D or E?

[C.E. Evans]

Now that I think about it...wasn't there an old photo or two floating around the 'net years ago that showed the big Enterprise-D shooting model sitting in a storage crate with the "NCC-1701-E" registry once production on Generations wrapped?

Yes. *sigh* I think that might have actually offended me more. Apparently, ILM just assumed they were going to replace it with a new ship of the same type, like they did before in TVH.

Yesss! That's the photo!

Thanx for finding that!

 

[Lowdarzz]

Andrew Probert vs. John Eaves...

The D all the way, a majestically designed ship that fit the design lineage set down by the original and the refit.

As for Generations, while it contained plot elements that I thought were really interesting, I personally count it as the worst of the ten films. Killing off the D because TPTB just lowered my opinion further.

 

[Praetor]

There was no finding involved, C.E. Evans, I've had that saved for a long time. And, you're welcome.

Despite Kirk and the D's death (and similar to why I like TFF), I actually like 'Generations' because it still feels like TNG but on the big screen.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

I like the E-E better. I appreciate a ship with correct proportions, and I always felt that the E-D had too big of a saucer section compared to the secondary hull/nacelles. In my own mind, the E-E is more what I think a Trek starship should look like.

 

[Mr. B]

I have a near-equal fondness for both ships. The big D looked stunning in Generations... the shot of the Enterprise approaching the observatory deserved a few more seconds.

There is a different appeal in the Enterprise-E that does have a fanboy aspect to it but I believe the design was well executed (although the post FC changes were dumb). It's sleek and has some nice little homages to the original 1701.

 

[Praetor]

Yeah, I don't object to either design. Just the plot that drives them.

 

[RAMA]

I give the D a slight edge over the E. Both are attractive but with a different design goal in mind.

RAMA

 

[tnpir4002]

I like the E-E better. I appreciate a ship with correct proportions, and I always felt that the E-D had too big of a saucer section compared to the secondary hull/nacelles. In my own mind, the E-E is more what I think a Trek starship should look like.

You're not alone in feeling this way--even the folks who were working on the real thing said that! If you don't believe me, pop in the DVD of Generations and switch on the audio commentary, and then skip to the part just after Soran says "I think it's time we gave Mr. LaForge his sight back" (around the time of the above screencap). I think it's Rick Berman himself who points out that the VFX teams complained about the 1701-D being hard to shoot because it was so topheavy and with only that small secondary hull.

Personally, I prefer the E simply because the designs of the sets don't look dated. As much as I like the 1701-D interiors, all the sets just had a dated look to them (Exhibit A: the rounded corners like you found in sickbay or on the bridge with the turbolift alcoves; Exhibit B: the octagonal corridors; Exhibit C: the generally "organic" feel to most of the set pieces for the D, such as the tactical station or Picard's ready room desk). When the time came for them to design the E, they were clearly wanting to make it a more "functional" starship and while they still kept it colorful, it looked a lot more advanced and more functional.

And much less like a hotel in space.

 

[Red Ranger]

Well, some interesting thoughts. Have we ever seen a time when they joined an old saucer section to a new engineering hull? It might have been interesting to just establish the new hull is a Galaxy-class hull, Mark II or Mark III. I do like the E a bit better, but the class name, Sovereign, kind of sucks. This would have been a great time to make it, finally, and officially, the Enterprise-class! My other thought is, it was too much like what happened in TSFS, and of course, having a mere Klingon bird of prey shoot it down was ridiculous, no matter how they established they sabotaged it from within. -- RR

 

[tnpir4002]

Have we ever seen a time when they joined an old saucer section to a new engineering hull? It might have been interesting to just establish the new hull is a Galaxy-class hull, Mark II or Mark III.

Ranger, the process you're describing is called "kitbashing," something they did (quite unashamedly I might add) for The Best of Both Worlds' infamous "starship graveyard" scene. In the extras for Season 4, they focus on that scene and go into detail about how the New Orleans-class is in fact a Galaxy class saucer with a smaller hull and different warp nacelles. I actually really like the look of that design, but I wish they'd have made it a lot bigger (on the scale of the Nebula class at least).

 

[RyanKCR]

Andrew Probert vs. John Eaves...

The D all the way, a majestically designed ship that fit the design lineage set down by the original and the refit.

As for Generations, while it contained plot elements that I thought were really interesting, I personally count it as the worst of the ten films. Killing off the D because TPTB just lowered my opinion further.

How does it follow the design lineage? It's proportions are way way off and it looks klunky and top heay. (Yes, yes in space it doesn't matter execpt for where you apply the thrust.)

 

[Rii]

The D is "grand" whereas the E is "kewl". Over the years I've come to appreciate the D moreso than during TNG's run, but there are several angles from which it simply doesn't work. I dislike some of the finer detailing on the E, particularly on the ventral surface of the saucer, but the basic shapes work well. They're both fine ships, but if i had to choose one over the other it'd be the E.

As for Generations, I've nothing conceptually against destroying the Enterprise, but she deserved to go out in a better way than she did.

 

[Praetor]

The D is "grand" whereas the E is "kewl".

Bingo.

 

[Myasishchev]

Yeah, I don't object to either design. Just the plot that drives them.

It is true that the E-E suffers the handicap of never having been in a decent movie.

 

[Praetor]

Yeah, I don't object to either design. Just the plot that drives them.

It is true that the E-E suffers the handicap of never having been in a decent movie.

And from following the most ridiculous destruction of a starship quite likely ever: that of its predecessor.

 

[Garrovick]

I liked the "D" the best. An all around useful starship. The "E" was created to kill Borg in First Contact. A Federation Predator-Class ship.

 

[Captan_Picard]

NCC-1701

No bloody A, B, C, D (or E)

Actually, I do have a fondness for each, even NX-01. Would love to see more of both B and C on film.

Personal preference is for D, just because there were 6 wonderful seasons of TNG. I'm not counting season 1; the writing, special effects, and sets were often CHEEZY; I watched it because I kept hoping it would get better.

C is in an ep of Next Generation...Not sure but I think its called The Rift.

B is only in the seventh movie...for bout 5 minutes...It was crappy...

 

[Squiggy]

C is in an ep of Next Generation...Not sure but I think its called The Rift.

Yesterday's Enterprise

 

[Gil T.Azell]

"D" was the 'Wide track'
"E" is the 'Viper'

 

[Lateralus]

I don't understand the claims that the Galaxy class doesn't look good on the big screen. How does that make any sense?

Generations was an abomination, but I still like it because of how gorgeous the Enterprise D looked in it.

The Galaxy class is, without a doubt, the most beautiful starship ever to appear in Trek and one of the best looking of any scifi franchise.

The E isn't *bad*, but it looks very dainty. I also don't like the fact that it is smaller than the Enterprise D. And aesthetics aside, there's very little difference between the offensive capabilities of the Sovereign and Galaxy classes, particularly when you consider the refit capabilities of the Galaxy.

I da know, I just think destroying the ship that had become synonymous with The Next Generation cast in their first film was something of a kiss of death.