Nova Class Deckplans

[Publius]

I think all of the posts lately about the Nova Class are really timely because I have recently finished deckplans (as in detailed floorplans, rather than text-only descriptions of what is on each level) for this class.

http://www.digitalindalo.com/rpg/trek/dplanframe.html

The Page Includes: Nova Class (including the Waverider AOS in detail as a separate link), the Delta Flyer, the Danube Runabout, and the Type 8 & 15 Shuttles in a variety of configurations.

Preliminary Comments:

• The plans are based partially on the on-screen MSD of the ship, with a few deviations (such as moving the sickbay from Deck Four to Deck Two) and a whole lot of speculation.
• The total number of berths is 98, which would be fine for a standard crew of 80 plus a bit over 20% of the crew in passenger accomodations. Some of the Crew quarters get a bit tight, with berths in a Defiant-style bunk arrangement, but even there adequate living space is set aside within each 'quad'. Junior Officers have more space, and Senior officers more yet obviously.
• There are 10 labs total: 2 Bio-labs, 2 Medical Labs (one attached to Sickbay, the other across the hall with an extra examination table), 2 Planetary Science, Physics, Chemistry, Space Science and the last is a configurable lab (not a holo-lab but lab space which can be filled with mission-appropriate equipment).
• Using the Spacedock rules, I have calculated the number of Science personnel at 34, which provides an average of 3.4 crewmembers per lab. Some labs will obviously have more and some less, but I think that this is fine, especially if you consider that they work the labs in shifts so only half this number or so will be using them at any given time.
• Holodecks have been included, but I might draw up an alternate Deck Two and Deck Four to 'restore' the Sickbay to its position on the MSD (where the Holodecks are presently located). These alternate Deck plans may or may not continue to have them.

[Brian K]

These are most impressive!

Thanks!

Brian K

[AslanC]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are a Gawd!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Any chance on getting a Rhode Island varient?

[Argyle]

Nice! These are very well thought out!

The only thing I would change is the position of the Impulse Engine label on deck two so you can fit in a label for Transporter Room 1. That way, nitwits like me won't get confused when the first transporter room they see is the second one.

What tool did you use to draw these out?

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I don't know what to say....encore...encore ::Stands up and claps hand for a year:: I like them, very well done. You can really do deckplans well for any ship.

[Publius]

Thanks very much!

Aslan: That was what my friend said to me right after I finished . I think it is more a matter of stretching things and adjusting stuff afterward than anything. Tell me what you think: do I 'just' need to stretch out Deck Three and Four or would other decks be affected?

Argyle: I can't believe that I missed the label for Transporter Room one. DOH! I'll save fixing it for a bit later, in case there is anything else that I need to do. Thank you very much for the catch.

I used Adobe Illustrator 9.0 for the drawings. I used to use Paint for my Deckplans, and in fact thought about using it to color in the turbolift shafts and stuff like that. In the end I opted for a more 'clean' (i.e. limited color) option because it kept the file sizes down. I used gifs so that the colors would remain 'true' so if you wanted to, you can color them in yourself using paint or some other program that allows you to fill in spaces with color. Of course one of the other problems I got into was which colors would be good to use.

• Jefferies Tubes are yellow (btw, only the vertical and a very few horizontal are shown, most of the others are in the spaces between the decks where a lot of the water and other utilities are located as well).
• The vertical tube connected to the Waverider is blue. I used blue in another few spaces as well, sometimes to show water (basins in the washrooms and urinals for example).
• I used different shades of green for replicator matter
• Orange for the Long Range Sensor detail I really didn't want to show by the time I got down to those decks

[Dan Gurden]

I have to say the only thing I noticed was the absence of the rear firing torpedo tubes that were used in the episode...

But theres a lot of quality work gone into those. Nicely done... And a good alternate take on the shuttles that some of us saw Owen plan out a while back.

Kudos for the ability to do something I could not.

[Evan van Eyk]

FAr better than my own deckplans of the Nove, Sabre and Talon. What software do you use?

[Publius]

Dan: Yes, I know what you mean. I was thinking about that too when I designed it. However, there are a few problems with the whole 'rear-firing' tube came up when I did more research. (warning: if you don't want to hear about my research stop reading this reply now and pardon the lengthy post)

I checked that out on the Equinox episode and the visual remains a bit fuzzy even after several viewings. When the torpedo is fired (and I don't think we actually see it emerge from the ship at any point because of the way the scene was cut) the torpedo comes from the right hand side. It could have been fired out of the forward tube and guided back just as easily (in Spacedock Torpedoes are 720º no matter where they are facing and we might assume that the Torps are 'guided' in the future anyway).

The other problem comes from the external views, none of which on either the Equinox or Rhode Island show a visible Torpedo Tube exit (exhaust? hole? whatever I think you catch my drift). It could use some sort of pop-out/drop-out/whatever apperature, but I can't find anything to suggest even that. If anyone sees something that could be a tube, let me know.

The MSD is no help either. Nothing indicates the main Torpedo Launchers much less something behind. There is however a spot in the right hand side (i.e. forward) of Deck Four underneath the Auxiliary Deflector that is a lozenge shaped object that may or may not represent the Forward Launchers. The way that everything is packed in there, I think that they decided to just show the more visually interesting piece of equipment (the Aux deflector). Nevertheless, the MSD doesn't resolve things either way.

The non-canon (semi-canon? I dunno its actual status but it fails the rule of thumb for canon-hood) but highly cool Starship Spotter only mentions the two forward tubes. While it is not strictly canon, they are using CGI models of the ships so should have seen it if it was there. Of course it could have simply been an oversight too, so that is hardly definitive. The wireframe picture (which is actually more helpful than it looks when drawing deckplans) doesn't show any divot or tube or apperature in the rear either.

Lastly is the issue of space. Where the heck could it fit? I used a major shoehorn to get everything inside that sucker and I am still not happy with the limited replicator matter and a few other issues (like cargo space). I could have made the Launchers smaller overall, probably should have, but even at something like 75% their present size, the thing would take up the entire Main Cargo Bay! (which makes the overall cargo space go down to practically nothing)

Given all these factors, I decided to leave the rear firing tube out. I do understand where you are coming from though and I would have liked to fit one in myself.

[Anomaly]

Publius,

These are awesome. Thanks for the great deck plans.

[Kronok]

U R the MAN!!!!

[AslanC]

Originally posted by Publius
Aslan: That was what my friend said to me right after I finished . I think it is more a matter of stretching things and adjusting stuff afterward than anything. Tell me what you think: do I 'just' need to stretch out Deck Three and Four or would other decks be affected?

Well let me pick up the next copy Star Trek: The Magazine which will have a feature on the Rhode Island and then I will get back to you.

[Publius]

Evan: I used Adobe Illustrator 9.0. I am one of those 'screw-around-with-it-and-see-what-I-can-learn' types when it comes to software, so there are simple things (like using layers most notably) that I cannot figure out for the life of me without formal training (or reading the manual which is an absolute last ditch thing for me).

These are not my first plans. My original plans were okay, sort of, but somewhat basic because I used Paint for everything. I have eventually made my way up to Illustrator and have designed several things using that program that are not as good as this. As my time allows (freetime which is about to dry up completely) I will update my older stuff (all non-canon, a few of which were ships from Ex Astris Scientia) or branch out into other canon designs.

Thanks for the kind words everyone! It is most appreciated. I also appreciate the helpful comments (along with their kind words) from people like Dan and Argyle. I will update changes/fixes I make in the future here.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Nicely done.

[Evan van Eyk]

Originally posted by Publius
My original plans were okay, sort of, but somewhat basic because I used Paint for everything.

That is what I sued for the deckplans on my hompage. It looks not bad, but its is simply not that detailed.