Holy crap! Is that the actual CGI Foundation used for the Rhode Island? They really went out of their way to make it look more advanced or powerful.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
So the RI has Sovereign-style lifepods, too? More support for the claims that this is a "new" lifepod design, and thus more problems for those wishing to consider the Akira or the Steamrunner older vessels. Or then a sign that lifepods can be easily changed in a minor refit... In any case, those pods are much smaller than their Sovereign equivalents.
This is the sort of variation I'd like to see in all Starfleet designs. I could even buy the continuing presence of the Mirandas in the TNG era if they didn't look so completely identical to the old USS Reliant...
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
I think they're from the Fact Files.
Posted by Nim Pim (Member # 205) on :
Where is this "USS Rhode Island" from? Just fanfic? Is it bigger than the old Nova or just closer to the camera?
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
It's from the Voyager series finale, "Endgame". Since you obviously haven't seen the ep, I won't spoil you with whose ship it is or any of the other details.
It appears to be the same size as the Equinox, but, as you can see, several details are different.
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
The last time I saw the episode, I swear that the RI was larger than what could be considered for the Nova class, plus had weapons to take on the Negh'Vars or Voodians, or whatver they are called then.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
The other way around - the Voodieh (variants?) were smaller than the RI!
Mark
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Is the Rhode Island DIFFERENT enough to be given another Class status - or is it just a Nova Variant?
several differences I've spotted so far:
Different bridge module/area No forward 'divot' No tubes on the medial surfaces of the Nacelles The 'consumables connection hardports' area - "the back bone" is different Life pods Bussard Collectors Sensor packs behind bridge Auxillary Deflector (Why was Voyager's never lit)
Nice ship (both of them).
Posted by Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
AndrewR: To answer your question, no comment was made in "Endgame" that specifically states that the Rhode Island was or wasn't a Nova Class ship. I don't get the Fact Files, so I don't know if they stated that it is a Nova. However, Mojo told us that Rob Bonchune wanted to re-use the Nova class for the finale, so make of that what you will. And personally, I don't see enough difference between the two ships to reasonably state that they are two different classes.
Spoilers ahead$$$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ IMHO, if the VFX guys knew that the Rhode Island was going to be taking on two Voodieh class ships, they shouldn't have given Harry a puny Nova no matter how much they modified it. They should have given him a battleship, or at least the Prometheus.
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
differences between the Nova-class USS Equinox and the Nova-class USS Rhode Island[/i]: different bridge module different deflector housing different escape pods alteration of warp nacelle structure alteration of hull detail between nacelles
differences between the Constitution-class NCC-1701 and the Constitution-class NCC-1701-A: different bridge module different deflector housing different windows alteration of warp nacelle structure alteration of hull detail between nacelles
I dont think we need to sweat the class difference...
Posted by Boris (Member # 713) on :
Differences between Soyuz- and Miranda-classes? An aft section with a few sensors. Differences between Yellowstone- and Danube-classes? None observable.
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
Well if you look at the differences of the RI and the Nova, you'll se that the deflector is replaced by the same one they use on the Intrepids, which could mean that perhaps the smaller one is more efficient.
What I think happened, at least during that time, that the Nova class could have had a sister ship, one heavily armed, and one lightly armed. Maybe both were equal in size or the Ri was actually larger.
Hmmm...
Posted by TheF0rce (Member # 533) on :
The RI had a very low registry for a ship seen 20 or years into the future. Something like the galaxy range.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
And the Pasteur was NCC-58928.
Mark
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
There is nothing that says the RI is a new ship in the 2390's... In fact there is a good amount of evidence that suggests to me that the ship is an older one that was either built as a varient of the Nova or a later refit of the Nova spaceframe.
At the same time, there is nothing about the lifepods that changes my opinion on the Akira being a Pre-TNG ship. In fact it supports my opinion that such ships were in the middle of or at the end of a refit process.
And are the GCS and SCS lifepods that different? I haven't checked the SCSLP dimensions, but if they are smaller or the same in overall size as the GCSLP, they could fit in the same "lifepod tube" and you would only have to add a small amount of material around them [mostly in the tube corners as the GCSLP's are roughly cubical]. If you're just adding a little bit of material to the tube, putting in new pods, and replacing the hatch --- don't call it a refit, upgrade is a much much better word.
Posted by Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
Boris: The Soyuz was a special case. TPTB wanted the ship to be a TOS Constitution. However, they didn't have the budget to make one, so they modified the Miranda. This was not what they had intended on doing, so I don't count this in the argument. IMHO, they could have modified the model much better so that the class differences would be more pronounced, such as adding a third nacelle or a secondary hull underneath the saucer. But they didn't.
And as far as the Yellowstone/Danube, the entire episode it was featured in was an alternate reality which ceased to exist at the end of the ep, so that doesn't count either.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
Aren't "beauty views" supposed to be like the pictures I linked to? I thought the ones you link to are schematic views..
Mark
Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :
It's nice to see that the Fact Files consider the RI's ventral phaser array to be a tractor beam emitter.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Indeed. Though, in their defence, if the Nova is like most other Starfleet ships, it should have a tractor emitter somewhere close to that spot.
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
quote:It's nice to see that the Fact Files consider the RI's ventral phaser array to be a tractor beam emitter
Forget this. The FF always fuck up things like this.
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
Isn't it impossible to spot tractor beam emitters though? We know there are at least two on the E-D at the bottom of the secondary hull, but we also know that there are a bunch more on the ship.
I think that in TNG's time, tractor beam emitters have become something like TOS' phaser emitters. They come from a different spot each week.
So there is really no point in trying to label them on the hull...
Posted by Obi Juan (Member # 90) on :
Roaming phaser banks and tractor beam emmiters. Makes them harder for the enemy to target.
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
If TPTB wanted a Constitution Class, why didn't they just pull out the Refit Enterprise instead of the Miranda Class? Sure it wasn't TOS, but it matches the uniform that Kelsey Grammar wore for the episode.
In a totally unrelated subject, I was going through the book on how Voyager was made and I saw that the Ambassador Class model was still in one piece sitting at some model workstation.
Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :
The photo's on page 296 of A Vision of the Future: Star Trek Voyager, by Stephen Edward Poe.
Posted by Gerard Gillan (Member # 684) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mark Nguyen: Gilso! Where *do* you get these from?!
[ May 11, 2002, 14:43: Message edited by: Gerard Gillan ]
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Wow, excellent work! This makes for a really handy reference to what we're talking about here.
Also looking forward to your fan bridge designs section, BTW!
Mark
[ May 11, 2002, 15:00: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Ok, the Rhode Island looks more roundish than the Equinox for some reason. I remember hearing that two versions of the Equinox were made; one damaged and one in pristine condition. The RI could be the pristine model since the fins, the bridge dome, the auxilary deflector, and the hull spine were modified. Some hardrive then could have both starships in it.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
quote:Originally posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge: Ok, the Rhode Island looks more roundish than the Equinox for some reason. I remember hearing that two versions of the Equinox were made; one damaged and one in pristine condition. The RI could be the pristine model since the fins, the bridge dome, the auxilary deflector, and the hull spine were modified. Some hardrive then could have both starships in it.
Yeah, two versions of the Equinox were made. The undamaged version appeared in the Starship Spotter book. Presumably Rob Bonchune took that undamaged model and modified it. So what we have now differences between the two are the ones already stated, but also I've noticed that RI diesn't have the raised shield grid enhancers a la Voyager that Equinox had. I also noticed that the ventral saucer sensor cluster is also different, because RI has a raised bridge dome, she seems to have one more deck than Equinox, because RI has no deflector notch, she's also a a meter or two longer, RI's nacelle fin in not like on Equinox, but more like those on the "LN-64" nacelle, and the middle cliff along the spine is no longer black/hollowed (where aft torpedo launchers would/could be placed), but is filled in. Oh yeah, the RI's impulse engines are in slightly different place along the spine than on Equinox. And the RI doesn't have any shield grid on the ventral stardrive.
[ May 12, 2002, 18:07: Message edited by: Dat ]
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
So is it still the same ship with the same length, just with one extra deck?
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
RI is a little longer and a little taller. She has no deflector notch out of the front of the saucer (the saucer apexes where it should) and the raised bridge dome adds one more deck.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Or, it makes the bridge really, really tall.
Or, they just have a big sensor suite up there, and don't call it a real deck.
Mark
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Maybe there are overhead compartments there that can be used to store medical equipment that falls on the crew in times of attacks.
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
Perhaps the original bridge was sunken into "deck 2" and on the RI it was raised?
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Ok, that is strange. Why would a Federation starship bridge be on Deck 2? It's always on the top deck and even the Defiant had its bridge on the upper most deck. I'd think that the bridge dome on the Rhode Island just added more sensor packages or debris to fall on the crew. Oh, I put the side view of the Rhode Island ontop of the Equinox MSD... Rhode Island MSD
[ May 13, 2002, 20:53: Message edited by: Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge ]
Posted by Nim Pim (Member # 205) on :
And why would they keep such a small class and put an admiral on it? Go, Galaxy Dreadnought!
Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
Well, they don't put an admiral on it. They put a wimpy captain.
re: bridge: I'm thinking drop-down oxygen masks in the event of sudden depressurization.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Or a mold for a really, REALLY big perogie.
Mark
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
So it's a varient of the Nova class with a smaller Voyager type secondary deflector dish, that ends out in a more pointy bow. The bridge is bigger and taller. Obviously this ship is more heavily armed than the Equinox was. Perhaps an upgraded version or a heavily armed counterpart, perhaps the Defiant Pathfinder herself.
Posted by Nim Pim (Member # 205) on :
Pathfinder, eh? Then why didn't they stay on that path and give one of those to Sisko, if it's such the hot shit?
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
quote:It's always on the top deck and even the Defiant had its bridge on the upper most deck.
The Akira's bridge isn't on the top deck, since it does appear that those pylon decks extend much taller then the dome ...
Exception to EVERY rule.
Hee-hee.
Haa-haa.
Jesus.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Actually, most CGI shots tend to show the bridge at least equal to the catamaran hulls...
Mark
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
quote:Originally posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge: Ok, that is strange. Why would a Federation starship bridge be on Deck 2? It's always on the top deck and even the Defiant had its bridge on the upper most deck.
Yeah, that's exactly right. The RI is one deck taller than the Equinox--- Deck 1 on the Equinox is like Deck 2 on the RI.
Didn't we see Ransom's ready room on the Equinox? We saw it on the RI... if there is enough difference between the two, I would consider that more evidence for my case.