posted
Here's a little history about this ship. It was the "winner" of a Design the Next Enterprise contest given by Cryptic, the creators of Star Trek Online (there's a reason "winner" is quoted...I'll get to that soon).
CBS stated that the winning design was to be considered "canon," even though video games are not canon and the appearance of this ship in any future Trek series or movies is most likely never going to happen.
IMHO, the entire contest was ineptly run. First, the website they set up for you to upload your artwork was filled with spam (i.e. people posting somebody else's artwork and claiming it was their own; idiots who couldn't follow directions and posted ships that already existed like the Enterprise-E and the Aventine from Pocket Books; or wiseass people who posted silly pics like Picard's head with nacelles attached to it). Second, the website was poorly made so that you couldn't see any more than a few of the contestant's ships at a time.
But the worst thing they did was to enact a "popular vote" system so that people could vote for their favorite design. It gave the appearance that we everyday schmucks would actually be the ones to choose the next Enterprise in a democratic way. Sounds cool, right? Wrong. Turned out that the popular vote didn't mean shit, and the choice was always up to four or five guys who worked for Cryptic.
So what happened? Well, first of all the ship with the most popular votes, which was this one, didn't even get chosen for a runner-up (I happened to like that design, if not actually for the Enterprise-F), while this sketch ultimately won.
And as you can see, all Cryptic really wanted was a simple sketch as a starting point for their OWN ship design. So the "Design the Next Enterprise" contest was really a load of crap. The winner did get a free laptop, but the final design of the ship looks nothing like what he actually envisioned, which was this and this. And to add insult to injury, everybody pinged on this guy for winning the contest with his simple sketch while others worked really hard on their artwork, and the guy eventually washed his hands of the whole thing. I don't blame him one bit.
BTW, more pics of the Enterprise-F can be found here. My opinion: it looks like an Intrepid and a Sovereign mated. There's very little originality to the design at all, except for the dual necks which I think looks stupid anyway. I remember when this contest was originally announced (I couldn't submit as design because I live in a state that was prohibited from the contest), I thought that most people's designs were going to look like the Sovereign, and that people needed to have more originality. Well, that didn't happen apparently.
-------------------- "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
Sounds like they had a tough time with that contest. I didn't see any contributions of the old Nova though. I miss Hajek, Gerlach and that third guy with the long dutch name.
I think that last design sketch was pretty close to what the Odyssey-class became, but if they'd released it like that people would think the game universe had regressed to 2355. The drab battleship grey and naked hull surfaces remind me of Galaxy class concept art.
I really like the tail on the Odyssey-class, it was very thoughtfully designed, the cut-off angular lines remind me of flanges on greek statues. I always thought the short, rounded nub on the Sovereign looked impotent, blunt and too organic.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Not exactly a daring departure is it? "In a plastic baggie, combine two parts Intrepid with one part Soverign, shake well and bake at 350 for 20 minutes..."
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
In the sketches, the neck looks like it's been influenced not only by the Oberth but also by the Vulcan Surak, which is neat, and the lines are a little more reminiscent of past incarnations, which is always a good thing when it comes to designing an Enterprise. The biggest mistake that was made in changing the design was the pointy saucer. That goes a long way toward making it look less Enterprise-ish. And I really don't care for these increasingly elongated and serpentine lines on later ship designs. It looks like some kind of space whale or snake or some other weird animal. The great thing about the original Enterprise is the contrast between her curves and her straight lines and hard angles. As so many have pointed out, there's no need for a spacecraft to look aerodynamic.
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
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quote:Originally posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim: And I really don't care for these increasingly elongated and serpentine lines on later ship designs. It looks like some kind of space whale or snake or some other weird animal. The great thing about the original Enterprise is the contrast between her curves and her straight lines and hard angles. As so many have pointed out, there's no need for a spacecraft to look aerodynamic.
Actually, the current explanation in Trek lore is that slipstream-equipped ships actually need 'aerodynamics' to better travel through.
-------------------- I haul cardboard and cardboard accessories
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
So how does splitting the neck make it more 'aerodynamic' for slipstream? If anything, you want thicker, sturdier neck if your dealing with higher warp speeds. Don't want those MMO players to get their atoms smeared across the fabric of space.
Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:there's no need for a spacecraft to look aerodynamic.
I wouldn't say aerodynamic. If you look at most of the Federation ships (Constitution, Excelsior, Galaxy, Sovereign) the designs are hydrodynamic. The first nuclear sub (USS Nautilus) launched in 1958, and doubtlessly contributed at least a bit to the zeitgeist in which Star Trek was born. Come to think of it, the "Dauntless" is the ultimate extension in that train of thought so far.
Anyway, hydrodynamic is IMO more sexy than aero-, the structures demand more support and solidness. Designing giant spiky technoships like the USS Cygnus in "The Black Hole" is maybe more accurate for 2130, but it's not pretty.
I don't get why people think the Odyssey-Class has a big belly. It's much smaller in ratio to the saucer than the Intrepid's and Excelsior's ditto. Besides, a girl with a bit of a pouch is nice. Rather than a six-pack and veins on the eyelids, as with some girls I know, who go boxercising way too often.
I get that many don't like the Intrepid saucer-shape, but despite my liking for dagger shapes, if it hadn't been done, this had just been a Sovereign with dual necks and a tighter stern. I hope it has a captain's yacht.
Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Dukhat: the ship with the most popular votes, which was this one
Intriguing. I'm not usually a fan of the high-riding nacelles, but that actually has a grace from that angle that's quite appealing.
However, the saucer is ass when seen from other angles. A basic saucer would've been better.
At least this design has some personality to it. Still, I agree, it's not quite *Enterprise* material. It'd make a great science/survey or medical ship though.
quote:At least this design has some personality to it. Still, I agree, it's not quite *Enterprise* material. It'd make a great science/survey or medical ship though.
Absolutely, just as soon as it's tended to its own medical condition.
Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Mars Needs Women: So how does splitting the neck make it more 'aerodynamic' for slipstream? If anything, you want thicker, sturdier neck if your dealing with higher warp speeds. Don't want those MMO players to get their atoms smeared across the fabric of space.
Yes we do...desperately.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
The hollow center gives me the impression of the rings on Vulcan ships, ENT era. The only pluses I could see on that gap is material and weight savings at the cost of ships volume.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Not so much a comment on the ship's design, but the CG work and detail is great.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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