posted
I just glanced over in the ST: Magazine how Rick Sternbech designed the Prometheus for Message In A Bottle and noticed that one early sketch looked like the Defiant Pathfinder... which became the Nova Class. It was interesting to see and if anyone can scan the pics so can others.
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
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posted
There are no numbers (or even a name) on any of the sketches.
The article (written by Sternbach himself, and remarkably t(r)echnical) has a possible explanation:
quote: As Prometheus was experimental, the NX-59650 was added, down from a possible 74913, perhaps to say that the development project had been in place quite some time before Voyager (NCC-74656).
I have to say that the final drawings by Sternbach make the ship look better than the rather low-detail CGI model.
posted
For what was designed to be a one-off ship ne'er to be seen again, they Foundation boys did a pretty good job with the mechanics. The Nova was a slightly better job, I'd say. I'm just happy the VFX guys decided it'd be cool to see her again in a cameo for "Endgame".
posted
Question: Were the guys who put the 5XXXX number on the Prometheus the same guys who gave the Akira, Steamrunner, Saber, & Norway classes those low numbers as well? I wonder if those were mistakes as well...
-------------------- "A film made in 2008 isn't going to look like a TV series from 1966 if it wants to make any money. As long as the characters act the same way, and the spirit of the story remains the same then it's "real" Star Trek. Everything else is window dressing." -StCoop
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Nope, Prometheus was from Foundation-I and the FC ships from ILM.
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Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Like I have said before, the "long time in development" excuse just doesn't work. Not only do we have evidence like the similar Galaxy Class registries, but this ship was obviously designed to fight. It wouldn't make sense for the Prometheus to have been conceived in the 40s or 50s when Starfleet was all still about peaceful exploration. It was the Borg who made them start building warships.
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
The article says our very own Mojo and Brandon MacDougall were responsible for the Prometheus model.
I certainly appreciate this ship a lot more now. It has a lot of updated details, including what Sternbach calls "pop-up" torp launchers.
And BTW, the 'saucer' is called the Main Hull, and the other two are the Upper Warp Hull (UWH) and the Lower Warp Hull (LWH). Another tidbit: he says the MSD has 15 decks, and not 16 like I found on EAS.
posted
Even during peacetime, they can design stuff for conceptual reasons. The USAF and Navy build prototypes all the time for stuff that could be practical, but for whatever reason are not put into production.
I see no reason they couldn't have the Prommie built as something that a) just took THAT LONG to make into something that worked, or b) was worked on, then mothballed until they could figure out how to make it practical. In either case, they could have updated the design along the way to look more modern, a la E-nil refit. And to use your own peacetime argument, that could validate the first case as they didn't have that much reason to work on it very quickly.
posted
Perhaps the original NX-59etc. was something rather different. Or it could've depended on some technologies from the Intrepid or Sovereign projects.
posted
The ship itself (the spaceframe or whatever) is obviously not old because it looks too new (like a cross between Voyager and the E-E), especially because of stuff like the nacelles. The technologies in it are brand new (regenerative shielding, multi-vector assault mode, ablative armour). The insides are brand new shiny white - definitely not Galaxy or Nebula Class style. What exactly is is that was built so very long ago? Did they build a piece of metal, paint NX-59650 on it and mothball that to build the rest of the ship later? The Prometheus is (to quote EMH-2) "an experimental prototype". I don't think that kind of label can be applied to something built 20 years ago. And if this new ship was mothballed, why bother building an entirely new class (Defiant) when there's a Borg threat? Why not bring this one up to date?
Registered: Jan 2003
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