Specialized Galaxy Primary Hulls

[Bryan Moore]

So it's being tossed around about a primary hull being modified, interchangable for different missions.

What sorts of specialized hulls would people recommend?

I'd like the idea of one slightly smaller, a little more sleek, but armed to the teeth for war time conditions.

I'd also be interested to see one where you could use the hulls as a troop drop ship.

[Mr. P.N. Guin]

How about one that is pretty much gutted for real planetary evacuations, with lots and lots of emergency escape transporters?

[Bryan Moore]

How about one that is pretty much gutted for real planetary evacuations, with lots and lots of emergency escape transporters?

Very specialized, but certainly an okay idea.

I think the biggest problem with something like that (or even my troop drop ship) is that they would sit unused an awful lot. What would be interesting is a hull like this that could also be simply towed from place to place by other ships, if desparately needed.

[Atekimogus]

What I really would like to see is a primary hull stuffed with conference rooms, a "dedicated" diplomatic staff etc. (no job for the captain imho) in short everything primed for a fist contact situation and - here is the kicker - able to land on a planet.

Imagine a culture making its first warp flight. It is high time for first contact - guiding them through their first steps into the galaxy etc - but beaming would be probably not a good idea since people appearing out of nowhere seems to be rather shocking.

But instead of the measly Vulcan Lander used for earths first contact a huge flying saucer the size of a small city flys Independance Day style to their government center, sets down and while the locals ponder their doomsday the federation assimilation corps.....aehm, diplomatic personell announces their coming in peace and the planet in questions is soon part of the happy UFP family.

During the negotiation phase the saucer acts as intermediate federation ambassy.


Now who is with me that this would be making "First Contact" with style?

[Teaos]

Bit of a waste but cargo ship is an option, we've seen nothing else that big in the Federation.

There is also the option os super science ship, loaded up the wazoo with sensors ect.

[Tyyr]

The problem with such a set up is that to make it work you need tons and tons of specialized Galaxy primary hulls sitting around all over the Federation waiting for a Galaxy to stop in and pick one up. More that likely what will happen is that the Federation would just create a few specialized Galaxies and be done with it. Maybe keep a few extra primary hulls around just for the heck of it but that's all.

[Teaos]

The smartest thing to do would be to have several different types as Tyyr said, then have each of them have a smaller weapons pod type saucer waiting for war time. Instant massive weapons upgrade.

[Atekimogus]

The problem with such a set up is that to make it work you need tons and tons of specialized Galaxy primary hulls sitting around all over the Federation waiting for a Galaxy to stop in and pick one up.

Ironically that is the reason why - altough I like the look etc - I am not a huge fan of the nebula class pods! Obviously I am alone thinking this a logistical nightmare, lots of wasted ressources, shortage of pods in emergency situations, availibility etc, with the rest thinking it a great feature.

For the galaxy I would be in favour of a primary hull fully equiped with heavy industry replicators, holo-generators etc which is basically empty and can easily configured to the desired need. Having conviniently the science-pod, or battle saucer lying around on short notice is just not feasible in the vastness of space imho.

[Mikey]

The smartest thing to do would be to have several different types as Tyyr said, then have each of them have a smaller weapons pod type saucer waiting for war time. Instant massive weapons upgrade.

Agreed. And if you do have to step up production for a war footing, you can begin by making the quicker and cheaper weapons saucers to fit onto currently unspecialized GCS', instead of waiting for a complete new build.

I'd also be interested to see one where you could use the hulls as a troop drop ship.

It would have to be a completely differnet sort of design than anything we've seen. The GCS saucer as we know it would simply be an unmaneuverable, wallowing, flying future tomb if used as a troop lander.

[kostmayer]

If there are Starships regularly docked at a Starbase ready to be deployed, then I can see the advantage of having a number of Pods handy ready to be attached to the ship at short notice. However, and this is just based on what we see on screen, more often then not a Starship is diverted from some patrol or science mission to go and deal with some disaster or another. It would be impracticle for the ship to then have to return to change pods to fit the mission.

I would like to see modular design because it would make Starship production much more economic. If the Starfleet had to move to a wartime footing, they could use the same ships, and what ever hulls were already in production, and increase the number or weapon pods being built. It would also be more efficient to have weapon pods in storage incase war breaks out, rather then have whole warships sitting around doing nothing.

[Mikey]

I would like to see modular design because it would make Starship production much more economic. If the Starfleet had to move to a wartime footing, they could use the same ships, and what ever hulls were already in production, and increase the number or weapon pods being built. It would also be more efficient to have weapon pods in storage incase war breaks out, rather then have whole warships sitting around doing nothing.

Exactly. You can build your "typical" GCS, then change primary hulls, rather than building two concurrent separate classes.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I could see turning the interior of a Galaxy-hull into a massive carrier.

[Bryan Moore]

I could see turning the interior of a Galaxy-hull into a massive carrier.

Agreed. I certainly understand the fear of a waste of resources having these hulls sit about. But, a Galaxy hull that's equipped as a science vessel could easily be used as a small research platform or something of the sort. I'm certain the Feds could find a way to properly use hulls not currently attached.

Moreover, what if we were to build some sort of contraption that would allow the GCS hull to attach to other ships. May look ugly, but in a pinch, bam!

[Vic]

Sure, weaps. versions could be planetary defense, science platforms could be placed to act as early warning, etc., etc.

[Sionnach Glic]

I'm going with my suggestion from a previous thread: stick a shitload of torpedo launchers along the edge of the hull the whole way around, and fill the centre up with amunition stocks and a few phasers. Wade that thing into the middle of an enemy fleet and it'll just devastate everything around it.