Enterprise Class

[tonyg]

Hmm... well.. with that as a given, it's pretty clear that Colonel West was one of the 'legendary' Star Fleet Marines, then.

"Who was that stranger?"

"Don't you know? That was the Lone Starfleet Marine!"

[Tobian]

But Col West's rank of doesn't really show if he is a marine, army soldier, Military Operations Command (MACO), or a southern gentleman (with or without a Fried Chicken franchise). Yeah, there were various ideas over what he was supposed to be. He must be someoneone high up though, if he has direct access to the President. That is unless he is someone's derranged realtive who put on a starfleet uniform, calls himself "Col. West" and get to barge in on the President with his outrageous fantassis (Arsenic and Old Lace).

I go with the Fried Chicken Franchise

Biological technology for Trek ships is a possibility, but it is not something they have ever experimented with on the show (Even Voyager!!!) despite knowing it exists: So it's a big jump in the oposite direction from their current technology to be explained in a single generation.

The Hulls of their ships are thick layers of superdense metalic alloys, so I am not sure how easilly 'automated' repairs could be done. Certainly Nanites are difficult to envisage, as it would be hard for nanites to manipulate exotic metal bonds (I.e. huge quantities of energy - remember these hulls can sit on the edge of solar coronae!). One possible expansion on that, however, is going back to the Motion Picture era Enterprise, which had a constantly regenerating alloy of Osmium Diburnium, which regenerated its self with an energy matrix (which seems to be the forebear of the Delta Flyers Tetraburnium alloy) With some sort of high energy matrix (Akin to the way Holodeck OHD's work) embedded beneath the Hull, layers of hull could be deposited, allowing for hull regeneration, and using an offshoot of Holodeck printed roll technology bringing it within feasibility limits. Could be a good hook for a story - the experimental regenerating ship

[tonyg]

I like the "energy matrix" idea. It seems to be a logical progression from polized hull plates to Osium alloy to, whatever we call it. I like the idea of an experimental verion too (I sort of like that for all the tech-gives good story ideas, and helps people to figure out how/if they should incorporate this stuff into the game.

I for one don't wan't to design a "ubership" there are lot of email rpg sites that have done that with Trek ships. If the system took power and regenerted 1 pt an hour, or even 1 pt per day or somesuch, it would be a useful system.

Maybe this could be incoporated into the ablative armor matrix as well. Something where the ship could regenerate the ablative armor after a day or so.

[Silverback]

I wonder if maybe we are going a little to far with this concept. I mean we were only going forward to the Sovereign-class' replacementa few years. Some of the concepts mentioned are very advanced. Maybe some of these might exisit in in a more limited form, but some concepts seem t me to be a bit further off (like the tech shift from TOS to TNG).

Some of the technologies that I've mentioned have already appeared in Star Trek. I'm kind of making the assumption that after the 'battering' Starfleet received during the Dominion and Cardassian conflicts and the encounters with the Borg that they've rushed through experimental technologies for the next 'state-of-the-art' flagship classes.

[tonyg]

Some of the technologies that I've mentioned have already appeared in Star Trek. I'm kind of making the assumption that after the 'battering' Starfleet received during the Dominion and Cardassian conflicts and the encounters with the Borg that they've rushed through experimental technologies for the next 'state-of-the-art' flagship classes.

I know we've seen most of this stuff. It is just a question of how far along Starfleet can develope the technology in the time span we are using. If we go to far too fast it will end up like a lot of the fan-made superships we see all over the net in Star Trek PBEM sites.

Too many radical improvements and it looks more like a longer timespan (like TOS to TNG).

The Sovereign and Prometheus-classes seem to be were Starfleet is at now-so I'm thinking just how much more advanced can the go with the next ship.

[spyone]

Sorry to be coming late to the party.

Personally, I don't think Starfleet is ever going to build an "Enterprise Class". As stated above (back on page 1), naval tradition is to retire the name of a vessel that has had a class named after it, and Starfleet is just too darned attached to the name "Enterprise".

IF Starfleet were to build such a class, it would have to be a doozy. After the legacy of the Constitution Class one that got Starfleet to adopt its insignia fleet-wide, and the Ent-D that only saved the Federation a handful of times, and the Big E -E that has done that once or twice now (and we can assume the -B and -C had similar exploits), you'd really expect something ground-shaking for a ship built to be the last ship to bear that name.

[tonyg]

Sorry to be coming late to the party.

Personally, I don't think Starfleet is ever going to build an "Enterprise Class". As stated above (back on page 1), naval tradition is to retire the name of a vessel that has had a class named after it, and Starfleet is just too darned attached to the name "Enterprise".

That's why we are just brainstormin up a hypothetical ship to replace the Sovereign-class in 15-20 years or so. The class name is going to be as conjuctural as anything else.

[Silverback]

I think the only 'out there' suggestion I've made so far is the 'living hull' concept. However a hull 'embedded' with nanite technology for minor repairs and maintenance might not be too far fetched. I think all the other suggestions are pretty much acceptable as future developments as they're based upon canon concepts.

Other developments I could see being accepted by Starfleet is the replacement of a vessels shuttles with runabouts which are far more versatile than their smaller bretheren i.e. they're better equipped, have more facilities, capable of greater distances, etc.

[spyone]

Biological technology for Trek ships is a possibility, but it is not something they have ever experimented with on the show (Even Voyager!!!) despite knowing it exists: So it's a big jump in the oposite direction from their current technology to be explained in a single generation.

Except, of course, for the bio-neural gel packs that Voyager's computers are made of. The ones that caught a biological virus.

Especially if you include Voyager (what with it's comments about the EMH Mark-1s being reassigned to maintenece/cleaning duties), it seems obvious that, ready or not, the Federation is on the verge of manufactured sentient life.
If the ability of holodeck creations to evolve into "photonic lifeforms" isn't enough, remember the Exocomps were not the result of an unduplicatable experiment, and showed not only self-awareness but awareness that the existance of others would continue after their own death.

While this means Starfleet is hurtling towards some heady social issues, on a purely technical level it means ship design is likely to be revolutionized: while Starfleet tends to shun automation and prefers to let sentient beings do most of the work, it could now have sentient beings suited to work in the most hazardous environments. Workmen in spacesuits would be a thing of the past, since any work in vacuum could be done by crewmen who don't breathe.
I suspect the state-of-the-art starship of 2400 would have holo-emitters everywhere, especially outside. That is, unless reverse-engineering Voyager's portable emitter from the 2500s produced a model that was man-sized or smaller.
It would also have a small fleet of Exocomps down in Main Engineering helping out.

Sorry about my post above, where I basicly say things other people said pages ago.

[Silverback]

Just by chance I happened to be browsing the Advanced Starship Design Bureau website and found, under the Future Starships section, a brief(ish) mention of an Enterprise study!

Enterprise Study

Design by Steven Haack

NCC-1701 (commemorative, preliminary designation)

The Enterprise as a proposed design and is the culmination of many schools of thought within the Federation and Starfleet. If developed, her role would fill an expanding void between the quest for knowledge which has been synonymous with the Federation since its inception, and the need for effective defensive capabilities. With recent incursions within Federation space and surrounding its borders, it has become increasingly difficult to focus on pure exploration. The Enterprise would be built to re-emphasize Starfleet's role as an organization of peace.

Many within Starfleet have objected to the use of a Sovereign Class vessel as the Federation flagship and consider it "too aggressive" with its obvious design objective being that of a "defensive workhorse". Indeed, it has been thought that a new design will someday be required to
properly showcase the benevolent mission of Starfleet. Engineers and designers project that this vessel, if completed would replace the Sovereign class Enterprise within 15-20 years. A development project was soon begun, with the focus being:

1. Design a vessel integrating all the latest technology, especially that acquired by Voyager while in the Delta quadrant.
2. Re-integrating crew family accommodations for long missions.
3. A vessel large enough to house multiple research facilities (perhaps the largest amount ever placed on a Starfleet vessel)
4. A vessel with low-profile weaponry, equipped with low "stealth" energy
signatures.
5. Shielding capable of withstanding heavy attack, without necessarily using methods of "hostile engagement"

There are a few schematics available that go with the entry.

[tonyg]

You mean stuff like if a ship has a sentient bio-gel pack computer brain and a "living" sefl repairing hull, does it have rights?

[Silverback]

You mean stuff like if a ship has a sentient bio-gel pack computer brain and a "living" sefl repairing hull, does it have rights?

I'd doubt that Starfleet would want to cross that boundary into a sentient ship. They'd get very close to that line but it all depends whether the technology utilised reacted in unexpected ways to be considered a life form. It could prove very interesting though. Starfleets first venture into incorporating autonomous intelligent technology into every aspect of a vessels operation - would make for some very interesting episodes. Depending upon the trials and their service record, etc. they might find themselves in a position where the class has to be abandoned due to vessels going 'rogue'.

Pretty similar to the TOS episode with the tactical computer thingee.

[Tobian]

There is a simple reason why Starfleet will strive not to cross that line: Because the point of going out there is not merelly about how eficiently you can do it, but about going their YOUR SELVES - otherwise all they would do is send probes!

I am going to say this BTW: Bioneural gell packs are NOT Hulls, the technology is chalk to Hulls' Cheese

Technology in TNG ships is such that life forms can form spontanously. If anything Starfleet is likelly to clamp down on that, making that harder and harder to achieve. The Galaxy class had one of the largest and most sophisticated computers outside of a Starbase: The Holodeck was a nice fringe benefit, but the result was it created life forms. Putting in aditional safeguards to stop that happening is exactly what the fleet should do, because ESPECIALLY within the Federation the problems that creates, with regards to rights, is more trouble than it's worth. Only when holotechnology advances to the point where power supply is not a problem, will they put so much of it on the ship, to replace typical functions.. Imagine if you are taking a shower... when there's an EPS surge... Not only are you standing naked in a holo-quarters, but the floor has dissapeared down 3 decks and 50 meters either side of you

[Silverback]

There is a simple reason why Starfleet will strive not to cross that line: Because the point of going out there is not merelly about how eficiently you can do it, but about going their YOUR SELVES - otherwise all they would do is send probes!

I am going to say this BTW: Bioneural gell packs are NOT Hulls, the technology is chalk to Hulls' Cheese

Huh!? I don't think anyone mentioned that Bioneural gel packs could be incorporated in some fashion to form a hull through a derived technology. I personally mentioned a 'living hull' that may have been developed upon the basis of using nanites and/or Borg technology. Bioneural gel packs may be incorporated as part of the control/monitoring system for such a hull in the same fashion that Voyager used them for their internal systems.

[Cpt. Lundgren]

I don't think that a "living hull" has to be that far out. Depending on your definition of "living" of course As an example, it could simply be an alloy that is 1.5-3 times stronger than the current (TNG/DS9) hulls. It is mainly based on common material, except a very small dosage of a material that can't be built in a replicator or moved through a transporter. The ship has a self repair system for the hull. This special materiel is moved to the damage by nanites. The nanites interconnects themself over the hole (ever seen a documentary where ants build a bridge by hanging on to eachother?). An extra strong force field is created as a mold around the nanites. A high energy burst vapourise the nanites. The rest of the material is teleported in. A new energy burst fuses the materials together into the alloy.

The ship can produce new nanites, but as they are needed in a very large quantity, this is a slow process. So we have the burst repair mode, using stored nanites, and the very slowly sustainable repair mode when they are used in the same pace as they are created. The high energy burst also drains the system, so it still isn't something you want to do in the middle of a fire fight. More of a "dodge, run, hide & repair" manouver to be able to re-engage.

BTW, isn't the holo-emitters something that has to surround the are where the hologram is supposed to work. This make it easy to place the emitters all over a ship, but harder to place on the outside. From a narrative stand-point, I would personally keep the need to gear up in a space suit from time to time

Ah... lastly. An idea for the role of the new class. DW and Voyager could simply have reminded UFP of the need to go back to deep space exploration, and not only of the frontier patrolling they let Picard do. To many bad things out there and you want to know about them before they stand on the doorstep... So a new ship that are built to go straight out into to unknown and explore during a 5 year mission. Large, state-of-the-art tech and self reliant.