Romulan War Destroyer

[Dac]

"Well Cap'n, Enterprise has six Mark IV impulse reactors, two in the saucer and four in the main array. For every one of those, we could knock out ten Mark II engines. Sure they won't be as fast at sublight, but they'll be fast enough."

That's exactly how I hear the rationale in my head and it makes perfect sense. Mass produced platforms to get as many torpedoes and phase cannons out there in as many places as possible.

 

[B.J.]

Sweet! Barely more than a tin can, but an absolutely believable addition, even after ENT!

 

[JES]

Kinda makes me think more along the lines as Starfleet started to lose more and more of the more ships, and the more durable but more expensive starships were spread more and more thinly (NX, Alpha, Intrepid), Starfleet got desperate, and started to build what were essentially mobile weapons platforms with Warp Drive.

Like, Starfleet was made to defend Earth and her colonies, but they found themselves spread thin when they tried to take the battle to the enemy, and would often find themselves vulnerable to counter attacks. Not having shields didn't exactly help.

Very simplistic like Masao's designs of the same era, but taken to an even simpler extreme.

 

[Sketcher]

I've always wanted to do a Trek fan film set during the Romulan Wars on a mass-produced warship. This design is almost exactly what I had in mind for what the hero ship would look like. Well done.

 

[aalenfae]

Thanks for all the feedback, folks!

Here are some (somewhat unglamorous) orthos:

 

[Albertese]

This ship is great. I'm tempted to build a model of her myself... not a virtual one, a solid desktop one.

Do you envision these ships having registry markings?

--Alex

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Registries would probably be simple, like 01, 02, 03, etc. since they're basically disposable.

The US Navy has destroyers numbered in the 1000's now because we had so many in WWII.

 

[Psion]

Aalenfae, please tell me the deck orientation is perpendicular to the ship's longitudinal axis. I love Star Trek ships, but the "jetliner" orientation used in every single one of them is less realistic than a rocket-ship orientation. Even assuming technologies exist in Trek to allow a mess of artificial gravity and inertial damping forcefields, you'd think there'd be one or two races out there that prefer not to waste energy so frivolously -- especially in the earlier years of space exploration.

 

[aalenfae]

This ship is great. I'm tempted to build a model of her myself... not a virtual one, a solid desktop one.

Do you envision these ships having registry markings?

--Alex

By all means, I'd love to see a physical model of this!

These ships will have registry markings, yes. I just haven't really finalized the textures yet. They'll probably only have the number, though (mostly double-digit numbers).

Aalenfae, please tell me the deck orientation is perpendicular to the ship's longitudinal axis. I love Star Trek ships, but the "jetliner" orientation used in every single one of them is less realistic than a rocket-ship orientation. Even assuming technologies exist in Trek to allow a mess of artificial gravity and inertial damping forcefields, you'd think there'd be one or two races out there that prefer not to waste energy so frivolously -- especially in the earlier years of space exploration.

Glad you asked! The decks are indeed "rocket ship" style on this ship.
This is a rough idea of the deck structure (about 4 decks per module):

 

[JES]

Do you intend to model in the weapons hatches and tubes? I asking that because I assume that they are armed, but I don't see any obvious weapons turrets or hatches.

 

[Psion]

Oh, this is awesome! Well done, aalenfae!

 

[aalenfae]

Do you intend to model in the weapons hatches and tubes? I asking that because I assume that they are armed, but I don't see any obvious weapons turrets or hatches.

Yep - the model is unfinished. There are already two torpedo tubes (the holes in the nose). But I have yet to add some other weapons like phase cannons.

 

[aalenfae]

Here's an updated, more high-poly version of the ship:

 

[Psion]

That's beautiful. One of the things that I didn't like about the ships seen routinely in Enterprise was the use of form over function. There needed to be more ships that looked like they were built by engineers, not artists. I gave them some leeway with the NX-01 itself because I viewed it as something like the SR-71, but most of the rest of Earth's Starfleet should have been composed of ships that resembled this.

It isn't graceful, but its beauty lies in the practicality of its engineering. Simple cylinders -- the hallmark of humanity's space program since the very beginning -- bolted or welded together, and no doubt separated by manual pressure hatches in case one of those compartments loses atmosphere. It might be nice to have a Soyuz homage with a few tin-cans tipped with spheres ... or maybe spherical compartments behind the weapons pod.

Some day, all ships will look like they were made by the same process that built the NX-01, but for now, in times of need, older, more reliable techniques and approaches prevailed, and flotillas of these warp-capable tin cans accompany more advanced-looking starships into battle.

I love it!

 

[Albertese]

Looking great!

I wonder what the rings of light around those spheres at the aft end are all about.

Are you planing to do an interior of this ship? Just a cut-a-way? I imagine the forward modual being dedicated to weapons and sensors, the middle one to the crew and the last one to the engine bits.

Great design, I'm loving it more and more.

--Alex

 

[spockboy]

Absolutely beautiful. Looks completely authentic.

 

[spockboy]

Thanks for the feedback!

Here's a scale estimate:

Excellent!
Thanks

 

[Unicron]

Nice work.

 

[Warped9]

Here's an updated, more high-poly version of the ship:

I like this waay better than the NX-01.

 

[Duncan MacLeod]

Thanks for the feedback!

Here's a scale estimate:

From this I'd estimate about 200 feet in length with the two forward drums being about 25 feet in diameter and the third about 30 feet. Sensor/Deflector pod about 15 feet in diameter.

Does that sound about right?