posted
The Excelsior was a beautiful ship for its time. I love the refit-Enterprise, but it was successfully "upstaged" by the end of ST:VI in the "signing off" scene. And although the Excelsior compared favorably to the Enterprise-D, I think that you could tell that it looked "old."
"Cannon fodder"? Maybe... that depends on just how effectively the ships were refitted over the years. While the attrition rate was probably high based on what we saw on screen, I really don't think that they were death traps at all -- and they certainly were useful, or else some would've been withdrawn from the front lines. We still saw Excelsiors in the thick of things alongside Galaxies and the Defiant up until "What You Leave Behind."
Something you might want to consider here: a good deal of our perspective depends on the effects people and how they present the "non-focus" starships. In ST:III and ST:VI, the Excelsior was an Important Ship, and thus received some very favorable shots to make it look good. But looking at TNG, the Excelsiors seemed to appear dark and "run down" compared to the Enterprise-D... and obviously the focus was on the "D" as the star-of-the-show. And in DS9, the Excelsiors were nothing more than background decorations for the battle scenes, and so never received that much attention aside from a few "destruction" shots (the USS Valley Forge comes to mind).
I'd be surprised if the Excelsiors lasted very much longer as a front-line starship after the "upgrading" programs bringing in more and more new starships. They may be relatively outdated and not suited for deliberate offerings for the advanced enemies like the Dominion and Borg. But they're still a capable starship (from what we know about them), and certainly could be useful as a "coast guard" internal patrol ship, or else as a low-threat explorer, or even as a transport -- since Starfleet seems to like to refit "obsolete" classes and use them as container ships.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
I have always wondered what would have happened if Starfleet decided to refit all the Excelsior class ships to the USS Lakota standards. Remember she stood a fair chance against the Defiant. There's obviously something costly/useless about the Excelsior class that would make the refit seem not as appealing as it should be. I mean if I was Starfleet, I would bring in all the Excelsior class ships as fast I could, to refit them.
Perhaps the war stopped the refits, and instead of having a few powerful ships, they needed alot of weaker ships.
-------------------- Matrix If you say so If you want so Then do so
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
MM has taken the "power" of the quotation mark to "new" heights "of" use.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
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Prismatic EdipisReks
Ex-Member
posted
i think that the Excelsior class is still perfectly useful, but i think that starfleet would be smart to take the older ones of the front line.
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posted
Thanks for pointing that out, "Liam." I'll "try" to use the "quotes" less often in the future.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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posted
I do not deny the fact that the Excelsior looked better in the movies than in the series and that for it original time the Excelsior was It. But I never really liked the shape, I'm like the rest of the E crew at the end of Star Trek II.
-------------------- Later, J _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ The Last Person to post in the late Voyager Forum. Bashing both Voyager, Enterprise, and "The Bun" in one glorious post.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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posted
Note to self: never leave a statement open ended on Flare.
Specifically, they didn't like it, except for poor Sulu who eventually got to captain the monstrosity.
-------------------- Later, J _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ The Last Person to post in the late Voyager Forum. Bashing both Voyager, Enterprise, and "The Bun" in one glorious post.
posted
Yes, because right after a traumatic battle in which they lost a large number of people, including their good friend Spock, the crew of the Enterprise say about and discussed the merits of the Excelsior.
And are you sure the Lakota had a fair chance against the Defiant. Someone rattles off a damage report at one point, and the Lakota is faring a lot worse than the Defiant. Take into account that the Lakota thought they were attacking a ship overrun with shapeshifters, and the Defiant was holding back, I'd say that Worf could have pummelled the Lakota if he'd have wanted to.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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