Rumours, news and general speculation

[Jim]

It looks like a Federation/Klingon hybrid. Engineering based from the K'T'Inga and then a Federation style living/working saucer.

[McAvoy]

We can hope this is to gauge the fan's reaction.

[sunnyside]

It's actually an accretion of a TOS Starfleet ship and an Imperial Star Destroyer. Supposedly the main designer who was brought on to help with the "Star Trek: Phase II" project, back when it seemed that it would be more likely to happen than a Star Trek movie, was the principle voice in designing the ISD's from the hit movie from a year prior.

Nice info.

Poking into it, it seems that the wedge designs predate Star Wars as part of phase ii but also this "planet of the Titans movie"

It also appears that the designs are already cannon. They had the models, so one showed up in the third movie and then another at Wolf 359.

Still I'm inclined to say those designs didn't make it for a reason.

[IanKennedy]

STD - Where no man has Gone-o-rrhoea

[Mikey]

the designs are already cannon.

No, they're spaceships, not cannon.

STD - Where no man has Gone-o-rrhoea

Ouch, my funny bone.

[Black Jesus]

The registry is NCC-1031. That ought to place her between ENT and TOS, right? That doesn't seem like a very interesting time period for Trek.

[Graham Kennedy]

The registry of the USS Constellation in the original series was NCC-1017. The Grissom from Star Trek III was NCC-638

If the show is set between Ent and TOS, it will be the Ent issues all over again - they'll introduce a range of species and situations that never existed before and we'll all have to wonder why the hell they never existed or got referenced in TOS.

[Teaos]

I assume they will use the B&B solution of "Fuck you" to solve those issues.

[Graham Kennedy]

Well, they've already made a bit step in that direction with the design of the ship.

[sunnyside]

The registry of the USS Constellation in the original series was NCC-1017. The Grissom from Star Trek III was NCC-638

If the show is set between Ent and TOS, it will be the Ent issues all over again - they'll introduce a range of species and situations that never existed before and we'll all have to wonder why the hell they never existed or got referenced in TOS.

I'd read somewhere that they were planning to set it between Star Trek VI and TNG. So if they intended to go with an Enterprise they'd presumably have to go with the established Enterprise B or C. That time period also speaks to why they'd be tempted to go with a "Planet of the Titans"/Phase II ship design.

On that note:
http://trekmovie.com/2016/07/24/exclusi ... ws-themes/

Notable to me in there is that their response to being asked if that was the final ship design was laughter. So I expect it to look a lot better. The soundtrack was also apparently from an audition. That said, it sounds like they really like the "wedge" and probably aren't going to stray too far design wise.

From underneath I notice that it looks a little like a combadge, and I wonder if they're trying play on that. However I think it'd look a whole lot better if they'd smooth the design out with the curves Federation design in known for, as opposed to this blocky thing that looks like it's a kitbash made from painted rectangular Lego bricks.

Also what the crew may be discovering in this series might be more their sexuality than new aliens, but we'll see. One of the things that I think Trek has done well is being able to show this issues without having to make it a deal par se. It's just that, hey, there's a Russian and a black woman among the bridge officers, now let's go check out that anomaly. Which is why, as they mention in there, sci-fi is so well suited for tackling some of these issues.

[Graham Kennedy]

I'd read somewhere that they were planning to set it between Star Trek VI and TNG. So if they intended to go with an Enterprise they'd presumably have to go with the established Enterprise B or C. That time period also speaks to why they'd be tempted to go with a "Planet of the Titans"/Phase II ship design.

It would be easy to go with a different design in that era. An Excelsior-generation equivalent of a Miranda or Oberth or any other damn thing you want.

Notable to me in there is that their response to being asked if that was the final ship design was laughter. So I expect it to look a lot better.

My read of that is that any improvements are going to be detail changes to the same basic design.

Unfortunately, it's the basic design that sucks balls. Changing details on it isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference.

That said, it sounds like they really like the "wedge" and probably aren't going to stray too far design wise.

Indeed. And that finishes off the design, for me. They may as well leave it like it is, because nothing they do is going to make it look any better at all. Fiddling about with the exact shape of the impulse engines or nacelles or whatever is simply polishing a turd. Well done, you have a nice shiny turd. It's still a turd.

From underneath I notice that it looks a little like a combadge, and I wonder if they're trying play on that.

Maybe. If so it's a stupid idea. What next, a ship shaped like a tricorder?

Also what the crew may be discovering in this series might be more their sexuality than new aliens, but we'll see.

I'm sorry, I don't know what that means.

[Mikey]

Agreed with GK. Fiddling with the details of that design is simply putting lipstick on a pig. As far as "exploring sexuality," why would that even be a thing, any more than hair color or taste in music?

[Graham Kennedy]

[Mikey]

I know that's the actual genesis, but TBH it reminds me more of a union between a Fed ship and a D-7.

[sunnyside]

Agreed with GK. Fiddling with the details of that design is simply putting lipstick on a pig. As far as "exploring sexuality," why would that even be a thing, any more than hair color or taste in music?

I'm sorry, I don't know what that means.

I was just referring to their frequent mentioning of exploring LGBTQ themes. Though again I don't know that they're going to try to do brokeback mountain in space. Being Sci-Fi they have the option of simply presenting a world where all of those things are treated as normal and that accepting them worked out just fine.

Rregarding the Star Destroyer thing. What I've read is that while some artist who was also somehow involved in Star Wars was involved in later development of the art, the original designs featuring a flattened triangular engineering hull come from Ken Adam and predate Star Wars.