Many Questions: Stations, Names, & Designs

1) How would the Spacedock rules be modified for creating space stations? Will there be examples of stations in the Ship Recognition Manuals?
2) Where is the best place to find ship names? History books? Encyclopedias? How many of the Eighth Fleet names in the DWS are completely made up?
3) Where did Steve Long come up with the descriptions of the ships in the SRM? Sure, they seem to be an improvement on the TPOF ships, but they still don't seem right. Did you do sketches of them to get the ideas or what?

Most of the ship names seem to be from famed ships, mostly American, though they got on an Amerind kick for a while there.

I use names from various ships from naval history.

I think you could reverse engineer space stations by using the Spacedock to Core Rules information in Spacedock.

Also, I think a Spacedock Version of Terok Nor is somewhere on this board as well.

Brian K

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1) How would the Spacedock rules be modified for creating space stations? Will there be examples of stations in the Ship Recognition Manuals?

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I can't answer that question in a post here. That's a subject for an entire book. For some systems (recreation, security), you'd need altered rules; for others (docking areas, fusion plants), you'd need entirely new rules.

There are no example space stations in any planned SRMs. But a "Spacedock: Space Stations" book is definitely on my "to do" list. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif

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2) Where is the best place to find ship names? History books? Encyclopedias?

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Well, there isn't any one "source" you can use (or at least, none that I or any other ship designer I know uses). Many you can adapt from Earth history, famous persons, places, events, etc. Others are made-up names based on alien people, places, things, and words.

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How many of the Eighth Fleet names in the DWS are completely made up?

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All of them.

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3) Where did Steve Long come up with the descriptions of the ships in the SRM? Sure, they seem to be an improvement on the TPOF ships, but they still don't seem right. Did you do sketches of them to get the ideas or what?

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For the ones for which we have canon depictions, the descriptions were taken from canon sources.

For the ones for which we do not have a canonically-established appearance, I made them up. In some cases I based the descriptions off of planning sketches created by the Trek staff when designing some other ship, but in most cases I just tried to come up with something I liked.

If my descriptions "don't seem quite right" to you, feel free to cross out what I wrote and make up your own.

Steve Long

[This message has been edited by Steve Long (edited 07-11-2001).]

Steal your ship names from other people. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
Steal from sci-fi movies and TV. (Sulaco from Aliens, Atlantea from Battlestar Galactica, etc).
Steal from other trekkers. (Start at www.bravofleet.com and when you're done there follow some links.)

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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

You can also steal from History. I have a naval history book that I inherited from my Grandfather, that gives many famous vessel names.

The advantage here is that you have a real-world histoical reference that can link your crew to their ship...

This can show in game if you find picture of the ship and create a 'ship wall' of the names linage.

We see this 'in character' with the Enterprise ready room, with Picards model of the Stargazer, and Siskos Saratoga model, even with Geordi building a model of the HMS Victory for his old CO aboard the Victory...

If you can get this into your players it would add an extra level to your game...

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Dan.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

A few books will go a long way:

The "Odyssey" and Illias (or Zimmer-Bradleys "Fire of Troya") will give a host of classic greeks

A book about the Skagerak battle (The loosing brits insist on calling it Battle of Jutland http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif ) with a ship list in back gives you about 50-60 ship names. Vary in language and you've got even more.

A book about Tsusima (1905) will get russian and japanese ships. As will Clavells "Shogun" and "Tai Pan" novells

A history book of the 18th / 19th / 20th century will yield quite a number of scientists. For that matter the Penemünde (V2) and Manhatten Project teams are "scientists are us"


Michael

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Target Sierra Two uses a "Spoon Head" wide angel sensor. That makes it a Galor.

When in doubt use the name of a Famous person from history.

USS George Washington
USS James T. Kirk
USS Steve Long

you get the idea http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif

Sources I like:

maps, particularly places I've lived near and placed my ancestors have lived near. LUG planetary maps are a good idea too.

real life astronomy.

Andorian mythology.

characters from the history of Trek races.

Earth historical scientists and science fiction writers.

earth mythology and the Bible.

randomly generated alien words.

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Games. The Final Product. These are the books of the Star Trek RPG. Their five year license. To explore strange new roles. To breathe new life into get togethers. To boldly play what no fan has played before!

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Originally posted by Don:
The Steve Long has a nice ring to it. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif

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Uh Oh... This sounds like a hint for a USS Don Mappin. Of course the Mirror universe ship would be the ISS Dan Moppin.



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Dan.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

Another good place for na names is Morris's The US NAvy in WOrld War II Vol 7 or 8 I can't remember exactly but it is an book dedicated to name every ship in the US navy and Coast Guard during the war.

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden:
Uh Oh... This sounds like a hint for a USS Don Mappin. Of course the Mirror universe ship would be the ISS Dan Moppin.

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ROTFLMAO! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/biggrin.gif


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http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/sig_don.gif

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Originally posted by Michael Brinkhues:

A book about the Skagerak battle (The loosing brits insist on calling it Battle of Jutland)...

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The battle (no matter what it is called) was a draw at best. However if you consider the tonnage lost by each, Germany did have some justification for considering themselves to have come away from the battle in a better position. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif
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As far as names go...

Go with something that has always stoodout for you; a person, place, feeling. The USS Roosevelt, The USS Grand Canyon, the USS Hope. The ship we use is the USS Nautilus (NCC-31910) from the novel "Twenty-thousand Leaugs Under the Sea."

[This message has been edited by redwood973 (edited 07-11-2001).]

The Steve Long has a nice ring to it. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif

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http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/sig_don.gif

The historical ships names are good, but be careful, I had to dodge a glass of cola when I said that the ship which we are rendez-vousing was the USS Juan Sebastian Elcano (named for the current schoolship of the spanish Navy). The reason?, he was a cadet on the ship when he discovered that he wasn't up for the Navy life (in short, he was seasick everyday). Since The, he hates the sea, the ships, and anything which had relation with that (he is a trekker, so...)

Leaving out the all to common US names:

Some names for science / diplomatic crafts can be derived from poets and politicans:

USS Ruyard Kiepling
USS Gorch Fock
USS Erich Maria Remarque
USS Rielke
USS Robert Frost
USS Lord Byron
USS Bram Stocker
USS Vigil
USS Poul Anderson

USS Willy Brandt
USS Benjamin Disraely
USS Frederík Lassard
USS Izak Rabin
USS Martin Luther-King
USS Lech Walenza (sp?)

Some Scouts from History:

USS Beagle (and USS Snoopy as a shuttle)
USS Endeavor
USS Livingston
USS Davey Crocket
USS Amerigo Vespunci
USS Christobal Colon
USS Leif Erikson
USS Alexander von Humbold
USS Magellan
USS Francis Drake
USS Jason
USS Argonaut

Science Vessels from Scientists

USS Marie Curie
USS Robert Koch
USS Otto Hahn
USS James Watt
USS Niels Bohr
USS Konrad Röntgen
USS Gregor Mendel
USS Semendyajew
USS Aristoteles

Warships (all SF personal clean mouth with Schnaps now http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif ) can be named:

USS Von der Tann
USS Surcouf
USS Derflinger (The iron dog)
USS Richellieu
USS Jean Bart
USS Andrea Doria
USS Selim Pasha
USS Moshe Dayan
USS Tiger
USS Bolito
USS Mushashe (sp?)
USS Alamo Gordo
USS Braham
USS Warspite
USS Hornblower
USS Fearless

Traders with names like

USS Maru (all Jap. Trades seems to use the suffix)
USS Onedin
USS Nick van Rijn
USS John Smith
USS Agora (sp?)
USS Southern Star
USS Profit Margin

And some I think I heard in other SciFi http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif :

USS Freiherr von Stein
USS Cromwell
USS Elvis Presley

USS Chariman Mao
USS Ho Chi Min
USS Ernesto "Che" Gueverra
USS Ghandi
USS Karl Marx
USS Lenin


Space Stations:

Hannover Class Waypoint stations (Used for freight / passenger transfer near system warp borders)

Paris Class diplomatic stations (Meeting points in space) [Alternate: Babylon class http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif ]

Fleming Class cultural observation station (For observing pre-warp civilisations)

Barbarossa Class Defence plattforms

Freya Class Sensor plattforms

Hermes Class subspace relais stations

Spelling corrections for you.

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Originally posted by Michael Brinkhues:
Leaving out the all to common US names:

Some names for science / diplomatic crafts can be derived from poets and politicans:

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USS Rudyard Kipling

USS Bram Stoker

USS Vigil unless this was USS Virgil

USS Benjamin Disraeli

USS Itzak Rabin, IIRC

USS Martin Luther King, Jr.

USS Amerigo Vespuci

USS Ferdinand Magellan

USS Konrad Röntgen (I'll defer to you, but I thought that was "Rotengen")

USS Andrea Doria (Just pointing out you made this a warship, yet the only one I know of was a cruise ship that sank on her maiden voyage)

USS Mushashi

USS Agora (sp?) (If you were trying for the Latin name for a Roman marketplace, you got it.)

USS Chairman Mao, though I would use USS Mao Tse Tung

USS Ho Chi Mihn, IIRC


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You're a Starfleet Officer. "Weird" is part of the job.

[This message has been edited by spyone (edited 07-12-2001).]

Thanks first, sypone. Röntgen is right (discoverer of the X-Rays)

Andrea Doria:

Italien battleship of the interrim (1918-1939) period, named after an italian admiral from (IIRC) the rennaissance.

Michael

And perhaps synonyms and other class name related words are practical, too:
Possible Sovereign-class ships:
-Imperial
-Monarchial
-Pricely
-Sovereignty => Athority, Dominion, Empire, Pover, Rule....

And one Ambassador might be named as Emissery.

BTW, what methods US Navy uses when they are naming their Diconderogas and Arleigh Burges?
All they all named after battles and heroic military personel/other famous persons?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by heikki:
[B]And perhaps synonyms and other class name related words are practical, too:
Possible Sovereign-class ships:
-Imperial
-Monarchial
-Pricely
-Sovereignty => Athority, Dominion, Empire, Pover, Rule....

Along this line you would name Promethius class vessels after the Titans and Gods of Greek myth and even, (based on the appearance of the USS Cerberus in the new DS9 novels) other myths as well.
I would suggest steller phenomena for Galaxy class vessels but too many fed ships are class named for those.


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[quote]Originally posted by aelius:
[b]

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Originally posted by heikki:
And perhaps synonyms and other class name related words are practical, too:
Possible Sovereign-class ships:
-Imperial
-Monarchial
-Pricely
-Sovereignty => Athority, Dominion, Empire, Pover, Rule....

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I personally prefer a similar (if far more limited alteration).

In my universe the third Sovereign was the USS Ark Royal and the naming pledge would follow along that vein.

However the Sovereigns are few and far between in my universe (ie; I hadn't thought too deeply about others), but Royal Navy ships across history provide some alternatives, as do others from the nevies of other monarch led powers.

ie; USS Prince of Wales and such similar names. At the very least I can see 'Dominion' remaining off Starfleet ship registrations for the significant future.

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DanG.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

[This message has been edited by Dan Gurden (edited 07-26-2001).]

Here are a few Starship names I am using in some of my adventures:

Akira class: USS Tecumsah II (The Excellsor class vessel was destroyed in my campaign by the Klingons).
Intrepid class: USS Hawkins.
Olympic class: USS Sir Lancelot Spratt.
Saber class: USS Trillipa and USS Scimitar.
El-Dorado class: USS Lima.
Apollo class: USS Tel-Alep.
Danube class: USS Avon
Talon class: U.S.S. Tarkazhsia.
Buenos Aries class Freighter: SS Queen of Alexandra.

P.S. Can anyone notice which is the odd one out? And why?

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"Those Klingons are up to something, I can feel it in my bones"
Cmmdr JT Wayland
Strategic Operations Officer, Starbase 415, Dragomer Sector, Klingon Border, 2372

I often go to http://www.nvr.navy.mil/ for a list of current and recently decommissioned ships in US Navy.