 2016

Water Bob said:
No, not really. There are lots of designs that aren't aerodynamic looking. The original TOS Enterprise, for example.

The saucer shape is a concession to aerodynamics. As are the tubular nacelles.

I was wrong about spherical - a Borg Cube is a ship which better ignores aerodynamics. If you want no aerodynamic concessions, the ship should be a cube. Physics is physics!

aramis erak · Oct 26, 2016

Morrus said:
The saucer shape is a concession to aerodynamics. As are the tubular nacelles.

I was wrong about spherical - a Borg Cube is a ship which better ignores aerodynamics. If you want no aerodynamic concessions, the ship should be a cube. Physics is physics!

And physics says space is a VERY thin gas. At least, it is within the galactic disks.

Water Bob · Oct 26, 2016

What I'm saying is...

These have more of an aerodynamic look

star-trek-enterprise-E-sci-fi-paradise-11941897-800-600.jpg

Than this...

Or this...

aramis erak · Oct 26, 2016

[MENTION=50460]Water[/MENTION]Bob Truth is, the change in look was probably a legal thing...
See, during the Paramount v. Fantasimulation Associates case, the Paramount legal team claimed ST:TNG as a wholly separate IP from ST TOS and from ST TAS and from the Movies. IIRC, the findings of fact in the case included that STTNG is indeed a separate, derivative, IP. By changing the shapes, it creates a new IP... So, if TOS's copyrights ever expire†, the Movie era enterprise remains protected 8 years longer. And TNG's 18 years longer.

By consistently changing the look in one direction, they maintain a sense of continuity... but continuity doesn't need to worry about copyright.