posted
I don't either; it reminds me of those annoying Esurance commercials they were playing before Star Trek '09 came out. And their Enterprise looks like something out of Tron.
However, I do applaud their original writing and ideas, and if this had been green-lighted (even if it was just shown at Startrek.com), it would have been the first basically-fan-produced Trek work to become official.
Registered: Jun 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Aban Rune: I liked some of their earlier concepts for the Enterprise alot better than what they came up with. Looks like a Federation Starship and a Star Destroyer had an illegitimate child.
The overall project concept isn't bad, but I don't like the drawing style at all.
There's something familiar about that fighter design too...but I can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps we should as Joe Straczynski what he thinks?
posted
I knew there was a reason I liked that Dragonfly thing...
-------------------- I haul cardboard and cardboard accessories
Registered: Mar 1999
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DougM
Writer/Producer Zero Room Productions
Member # 2190
posted
Hi guys, I'm part of the Final Frontier team. Saw you talking about us and thought I'd say hello.
Enterprise design was not final, and would definitely not have been as blocky as in that Sketchup model. Drawing style would probably not have changed much, although it'd be cleaned up. We were working off of a budget of zero dollars, so final, animation quality artwork wasn't really an option. Plus, for the pitch, it wasn't really needed. The network understood it was concept art.
I love Babylon 5 as much as, if not more than, the next guy (except for season 5) but to say the Dragonfly is a Starfury ripoff because it has four engines is a little much. They're totally different ships in size and purpose.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words on the site. I am happy to answer any questions here or through the comments section on our page if you're curious about any aspect of the project.
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted
Welcome, Doug- can you give us some idea as to story-arc and what was planned? Maybe some more ship designs...we cant get enough of those. Even stuff we dont like can spark an idea or three.
Registered: Aug 2002
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DougM
Writer/Producer Zero Room Productions
Member # 2190
posted
As you can see in the script, the first story sets our crew up to be sent to the border and do what Star Trek does best: explore strange new worlds. So, after the pilot, that's exactly what we'd do. Because of the nature of the Omega Event, we would, from time to time, be able to bring back old Trek races and look at them in a new way.
Over the first "season" we would have learned a lot more about the Omega Event itself and who really caused it. Enterprise's role in this discovery would have helped to regain the glory of the name and set Starfleet back on an optimistic path.
I think all our ship designs that aren't scribbled on napkins are already up on the site, but I'll see if there are any more lying around.
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted
Wait... if you're reading all this, does this mean we can't make fun of you?
Nah, seriously... it's quite a project you've got going. I can sympathize with the difficulties of trying to do cool stuff while not getting paid for it. I really hope you can get some interest generated.
Registered: Oct 1999
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DougM
Writer/Producer Zero Room Productions
Member # 2190
posted
Thanks!
I would prefer if you didn't make fun of me personally, but you're still welcome to make fun of the project.
Registered: Jan 2010
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quote:Originally posted by DougM: I love Babylon 5 as much as, if not more than, the next guy (except for season 5) but to say the Dragonfly is a Starfury ripoff because it has four engines is a little much. They're totally different ships in size and purpose.
Four engine nacelles mounted on an X shaped set of booms with a cockpit in the middle. Scale and function aside I'd say the resemblance is rather hard to deny. Mind you, I don't recall saying it was a ripoff at all.
That engine placement is hardly limited to the Starfury- the Gunstar has the same general layout.
But there are resemblences- mostly due to the cockpit, really. Now that design could be nicely tweaked by making the forward section a workbee (with retractable arms under the cockpit) and having the four-engine aft section something that can be swapped out with other mission-specific modules (cargo hauler, repair suite, crew pod for planetary evac, etc.). I would definitely lose those lower nacelles in favor of a pair of impulse engines- which would look better moved closer to the hull and would alieveate and Starfury/X-wing comparisons.
Designwise I HATE pretty much all of those starship ideas...with the odd exception of that "Hammerhead 02"- that could be tweaked to reflect Cardassia's joining the Federation- just make the "hammerhead" portion more saucer-like and it would sing. Also, add in some familliar elements to show scale- windows, docking hatches, lifeboats, phaser strips, etc.
quote: The Zero Room team felt that the time was right for a new approach to Trek. The setting is the year 2528 and the Federation is a different place after suffering through a devastating war with the Romulans 60 years earlier. The war was sparked off after a surprise attack of dozens of ‘Omega particle’ detonations throughout the Federation creating vast areas which become impassible to warp travel and essentially cut off almost half the Federation from the rest. During the war the Klingon homeworld was occupied by the Romulans, all of Andoria was destroyed and the Vulcans, who were negotiating reunification with the Romulans, pulled out of the Federation. The setting may seem bleak and not very Trek-like, but that is where the show’s hero Captain Alexander Chase comes in. Relegated to border patrol, Chase is determined to bring the Federation (and a ship called Enterprise) back to the glory days of seeking out new life and new civilizations.
Sounds a million times better than the Abrams movie- which gets worse with each viewing, in my opinion.
I think it's a bit too far of a leap forward in time though- 50 years would have been plenty- and there would not be the obvious disconnect from progress in both technology and additional races added to the Federation (changing the culture).
[ January 16, 2010, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Jason Abbadon ]
Registered: Aug 2002
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DougM
Writer/Producer Zero Room Productions
Member # 2190
posted
Yeah, everyone seems to hate the hammerhead and tell us it it would look better as a saucer. And I agree, it would look like a much better Trek ship with a saucer, but we wanted it to look a little different. We talk about this in the commentary, but basically what happened was we were having a nightmare of a time coming up with even a rough design for Enterprise. You have three guys who have been fans for years, all of whom met while working at Trek, and they all have their own ideas. It's something each of us has literally grown up thinking about. We were stuck, and we wanted something to put in the pitch packet.
So we asked Mike Okuda, and he said that there are three essential pieces to an Enterprise. The saucer, the nacelles, and an engineering section. Every variation ever made, underneath the fluff, simply moves those pieces around. He recommended we change one of them. It would visually separate our iteration from the others, and symbolize that Starfleet HAS changed; that Chase and his crew were out to fix something that was veering off course. We decided to change the saucer.
I still think a sleeker, more detailed version of that design would look pretty nice. And it would have been cool to see Starfleet ships gradually return to old style saucers while Chase's Enterprise remained a reminder of the past. And then in season seven, when the besaucered new flagship class of a newly energized Starfleet was christened Enterprise, it would be a sign that Chase was successful despite the cost (which you would have seen along the way). And then the next series follows a new crew on that Enterprise.
I'm mostly joking, although I am going to go write some of that down. Just trying to explain the thought behind why it's shaped like that. I don't think besaucered is actually even a word.
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted
I strongly approve of the term "besaucered". But I disapprove of the unbesaucered, beblockheadized starships.
I also wish to note regarding the reported Okuda statement that NX-01 had no engineering section per se. And on that note, I wish to also post an image of this ring-nacelled ship, which I saw earlier today and came to mind when I read your mention of which part you were going to screw with.
Also, Starfuries are just Dragonfly copies in anti-time, if one insists on thinking they are similar. There, problem solved.
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