From Alliance to Empire: TNG Gorn
Okay, what follows will be my take on TNG Gorn ships (still working on them). I hope to present 19-20 designs from the eight major design bureaus as of 2375 (including one ship that expects to launch in 2377). I'll post them as I complete each bureau's designs.
I also hope to write some stuff up on the lizzies' government, as well.
First, though, I figured I whet your appetite with the 24th Century Gorn ship classification system:
Gorn Ship Classifications
The Gorn do not name their vessels as other races do; they don't appear to have the same sort of "connection" to their ships, although no one would ever question Gorn crewmembers' pride in their vessels. Instead, the Imperial Gorn Navy (IGN) uses a letter-number combination to identify each class of ship as follows:
AB-n
A = Design Bureau Designator
B = Ship Purpose Designator
n = series number
In the 23rd Century, the Gorn listed the series number in sequence for each design bureau, so it was possible that two different bureaus would use the same series number, which caused some confusion in like designations. One such example is MA-12 light cruiser and the SA-12 cruiser, which prompted the overhaul of the designation system in 2304.
Each design bureau was given a number which would preceed the series number. The MA-12 was redesignated the MA-212, and the SA-12 became the SA-312. This removed much of the confusion in regards to ship classes.
Individual ships are identified in a similar fashion: B-n
B = Ship Purpose Designator
n = Hull Number
Ship hull numbers are assigned when the keels are laid down, in chronological sequence (and regardless of ship class). This means that an MA-212 could be named A-336 and an SA-312 named A-337.
Design Bureaus
Eight design bureaus are currently authorized by the IGN to produce military vessels; they are (with bureau designator and series number precursor, and common ship types produced for the Navy):
Bez-Goru (B, 1): heavy capital ships
M'gara (M, 2): cruisers
Ssenza (S, 3): destroyers, escorts
Aztagra (A, 4): warships
Vh'magro (V, 5): scout destroyers
Gezz (G, 6): freighters, auxiliaries
Zzurtagan (Z, 7): cruisers
Hovh'rastan (H, 8): escorts
Ship Designations
The IGN currently carries nine type commands, each one representing a specific type designation; they are (with translations and Coda names as necessary):
Harza (R): Capital Ship (Dreadnought)
Harza Ss'go (H): Heavy Capital Ship (Battleship)
Agessto (A): Light Cruiser (also for Cruiser)
Agessto Ss'go (G): Heavy Cruiser
Dezer Agessto (D): Battle Cruiser
Ssagarez (S): Destroyer (also for Heavy Destroyer)
Ssagarez Vha (Z): Scout Destroyer (Destroyer)
Ssagarez Himor (E): Destroyer Escort
Vh'oto (V): Armored Freighter (Cargo Carrier)
Example: The battle cruiser launched by M'gara Design Bureau in 2370 was designated design number 34. Thus, the ship's class number is MD-234.
Davy Jones
"Frightened? My dear, you are looking at a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe! I was petrified."
-- The Wizard of Oz