Enterprise F Design Evolution: Part 2

This was uploaded on the website yesterday and I couldn't find it on the forums yet.

Here is the link to the full article http://www.startrekonline.com/node/2492

However, here is the culmination of their work so far:







I'm of the opinion that the rendered model is definitely growing on me as it's kept a lot of the original style of the design that I liked. The coloured drawing isn't to my taste but it's a different take on the design and I'm pleased that Cryptic are exploring various routes from which to take this iconic ship.

I posted this in the forums...

Agree with the design mantra and even the cars that give the inspiration to the mantra... but WHAT is going on in the aft section guys? The part where it's cut inward, where typically, shuttlebays are? That one section just really rubs me wrong on the design, yikes. Hopefully, that will be able to be swapped out. It has no Trek inspiration at all, certainly not from a previous Enterprise.

I know she's meant to explore, but let's face it, the game has us blasting things a LOT... so, where are the weapons on this lady? Has any thought been given to the torpedo launchers and their placement? Or the phaser strips? Lines for each of these weapons are pretty clearly defined in previous incarnations.

Any thought given to Saucer Separation? And where those lines might be? I know they at least had theories for that for the Sovereign Class. This would then beg the question of whether or not there is separate propulsion for the saucer or stardrive sections, and where is this all housed?

Also not warm feelings about the cap over the navigational deflector array... it seems a bit harsh on the painted clay model, but less so on the render. I hope the render wins out.

I really wished that the saucer would not take the cue to become pointy, like so many other Starfleet designs have.

Last gripe on the painted clay model... the dual necks almost look too fat on the fore view, and almost make the nacelle pylons look too far removed from the ship.

I'm sure these are just my opinions... and I'm hopeful the variant options will accommodate them!

You're right. Not a fan of that thing's rear end. Some sort of claw-looking camel toe thing. Not working for me at all! :ohmy:

I had liked the initial renderings that had been done with the first Dev Diary, then was really disappointed with the clay model.

The evolved rendering at the end of the second Dev Diary gives me hope again. I so prefer the elegant and graceful curvature in the 3/4 beauty shot of the digital render to the spikes, scoops, and fat neck of the clay model.

Taking a step back from the design aspects, I'm a bit confused about the point of this.

There are lots of rumors going round that this will be available to players as a reward for a series of missions, but why do this? At the end of the day they have another engineering ship, whilst there are no new science or escort ships.

Even if they do create new ships for Tact and Sci, we will still have loads of people flying around in this new style ship within a day of release.

I for one would really like to see some ships in game that we can't play. I want missions where things are going badly and a ship from starfleet warps in to assist and we get that "Sir, there's another ship coming in. It's the Enterprise!" moment like at the beginning of First Contact.

I'd like to feel awe! Not just 'Oh, another ship.'

The render does look good but the back end did give me slight pause. I thinka shuttle bay could be worked in there though (not saying I hated it) The neck does look to be a lot thicker that it was before from the front view which I'm not liking as much. I think they need to make the dual neck a little thinner so that if the saucer does deparate it becomes a warp ring for the saucer. Although we do have to keep in mind that this ship is going to be a little bit bigger than the D so its fracking huge! So it's undertandable why the neck is as huge as it is.

I was really unimpressed by the rendering done by Thomas the Cat, but the 3D model at the end looks really good. Can't wait to see what the rest looks like.

I agree with most people's assessment of the Enterprise aft. It reminds me of the things with the big mouth-claw that infected all the higher-ups in Starfleet Command by hooking onto their spine/brain stem/neck in the early seasons of TNG. I just can't get that image out of my head. I want to concentrate a phaser on it so it'll expose the creepy alien bug inside then explode.

They just posted the third installment of the Dev Diaries for the new Enterprise. The design is certainly shaping up to something much more attractive.

Quote by NicholasJohn16

The design is certainly shaping up to something much more attractive.

I agree Nick, I'm glad they did away with that pincer like back end, this look reminds me much mor of the back end of my Luna. I still hate flying cruisers though. Give me the Vesta already!

She is looking lovely! Love the rear (though I think that goes without saying)

Love the 3D model it looks a little like the Type E with a little Voyager thrown in. That in itself make sense with being tested and advanced ships.
My only criticism is the pylons.....they have to go. They look to flimsy and dare a say it here a bit "limp wristed"
Maybe it will look beefier when the texture has be put on

I would say the pylons are...ethereal. I don't think they could handle the shear forces when the ship goes to warp speed. I'm also glad the crab pincer went away because stylistically, that wasn't really very Starfleet. I'm still not sure about the neck of the thing though.

I've been one of those who, when they first announced the winner was like... "uh.... what?!" but as they started to flesh out the design fell in love with the idea (and a number of Adam's variations including the whole neck separating with the saucer creating a warp ring).

The clay model had me worried as a step backwards, but really like the latest version they've posted. I guess I don't understand the whole "this can never work" mentality with design. Star Trek is filled with the impossible, but they make it work.

My favorite non-Federation ship in the entire series makes the least sense from a practicality point of view: the Romulan D'deridex Warbird (Warbird, Sovereign, and Prometheus are my favorite ships in all of Trek lore, which might explain why I like this design so much).

Look at the toothpicks that the warp nacelles rested on in the original series Enterprise. The F's pylons look much more substantial from the side and back angles compared to the 3/4 view.

Nerd Alert!

I just wanted to correct a common error that seems to be creeping into this conversation about the function of the Warp Nacelles.

The warp nacelles do not need very much tensile strength to allow a starship to go to warp. The only need to hold the warp coils in a specific place. It's the warp field itself that they generate which provides the propulsion by compressing space in front of the field and expanding space behind the field. In effect creating a small and continuous "wave" in space that the warp field can "surf" on.

[attachment=614]Startrekwarpfield.jpg[/attachment]


To illustrate this the ST: Enterprise episode "Divergence" shows how the Columbia was able to use it's warp field to keep the Enterprise at warp, even though the two ships were not in direct contact.

[attachment=613]GNXWarpField1.jpg[/attachment]


It seems that the Starfleet design for having two nacelles connected to the ship is more for stability and safety. They help keep a symmetrical warp field, and are easier to jetison in an emergency. Also the nacelles stop the coils from diverging during flight and allow a single warp core in the main body of the ship to power both sets of warp coils.

Nerdgasm over!

I'm so sorry, I'll put the technical manual away for another 10 years, I promise.

This is why you cost 20,000,000 ECs. :woohoo:

Quote by Zepari

Nerd Alert!

I just wanted to correct a common error that seems to be creeping into this conversation about....

OK I think I'm in love

Quote by camenecium

There have been many references to high warp speeds causing structural stress; e.g., "Then fly her apart!"

Much like the Voyager episode where they were trying to get a shuttle to reach warp 10 and in the simulations it kept tearing the nacelle off of the pylon.

I think they had a similar episode where the Delta Flyer might have had the simulated shearing of the pylon (because it wasn't strong enough).

Or some junk. :3

Oh I can explain that one too (glances at technical manual hidden under the desk).

Nerd Alert!

The warp field does cause gravitational stresses on the ship through the process of compressing and expanding space, see diagram 1 in my earlier post. It is basically creating a small gravity well in front of the ship to "fall" into continuously with the opposite at the rear of the ship to simultaneously "push". The ships structural integrity field is supposed to counteract these stresses in flight, but it does have a limit.

I'm sorry I ignored that in my earlier response which was focused on why the nacelles don't produce thrust. They can be torn off by having too strong a warp field, which would create an extreme difference in the gravitational pull on different parts of the ship. However this would still not warrant a stronger nacelle design as the hull it much weaker and would rip away from the ship first (as in the ST:VOY "Year of Hell" episode). The nacelles would probably be the last thing to go after explosive decompression on all decks, and by that stage, who cares.

When the shows talk about high warp causing a "shearing" effect to damage the nacelles on ships, including the Delta Flyer, it is also possible they are not referring to gravitational shearing forces, but simple aerodynamic drag. The deflector dish creates a field to push aside interstellar gas and dust which would damage the hull if it came into contact. The dish also has to scan ahead of the ship to identify any particles that the field is not able to move in time and target them specifically. This process has a limit too as the dish can only scan so far ahead of the ship, and the faster the ship is travelling, the less effective the deflector field will be. It is known that loss of the deflector dish would cause a ship to be ripped apart by insterstellar particles if it attempted warp speed. Therefore the same would be true if the ship exceeded the maximum speed where the deflector dish was effective.

I could go on and talk about the Bussard collectors on the front of each nacelle and how the field they produce to collect hydrogen could also affect the nacelles at high warp, but I'm hoping the crews know to switch off that field if it were causing a problem, lol.

Nerd Alert Over!

I'm really sorry again, I'll burn the book, and I swear I'll seek professional help.

Don't apologize! I for one love these technobabble tirades. :cheer: