Why uber ships fail

[Mark]

Well, in the books, the reason is they are afraid that the Borg will adapt.

[Graham Kennedy]

What's really silly is that these uber ships always seem to appear in a vacuum. By which I mean the Federation cranks out some super dreadnought, and none of the other powers react much except to throw waves and waves at them, Zap Brannigan style.

In reality as soon as Starfleet started even planning such a thing everybody else would produce designs to match or exceed it. Enough of an effort might get Starfleet an edge for a while, but it's in the nature of an arms race that each side leapfrogs the other.

[Teaos]

Exactly, the Klingons may not be able to produce a ship that powerful that is the same size, they could however make a Regencey class Negh'Var and have at it.

[Mikey]

What's really silly is that these uber ships always seem to appear in a vacuum. By which I mean the Federation cranks out some super dreadnought, and none of the other powers react much except to throw waves and waves at them, Zap Brannigan style.

In reality as soon as Starfleet started even planning such a thing everybody else would produce designs to match or exceed it. Enough of an effort might get Starfleet an edge for a while, but it's in the nature of an arms race that each side leapfrogs the other.

Hey, if you're going to wank out a ship, you might as well wank out international politics and other powers' abilities, too, right?

[kostmayer]

Exactly, the Klingons may not be able to produce a ship that powerful that is the same size, they could however make a Regencey class Negh'Var and have at it.

Well, In Universe the Klingons have always been pretty good as scaling up existing designs. I reckon a 2000 Bird of Prey wouldn't take too much effort

[Teaos]

Well there was that BoP design that was as big as the GCS...

[Sionnach Glic]

?

[Teaos]

[Tsukiyumi]

?

GK has it down as the D'tai on the main site. Thanks to SOD, and poor scaling (as usual), those ships were clearly around the size Graham calculated.

Thanks, Teaos. There they are.

[Teaos]

Always just behind me Tsu...

[Tsukiyumi]

Always just behind me Tsu...

Better than in front of you, I guess.

[Sionnach Glic]

Ah, I remember tem now. Thanks.

[stitch626]

I hate uber ships. Period.

[Captain Seafort]

Speaking of uberships, it may not be Trek but I'm surprised no-one's brought up the famous (or infamous) HIMS Freudian Nightmare.

As "E1701" of Spacebattles apparently put it:

Maiden Flight, SDSD Freudian Nightmare

Imperial Weapons Development Center, Coruscant

To Whom it May Concern:

Gentlemen, let me start by saying that I am greatly honored to be chosen for command of such a magnificent vessel. That said, our insystem shakedown cruise has turned up a few minor issues that I would like to see remedied as soon as possible.

1) We understand your desire to continue the classical stylized lines of the first star destroyer class vessels, and we appreciate your aesthetic sense in that regard. However, strictly speaking, was it absolutely necessary to scale up the bridge tower directly? I must confess the forward bridge window is a great distraction. Militarily, we feel that as is, the three kilometer tall window pane may provide too tempting a target for enemy forces we may engage. We've lost four helmsmen so far to vertigo as well, and we don't think this is in the best interests of the vessel's well-being.

2) The sheer size of our vessel, while a glorious symbol of the mighty Emperor, which we all appreciate completely, has become apparent to us all. My initial briefing tour of the vessel took six days to complete, and the travel tubes were based on the design in use aboard the slightly smaller Executor-class vessels. Travel time being prohibitive, we were forced to camp out in the corridors of the major sectors when we stopped for the night. Furthermore, since our crew quarters sections are located entirely within the aft dorsal sectors, both our Engineering crew and ground forces complements have built tent cities within their own sections, and are living there. Fire hazard has become nearly intolerable and the hydroponics department has sent me six hundred messages insisting that the smoke from the camp-fires is ruining their crop, and that we have enough food left aboard for only another three weeks.

2) Our vessel's own gravity is not being handled as well as could be done, with some minor problematical consequences. Our plumbers called my attention to the fact that the sewage from our 6 million-man crew backwashed through the air vents in Sections 42 to 78, decks 258 through 532. Malaria and dysentery broke out in those sections, and we were forced to cordon it off to prevent an epidemic. Our first Chief Medical Officer unfortunately was killed when he requested the paperwork on those affected, and upon receiving e-mailed reports from all 739 of his senior doctors, the computer screen in his quarters self-destructed, propelling shrapnel throughout his quarters. All droids who enter the area have failed to return, and a remote camera probe sent in, recorded images of the survivors in the affected area where they were flinging their own feces at each other, warring with sharpened pieces of metal, and attempting to eat the dismembered limbs of the aforementioned droids.

3) On a similar note, regarding the unfortunate loss of our last CMO, we have finally decided that the staff requirements of this vessel are creating further problems. For instance, our Chief Engineer has begun the habit of signing his reports, "Chief Marshall, Sovereign Nation of Ree'Ak'tor." He has since sealed off those decks, and started a war. The war in question is against his apparent rival, the commander of our ground forces near the main flightdeck, who has taken to calling himself "Bringer of the Apocalypse." Surveillance records indicate that they have since stopped wearing their armor, and have begun smearing their bodies with industrial cleaning fluid and lubricants before launching raids upon the Engineering department. We believe that they have begun ritualistically sacrificing one of our TIE-fighter pilots before each attack to bring them luck.

Aside from a minor note that some of our turbolaser turret gunners may have starved to death when their food shipments were cut off by the warzone, there is little else to remark on, save that in our first tactical drill, during the course of a two-hour right turn, we failed to halt our rotation with the result of the subsequent and very unfortunate destruction of the entire Coruscant 4th Defensive Fleet. I've made a note to send out letters of regret the moment we reacquire contact with our communications room at the bow of the vessel. That of course is the reason why this message had to be sent to your offices via pen, paper, and one of our probe droids. I beg forgiveness for the clerical difficulties that may cause.

Signed,
Grand Admiral
SDSD Freudian Nightmare

[Tsukiyumi]