Go ahead and design a size five ship, that's all the NX-class is. It's just slow and poorly armed (compared to everyone else in the galactic neighborhood), well it's got "photonic torpedoes" now. It doesn't even have shields. Go to http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/index.htm , they have some great schematics of it and good images. That and a little imagination, and you'll have a good little ship. Just equip it with the lightest weapons and defences, and remember that they have only ONE highly questionable transporter, with bugs in it. One shuttlebay, a grappler instead of tractor, does the same thing more or less.
And here's my design for it, using the rules in the Narrator's Guide.
NX-class cruiser
Origin: Earth (Terra, Sol System)
Class and Type: NX-class cruiser
Commissioning Date: 2151 (refit 2153)
Lead Engineer: Anton Spletstoser
Hull Data:
Structure: 25
Size/Decks: 5/7
Length: 225m / Height: 29m / Beam: 136m
Complement: 82 (8 officers, 74 enlisted)
Propulsion Data
Warp System: WE-5, Warp 2/4/5 (B)
Impulse System: Type 2a, .5c (B)
Operational Data
Atmosphere Capable: No
Cargo Units: 50
Operations System: Class 2 (C)
Life Support: Class 3 (D)
Sensor Systems: Class 2 +2/+1/0/0/0 (C)
Separation System: No
Shuttlebays: 1 aft ventral (two shuttlepods are kept on ready standby, 2 more are “mothballed”)
Tractor Beams: 1 Grappler system in aft ventral turret, can only be used at point blank range and only on vessels of size 4 or less.
Transporters: 1 personnel (this is one pad)
Tactical Data
Phasers: Type I Phase Cannon (X3, B)
Penetration: 3/3/2/0/0
Torpedo Launchers: Type I Photonic Torpedoes (X2, B)
Photon Penetration: 3/3/3/3/3
Deflector Shield: Class I Hull Polarization System
Protection/Threshold: 12/1
Miscellaneous Data
Maneuver Modifiers: +1 C, +2 H, +1 T
Traits: Design Defect (Transporters, +5 TN to all System Operation (Transporter) tests)
Enhanced System (Beam, +2)
Background:
The NX-class was meant to usher in a new era of exploration for the Earth Starfleet. The NX-class cruisers are the state of the art in Terran starship design. She incorporates the WE-5 warp engine, capable of speeds up to 125 times the speed of light. But the NX-01 Enterprise has found that the galaxy is not a friendly place. Shortly after leaving spacedock, the Enterprise Armory and Engineering departments had to implement the phase cannon upgrade in the field (which increased firepower at point blank and close range). So far, first contact has been made with several species, not all of them friendly. Enterprise has run into Klingon marauders, Nausicaan pirates, unknown alien raiders, Suliban pod ships, and Tholian cruisers. There was even a recent encounter with a Tellarite bounty hunter in which said bounty hunter captured Captain Archer of the Enterprise and attempted to turn him over to the Klingons. The NX-02 is set to be completed in several weeks. Since the Xindi attack, Starfleet is re-assessing it’s defense plans for Earth. The older Columbia-class cruisers are to come in for refits to the new weapons and propulsion systems. Most can install phase cannon in the field, but photonic torpedoes and WE-5 engines will require at least two weeks in spacedock. At the moment Starfleet consists of only 20 odd ships, half of which are acting as supply ships trying to support the colonization effort. The others are patrolling the stellar trade routes and Sol System as best they can. Plans are also being drawn up for a smaller “no-frills” starship. This Daedalus-class of cruisers will lack some of the advancements seen in the NX-class, but will include other advancements such as a new system of pumping more energy into a laser cannon, this development proves to be more powerful and less expensive to produce than the current phase cannon. They should only be 2/3 the cost of an NX-class cruiser and have the same offensive capabilities, but their science and comm systems will suffer. This class is to begin construction and enter service by 2160.
Notes:
This is meant to reflect the NX-class after the Xindi attack on Earth. The ship has been refit with new photonic torpedoes, which have been in development with the phase cannon. They have increased penetration over the older spatial torpedoes and longer range (spatial torpedoes could only fire out to medium range with a penetration of 2/2/2/0/0: Reed made a remark about how much more range the new torpedoes have than the old spatial types in "The Expanse"). I gave the transporter the design defect to reflect that it is a very new technology. It has trouble in anything other than “ideal” conditions. During a storm, a crewman was beamed up and had debris from his surroundings merged with his body. Until an improved matter discriminator is designed and field-tested, there is a 50% chance that this will happen under similar circumstances.
Last edited by Antonsb214; 07-26-2003 at 10:12 PM.
"Retreat?! Hell, we just got here!", annonymous American Marine, WWI
"Gravity is a harsh mistress....", The Tick