Task Force: Gamma

Captain David Brennon · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 6:19 pm Post subject: New Ship Class

Now that we've got the ball rolling on this new Sim, let's start talking specifics. What class of ship will we be using? I will be putting up a nice assortment of small to medium size Federation Starfleet ship classes to discuss. We don't want the second ship to outshine the Hartington (at least not yet...) so let's not make it too big. Any questions about the different classes discussed here are more than welcome.

For ease of reference, here is a nice chart that shows all of these classes and more, scaled to size:

Starship Scale

And this link talks about the different classes very briefly:

Class Description
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uvek · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject:

I think that the reality is Excelsior is the way to go. I know everyone likes Voyager, so the intrepid is going to get votes, but think about it. The excelsior has the upgrades between Hartington and Galaxy, it offers the possibility of the latest technology without being indestructible, it also gets my vote for size and flexibility. We can have a fleet of runabouts and shuttles, AND it won't "outshine the hartington".

Folding nacelles are neat, but the Excelsior is really unexplored.

Just my input....and vote.. Very Happy

ArjimCalodan · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

I voted for the Nova class as it seems a good fit for our mission, but I could also be swung for an Excelsior based on the way Starfleet was stretched after the war.

The Nova class is a small ship, 80 crew, designed for scientific survey and shot range exploration, which seems a good fit to work with the Hartington.

An Excelsior pulled from mothballs would also be fitting to go with the Hartington. Think a ship that has been recommissioned to join the Task Force and help explore the Gamma Quadrant. The Excelsiors were considered "technical failures" but were refitted and served admirably in the Dominion war. Maybe a ship like the Hood, that was severly damaged in the battle to retake DS9 could be rescued from the salvage yards and rebuilt.
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Captain David Brennon · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:03 pm Post subject:

Personally, I'm holding my vote until I mull it over a little more. There are ups and downs to nearly every class of ship I put up there.

As Calodan said, any of the older ships could have been pulled out of mothballs to help the fleet after the war. I'm partial to the Excelsior Class myself and that is why I added it to the list.

Many of the newer ships would also make sense I think. Intrepid, Nova and Saber class vessels all have small crews (40-150) and are perfect for science missions.

Nebula class ships are very versatile but have larger crews. If we're going for a smaller feel for this next game then something like this, while pretty to look at may not be the best choice... but still I added it.

Centaur class ships were built out of spare components, prefab ship parts that were slapped together quickly to get them out for the war. The new ship could be one of these types due to their sheer abundance after the war ended.

All of that said, I'm holding my vote for the time being.
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uvek · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject:

Hey, am I a black sheep? I voted for excelsior for the same reasons Calodan mentioned? Is it cuz I can't win the trivia challenge? Have I made you mad at me Cap?

I hope not...

Captain David Brennon · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject:

It's true. We don't like you... we trained you wrong on purpose... as a joke.

Very Happy

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uvek · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject:

THANK GOD I'M LIVING UP TO THE TRAINING! I'D HATE TO THINK IT WAS MY PERSONALITY....HAHAHHA Razz

Marek · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject:

I voted Intrepid, although one that wasn't listed that would be cool is Akira. I like intrepid because we have lots of available info on the ship, which can be a downside but hey, I like the details
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Liam McTavish · Task Force Crewman Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 286

Looking at the list and the ship side by side chart, I have to...Ok lets be honest My first choice is now and always will be the Miranda. Something about that ship just strikes a cord with me. The only ship in the entire series I like more is the Constitution Refit (Called the Enterprise Class be Fasa).
My Second choice is the Excelsior. For a while she was the battle ship of the fleet. She is nice and sleek and if we monkeyed with her stats a little bit we could make her a major science platform or the battle ship she was designed as.
My third Choice choice is the Nova, mostly because she is the upgrade for the Oberth. Id pick the Oberth with some major upgrades but Starfleet did it for me lol
Im really not impressed by the Intrepid. Ok lots of pretty bells and whistles but im just not a fan of Voyager. Most of the other 'Newer' ships just leave me blah. I think our fleet should be more 'old school' give us the old ships the ones with life and a story and history and more importantly something to prove.
Give us those ships that had their hearts torn out during Wolf 359, drug to the nearest ship yards and retired. Only to have the dominion war come along and pulled out of moth balls and new tech stuffed into them and sent off to war.
Give us the Ships that raw cadets from Star Fleet get their orders and look up in bewilderment and confusion because they have never herd of us, yet we are the true explorers on the edge.
(crap. sorry didnt mean to run off at the mouth)

ArjimCalodan · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

I like your thoughts McTavish.

I have a thing for the old, beatup birds that got dragged back into service for the Dominion War. The retired ships have history and have their own "quirks".

Plus, by using the "upgraded" old ships, we can write our own specs and come up with our own roles for ships. Just as the Ambassador has been "rerolled" as a flag ship and explorer with a cloak and new systems, an Excelsior could be a great scientific ship and a Miranda would be great as a "fast-attack Marine boat".
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

I like your thoughts McTavish.

I have a thing for the old, beatup birds that got dragged back into service for the Dominion War. The retired ships have history and have their own "quirks".

Plus, by using the "upgraded" old ships, we can write our own specs and come up with our own roles for ships. Just as the Ambassador has been "rerolled" as a flag ship and explorer with a cloak and new systems, an Excelsior could be a great scientific ship and a Miranda would be great as a "fast-attack Marine boat".
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Liam McTavish · Task Force Crewman Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 286

Captain David Brennon · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:51 pm Post subject:

I've read over what everyone has been saying and I've made my decision. I'm settling on the Excelsior class. For every reason said above, especially Mr. Calodan's comment

Liam McTavish · Task Force Crewman Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 286

A Miranda Class with a slight green tinge to her hull. A Star Fleet Crew to keep her going, but a very small, almost skeleton crew. The rest taken up by the Jar Heads. Whole decks ripped out and replaced with expanded hanger bays and filled with Denube Class shuttles and fighters to provide air support. That kind of thing?

Captain David Brennon · Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject:

Sort of. The idea wasn't fully formed in my head. When I was a kid I fell in love with a series of novels by a guy named Rick Shelley, the Dirigent Mercenary Corps. He died in 2001 and thank goodness he finished the series before he bit it. Anyhow, this idea was spawned out of me reading those books. I almost started a Marine Sim that would use the plot of those books as a loose structure but I never got around to it... maybe with our fleet I'll be able to realize this dream.
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