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Thread: Spacedock Design contest

  1. #1
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    Spacedock Design contest

    A quick search has yielded no results, so i am wondering has anyone ever proposed a design contest (has been spooking in my mind for sme time now )?

    Something like: Give the would be naval architekts some broad specificatons: era, size, Mission profile, a short development history and notworthy vessels.

    It could probably serve to revamp spacedock a bit

    Any one comments on this idea?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Otto
    Any one comments on this idea?
    Don't disturb the dead!

    Runs for cover.

    Unfortunately (unfortunately only as far as Spacedock ist concerned) I've switched to CODA, which isn't backwards-compatible without same major effort. So now I'm only using Spacedock and the SRMs as a source for fluff information.
    “Worried? I’m scared to death. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them change the way I live my life.” - Joseph Sisko - Paradise Lost

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    Oh i thought as long as there is someone left who uses Spacedock out there, the system is not really dead.

    So if you use spacedock vessels as inspiration for Coda any new and interesting design would enlarge the base you can draw upon.

  4. #4
    I for one still use Spacedock in my game...if I ever play again that is.
    Phoenix...

    "I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity,
    but maybe we should just remove all the safety lables and let nature take it's course"

    "A Place For Everything & Nothing In It's Place"

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    Are we talking about desigining THE Spacedock . . . using spacedock? Or a ship design using spacedock?

    If the latter, what are we designinig, what is the supposed need, what is the era?

    Think of it like Starfleet putting out a contract for a design . . . there are basic needs that must be fulfilled by the design . . . how one fulfills those needs . . . and how one wants it to look, and how much it would push the current limits of design . . . all matter.

    Look at the YF-22 v YF-23 situation. It has been rummered that the YF-23 was stealthier, and would be a more capable fighter . . . however as it was proposed it supposedly would have cost far more to develop and to get to the Initial Low Production Phase.

    Therefore, sometimes not always the biggest, greatest, or most capable, are chosen.

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    Actually my Idea was more about using Spacedock for designing vessels rather than building Spacedock itself.

    Since i thought to propose the idea in general, figuring that someday there might be a contest every two months or so, so i was not proposing a specific design contest at this time.
    Like you did with your Simulation thread i was pondering if there is someone interested in this.
    Think of it like Starfleet putting out a contract for a design . . . there are basic needs that must be fulfilled by the design . . . how one fulfills those needs . . . and how one wants it to look, and how much it would push the current limits of design . . . all matter.
    That's my basic idea - the winner of the contest gets admittance to the "August Hall of Fame of Spacedock designers" (- sorry no monetary rewards )

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Otto
    That's my basic idea - the winner of the contest gets admittance to the "August Hall of Fame of Spacedock designers" (- sorry no monetary rewards )
    Special title attachment maybe?
    Phoenix...

    "I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity,
    but maybe we should just remove all the safety lables and let nature take it's course"

    "A Place For Everything & Nothing In It's Place"

  8. #8
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    Special title attachment maybe?
    That would be an idea, i'm sure that there are not many people on this planet wo can claim the titel "Spacedock Master Designer" or something simlar lofty

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    We could even bestow several degrees of titles based on how many contests a designer has won:

    Something like:

    Spacedock Apprentice Naval Architect
    Spacedock Junior Naval Architect
    Spacedock Naval Architect
    Spacedock Senior Naval Architect
    Spacedock Master Naval Architect
    Spacedock Master Senior Naval Architect
    Spacedock Grandmaster Naval Architect

    The whole thing leads to another question:
    I think it would be impolite to start any contest without the consent of the Admnistartor or at least of the moderator of spacedock forum.

    This gets me directly to the question who actually is now the moderator of the Spacedock forum as its been a while since Steve Long dropped by for a visit.
    And given the workload he has at hand, it is very doubtful that he can possible spare any time as a moderator.

  10. #10
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    After looking some of the more recent threads there was to be some talk about getting up another srm.
    The designs produced by a contest could probably find their way into such a manual.

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    Just proposing ... Such an honor is certainly not in my power to give away.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Otto
    The whole thing leads to another question:
    I think it would be impolite to start any contest without the consent of the Admnistartor or at least of the moderator of spacedock forum.

    This gets me directly to the question who actually is now the moderator of the Spacedock forum as its been a while since Steve Long dropped by for a visit.
    And given the workload he has at hand, it is very doubtful that he can possible spare any time as a moderator.
    We are currently creating a position of "Spacedock Ambassador." Part of the role is to be the moderator of this forum. The position will either be filled by a member of the moderator team, or by the man that was the catalyst to the idea and got the ball rolling.

    In any case, I don't have any problem with a contest being held.

  13. #13
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    With the admins blessing, and with someone taking the helm as moderator (if no one else more suited for the job volunteers i would volunteer for the position ) we could be starting on either project -a spacedock simulation as proposed by Jalu3 or a first specific design Contest.

    For starters Steve mentioned in his introductory to spacedock several designs proposed by SF Command (e.g. the Orion Class Heavy Scout). We could start there and then venture out, covering a new Class, Era and race with each contest, using the specific design rules in the srm's

  14. #14
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    In the end . . . it is a fair playing field, as everyone has access to the Spacedock web-book . . . and has the same tools within in which to create the ship. However, without benchmarks to test a design against . . . any ho hum design would be created.

    Therefore, you need basic design criteria that must be meet, as well as the ability to operate in certain natural and OPFOR threat situations for a minimal amount of time.

    The idea of running Kobyashi Maru scenario is an intrigging one . . . but if you look at it it is designed to make you fail. Lets look at the scenario closely . . . while patrolling in a refit Constitution Class Cruiser one recieves a distress signal from a Federation Registered Cargo vessel of unknown class type. The vessel is beyond your reach at Maximum Warp to reach before it drifts into the Neutral zone . . . where no Federation vessel is allowed to go. Therefore, by it drifting within the nuetral zone you already allowed the treaty to be broken by not noting the vessel, and its trajectory already in your long range surveys of your designated patrol area.

    However, it is sending out a distress signal, and you must attempt to give what assistance you can. If you use your vessel to render assistance . . . and thus enter the Neutral Zone . . . you provoke the three equally classes modernized K-7 Battlecruisers to introdict you. Thus you fail to properly scan the Neutral zone for possible threats, as well as not properly notifying your superiors of their provocative positioning within the Neutral Zone, as well as your own actions in case something goes wrong.

    Rule 1. Always notify "higher" of your actions, and document, in order to save your ass from the long paperwork that will need to be produced later if you didn't.

    Therefore the name of the game is . . . use of sensors, and other vessel assets to carry out your mission.

    But back to the bench marks . . . once we deside what vessel needs to be created . . . we should look at the designs already submitted that can fit the role, and see if they are appropriate for the purpose. For instance. SURE you can use a Galaxy class vessel in the role of a Heavy Escort Frigate. However, would it make sense to use one of the most difficult to design/most expensive to produce/most manpower intensive vessel . . . to escort a standard complement of cargo carrying vessels who max top speed is Warp 5?

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    But back to the bench marks . . . once we decide what vessel needs to be created . . . we should look at the designs already submitted that can fit the role, and see if they are appropriate for the purpose. For instance. SURE you can use a Galaxy class vessel in the role of a Heavy Escort Frigate. However, would it make sense to use one of the most difficult to design/most expensive to produce/most manpower intensive vessel . . . to escort a standard complement of cargo carrying vessels who max top speed is Warp 5?
    The requirements for the vessel to be designed must quite clearly defined but give the designers enough leeway to make designs that make sense without looking all to similar. A sound concept goes a long way.
    A Escort vessel shouldn't be larger than size 5, armed well enough to reppell raiders and well armed pirates but not as much heavily armed as a major vessel like a cruiser or even a frigate, enough Sensor and Science equipment to fulfill its job but nowhere near the capacity of a dedicated science vessel.
    The ships concept heavily relies on the ships mission Profile the more roles a ship is intended to fill the more it becomes a jack of all trades and a master of none.
    - this is probably the most desirable approach and clearly a goal that can never be satisfied.
    The contest i envision is not about perfect ships bristling with weapons and enough scientist to apale the DTI but to create dedicated ships like Starfleet would propose them fully aware that the perfect ship cannot bebuild.
    Besides ships with drawbacks and flaws make them much more memorable.

    And for each vessel designed weshould come up with a Testing mission as well to try the desgins under "real" fire.

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