Ship of the week: Olympic

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:03 pm

Well I haven't done one of these since last year. I really have no intention of doing this again since we went through most of the main ships, but I was going through Memory Alpha today and came across the entry for the Olympic class which I though was really cool.

It shows a good level of common sense which is nice to see in StarFleet and one of the few ships that isn't a jack of all trades. It is a medical ship pure and simple.

Also the fact that it bears a good resemblance to the Daedalus class which I also thought was a good design for humanities first starship. It also made a hell of a lot more sense than the NX class.

It would have been nice to see a few of these in the Dominion war, picking up the survivors from the Chin'Toka defeat. Have one permanently stationed at DS9 since that was a hot spot for trouble.

Even with its very unusual though practical design I still think it is a rather pretty looking ship.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:13 pm

I like it.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:46 pm

Indeed - a good design, with the sphere giving plenty of internal volume for its shape.

I wouldn't have one at DS9 permanently - the station would probably have been refitted with better medical facilities at the same time as it got all its extra weapons. I would, however, expect to see them frequently, ferrying the injured from the front lines to either DS9 or Starbase 375, and then back into the core worlds for longer-term treatment and recovery.

Regardng purpose-built ships, there's also the tug from DS9:

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:51 pm

Hmm forgot about that one.

So we have the Defiant, Olympic, Tug, Nova as purpose built one roll starships.

Sure they can all probably do other jobs to some degree but they are 90% built for one roll.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:54 pm

I'd also put the Prommie, and possibly the Akira into that list. The former was specifically described as a warship, and the latter has always been seen in a combat role, on numerous occassions.

Blackstar the Chakat · Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:56 pm

It's a nice ship but I don't think B&B had the balls to put them in. (Pun intended

)

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:57 pm

I believe the Akira is stated in the tech manual to be a colony ship while out of combat.

The Promethius could probably be added as well though.

Post by **Mikey** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:37 pm

I also like the Olympic. I had always seen the spherical primary hull as coincidentally akin to the Daedalus, and in use strictly for the fact that - as Seafort pointed out - it's the way to maximize internal volume. And no extraneous stuff tat would be useless on a medical frigate.

I would have liked to have seen a secondary large shuttlebay, using the idea that the Olympic-class could very easily find itself in the nidst of large-scale evacuations. For the same reason I do like the large, differently-placed main bay.

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:44 pm

They may have thought it more efficent t have one big shuttle bay rather than two smaller ones.

Its not canon but we can assume the thing is not the fastest ship around due to shape and purpose and the look of the nacelles, so we could assume that if it was involved in an evacuation it would have other ships around to help.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:49 pm

Teaos wrote:
Its not canon but we can assume the thing is not the fastest ship around due to shape and purpose and the look of the nacelles, so we could assume that if it was involved in an evacuation it would have other ships around to help.

Sending a medical vessel into a danger zone unescorted would be less than intelligent, they don't have much in the way of armament. Just enough for self-defense if AGT things is any judge. So an escort would be assigned and evacuations should or would be a group event.

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:56 pm

If the future still has rules of engagements no one would fire on a medical ship.

Post by **Mikey** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:57 pm

Would Klingons, etc., follow such conventions?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:02 pm

Teaos wrote:If the future still has rules of engagements no one would fire on a medical ship.

Well if they have the same ones we do now, they could. She's armed so she doesn't qualify as a hospital ship but as a "primary casualty receiving ship" ala the RFA Argus.

I doubt the Klingons would honour such an agreement but the various other powers might.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:07 pm

Teaos wrote:If the future still has rules of engagements no one would fire on a medical ship.

Correction: if the future has laws of war that are followed. The answer is evidently not, judging by what happened to the Pasteur. Then again, I don't think using a hospital ship as a covert reconnaissance vessel is legal either.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:15 pm

Teaos wrote:Hmm forgot about that one.

So we have the Defiant, Olympic, Tug, Nova as purpose built one roll starships.

Sure they can all probably do other jobs to some degree but they are 90% built for one roll.

Is the tug Federation? I remember that scene from DS9 and always thought the hull coloration and general shape made it look Klingon.