The AMBASSADOR class seems to be Trek's "ugly duckling", sitting between the mass-produced and almost as capabel EXCELSIOR and the new, big GALAXIE.
Since an AMBASSADOR will be the players ship for my "current Federation" campaing set in 2376 and beyond[1], I am looking for ideas to Re-fit the old ladies. This is what I came up with:
<Begin Fluff>
While the EXCELSIOR could be called an apprentice designers work in shipbuilding, beeing all "known and tested" technologie (except her failed Transwarp) the AMBASSADOR is sometimes referred to as the "All prototypes" class or the "Senior engineers wet dream".
Using any new technologie barely (if at all) out of the labs the 50 ships of this class represented no less than 11 different equipment and weapon-loadouts. Thus nobody in the CoE wondered, when the first classwide refit in 2353 consisted of nothing more than bringing the 46 surviving ships to the same status.
With a costly first refit completed in 2056 and therefor not due for another in the near future and an, after the refit undeserved, reputation as difficult to supply and maintain, the AMBASSADOR's found themselfs relegated to second line assignments. While the ship's capabilties were wasted by using them as defence ships and diplomatic transports, the older but more numerous EXCELSIOR class continued to work as an explorer, leading to the AMBASSADOR being re-classified to heavy cruiser in 2370.
When the EXCELSIOR where refitted with new technologies in the "Black Hills" project, some engineering students in their last year where part of the team and made an outline of a similar refit for the AMBASSADOR the base of their yearly project. Initially rejected as "to costly" and "not due another 5-10 years if at all" the project was revived and "professionalised" with what would be known as the Dominion War looming at the horizon.
Due to war-related problems the refit did not start until 2375 when USS LEONIDAS, one of the early AMBASSADOR's docked at Earth Spacedock for repairs. Damaged during the Breen attack it was still deemed usefull to repair and refit her as a testbed.
<end fluff>
Basically I took the "LAKOTA" type EXCELSIOR and the SOVERIGN templates from SRM1 and used:
Warp Core and Impuls unit from the EXCELSIOR
Two of the smallest Typ XII phasers to replace the front phaser arrays
The Type IX phasers of the EXCELSIOR to replace the side arrays
Pumped up the shield generator to 800 protection (from 700)
This filled up a bit more than half the available space. I was thinking about:
Adding a third computer and (maybe) a second ODN [Scientific system)
Adding an additional hangar bay [Increasing craft SU but keeping her Size 7) for a Runabout or two
Adding some more Labs
The target is a tough, long range explorer that can defend itself yet is, due to age and slapdash nature difficult to maintain, huge! and diffinitly a "white ship" of 24th century StarFleet.
The idea is to use "existinc parts" used in other mass-produced crafts like EXCELSIOR, INTREPID, GALAXIE or SOVEREIGN[4] etc.
Oh, I need a dedication quote that fits the name. Sure the
"Wanderer if you come to Sparta tell them that you saw us lying here like the law commands" comes to mind but like "Than we fight in the dark"[3] it is a bit too martial for a "white ship"[2]
Thanks for any ideas
Michael
[1] Working name: "The real VOYAGER"
[2] White Ships = Exploration TNG-style
Grey Ships = More aggressiv campain, TOS or DW backgroud
[3] Also attributed to Leonidas. Used with "USS Lysander" in my "grey ship" campaing.
[4] After all they pop up alot lately