First picture of the Federation Battleship

[Iron Domokun]

The saucer must have engines attached, since the background says that when the saucer is detached as an "emergency lifeboat" the warp engines come with it.

 

[Nomad]

Not sure what PIPA is

Anti-Orion legislation. Protection of Intellectual Property (or perhaps Ingenue's Posteriors?) Act.

 

[Target]

It's pretty hideous. The whole add extra engines on doesn't get me going wow. With the technology now there is no reason to have ugly models. I like the Klingons generally, most of the feds. Romulans could be a little better. Kzintis are terrible. I won't buy ugly models unfortunately even though i like the rules. I really thought the models would be better designs rather than bigger with extra engines. It just crowds the models. Mini's should be things when really well painted people go thats awesome. Just my thoughts

 

[hdan]

The designs are what they are, and are almost certainly not going to change.
However, the models that Mongoose has made of the existing designs are well done IMO. A nice model of an ugly ship is still a nice model.

 

[shiba-tenchi]

The upside of resin is it should be pretty easy to tweak a hideous model to make it a little less ugly sister. I think having the extra nacelles underslung quite tightly on the saucer might improve it a little, or having v tails with 2 nacelles per side in the more usual position probably the best looking, if fluff inappropriate, solution.

As to overall design, I think the Orion stuff makes the Kzinti look elegent! :shock:

 

[Nomad]

The reason for the 'add extra engines' approach is that engine production (for the Feds and the Klingons, at least) is standardised. Those empires have only two or three standard warp engine sizes, so rather than a DN or a BB having some arbitrarily 'bigger' engine, it just gets an extra nacelle or two.

While this may not always make for pretty spaceships it does make a lot of sense in engineering and logistics terms.

Aesthetics are subjective anyway; I play Hydrans because I think they have some of the coolest looking ships in this or any other game; everyone else hates them.

 

[Target]

Why don't they pair the engines up or have a cylinder or triangle with two or three engine ports instead of tacking engines on spare space. It's the main reason i don't like the models. Just my two cents

 

[Rambler]

Its the way the DN appeared in the Star Fleet Technical Manual. And all successive size class 2 ships (DNs and bigger) have followed the engineering principles set down by that source material. Besides if the saucers did not have a separate nacelle system how would you use them as a warp capable life boat? Which is also in the source material.:

 

[Sgt_G]

Well, the DN is based on the version in the Franz Joseph Tech Manual, which put the third engine above the saucer. In designing the BB, it only makes sense to follow the established pattern.

 

[Target]

Ah we can blame the fluff for ugly designs then