Nebula Class Disscussion

[Teaos]

Thats the upper limit number I have heard, personally I find the idea of a couple of hundred more believeable, but thats still a big ratio difference between them and the GCS.

[Deepcrush]

but thats still a big ratio difference between them and the GCS.

"IF" the GCS came first. Then SF may have caught on to the numerous problems in the design. Weak computer systems, risky warp core and over reliant central controls. The Neb may have been the answer to these problems. Slightly smaller, cheaper, just as fast and most likely very similar in combat ability. Plus, with the pod ability you have a ship that can match the GCS in the JoAT quality. Though this may take a short while for any change out. The ship is still going to cheaper and quicker to build. Greater numbers of an equal or near equal ship means a greater overall ability for SF.

All of this leaves the GCS most likely being left to finish whatever production run had been planned. Then future Heavy Cruiser production being roled into the better overall Nebula class. If you only spend five years laying GCS hulls at about 6 a year. Vs the following ten or fifteen years of Nebula hulls at about 8 to 10 a year. You'd get a very heavy ratio in the favor of the Nebula class.

[Teaos]

Point.

The only issue I'd raise with that is that I can't see there being more than a few years between the fielding of both desings due to the rather rapid increase of technology around TNG.

[Deepcrush]

Maybe so but it also matters about when they started laying the hulls and for how long they were turning them out. The Borg seemed to start most of the tech and ship build up we've seen in TNG/DS9. New weapons, armor, ship classes... etc. If the GCS was in planning for even just 10 years before TNG. That would be ten years of production on parts and hull pieces. Since the Neb is built from GCS hulls. If someone wanted to just switch over from GCS to Nebs, you'd only have to stop production of the necks and aft hull. The rest of the ship is about the same. They don't need the pod, its just nice to have for bonus. Extra weapons or sensor or cargo space. Whatever the need is at the moment.

Even with the new classes coming out SF needs the ships. The Borg whipped a whole sector fleet and Wolf 359. 39 ships lost that need to be replaced. Being likely composed mostly of Miranda and Excelsior class ships. Switching out those old hulls for Nebs that thanks to the Dominion War are even being uprated. You have the parts, you have the need and you have the means. Now, a ship built from spare parts made 10-15 years ago is now able to be upgraded to match a Dominion Battlecruiser and in fact a fair match against most of the modern ships being produced.

Point.

I'm sorry but what?

[Teaos]

I'm sorry but what?

Sorry short hand. I ment good point, about the production time and the hault on production.

[Mikey]

Even just the lesser amount of sheet metal means a shorter production ramp-up and production time for a Nebula than a GCS.

I'm also curious to know where you heard those production numbers for Nebulas, though.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

I'd have assumed the pods were meant to be interchangeable, but the difference in connections between the AWACS and weapons pods did throw me off. (OOU could it be a difference in the parts they could find to represent the pods?) Perhaps there is changeability within the subtypes, or perhaps one (I was thinking of the AWACS) is a dedicated version. I don't recall seeing any other types, unfortunately, though one can think of any number of potential pod types; it'd be crazy to have a different connection yet for a hospital pod, or a cargo pod, or whatnot.

I'd agree with the notion that the Neb could have provided a cheaper and more compact counterpart to the big GCS. I'd rate her as probably being similar to the GCS in combat ability, though equipped with a weapons pod I'd put one comfortably ahead.

[Reliant121]

Not my favourite design of Trek, but one of my favourites for TNG era.

[Sionnach Glic]

One of my favoured ships of that era. It's as if someone took the GCS, and beat some sense into the design with a crowbar.

[Mikey]

I get the beauty of the functionality of it - as Rochey says, a GCS that makes sense - but to my eye it doesn't have the same quality compared to the GCS as the Miranda does compared to the Connie.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

I get the beauty of the functionality of it - as Rochey says, a GCS that makes sense - but to my eye it doesn't have the same quality compared to the GCS as the Miranda does compared to the Connie.

Well, it is starting from a decidedly less elegant point (the GCS) than the Miranda was (the Connie)...

[Mikey]

Maybe that's it... the Miranda, while a compact design, didn't have the cramped, "mushed-together" feeling of the Nebula.

[Bryan Moore]

I would like to see how one separates

[Deepcrush]

Most likely it would look the same as the GCS or very close. The saucer is the same as the GCS after all.

[Captain Seafort]

I doubt it. The saucer may be the same, but it's got no neck - I'd be very surprised if it could separate.