Is bigger better?

[Captain Picard's Hair]

The use of mission pods optimized for a particular task makes up a lot of that, giving you the best of both worlds in a big ship with plenty of resources and firepower if needed, and the ability to specialize - this was the point I was making.

[Deepcrush]

I know, but being the best of both worlds (S/E and Military) means that it will be doing work for both sides. You would be better off having ships purpose built and a few that can mix back and forth.

I'm not speaking against your idea, supporting it even. Just in moderation.

[Captain Seafort]

Moderation? Who are you and what have you done with Deepcrush?

[kostmayer]

A moderate Deepcrush?

Would that be a Shallowsqueeze?

[Graham Kennedy]

Re the GCS construction time, canonically we do know from Booby trap that the warp reaction chamber was still being designed only a yeear or less before 2364 - I don't have exact times but they give a stardate in the episode IIRC. It seems odd to me that this would be one of the last things done on the ship, and that it would be done during what the TNG TM claims was the shakedown cruise! Also a three year shakedown cruise seems excessive when Geordi seemed to imply that "over a year" was more than enough time for that kind of thing in First Contact.

I don't really buy into the TNG Timeline. I would expect building times to be something like this :

Defiant : 9 months peacetime; 4 months wartime
Intrepid : 2 years peacetime; 9 months wartime
Akira : 2.5 years peacetime; 12 months wartime
Nebula : 3 years peacetime; 15 months wartime
Galaxy : 4 years peacetime; 18 months wartime

Just educated guesses.

[Teaos]

I might buy that for just building when everything is already set up and ready to go.

But the question that started this mini debate was how long would it take the Federation to build and design a new class of ship that is at least twice the size of the GCS.

[Graham Kennedy]

I don't think design would be that big an issue, actually. Trek computers seem to be really good at doing very high level things like "Now redesign the engineering hull to move the warp core another twenty metres forward".

[mlsnoopy]

The use of mission pods

What's up with the mission pods we have seen exatcly two Nebula configuration. And one looks like it was retired. So why people still thinh that SF has somewhere huge storage areas, where numerus pod are stored.

[Teaos]

We know it has the ability to swap the pods, why wouldnt they take advantage of that?

[Mikey]

one looks like it was retired.

Where was that stated?

So why people still thinh that SF has somewhere huge storage areas, where numerus pod are stored.

They have systems full of mothballed ships and parts, so why not? Better, even if we assume that you're correct and they don't have spare pods in storage - it is a canon fact that at least the two variants are extant.

[Sionnach Glic]

It was never stated that any pod was retired.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

I do get the impression that Starfleet tends to keep a lot of stuff around "in mothballs."

[Reliant121]

Earlier there was a lot of GCS vs. Intrepid.


They are different. Completely. The intrepid is a mid range explorer, or a fast response ship I mean, she is the fastest in the fleet as far as i know.

The Galaxy is a long range explorer. She goes where none have gone. to the very reaches of space. if VOY never happened, and the federation wanted to explore the DQ, it would be a GCS. It is designed Specifically for the task.

Personally i would design a replacement, leaving out the over-lavish luxuries but still retaining a moderate standard, and use the remaining space for sensor or weapons equipment.

[Mikey]

Again, I've been somewhat of a critic of the GCS, aka "the Ritz in space," but there is a definite purpose for that luxury on an extended deep-space mission. "Adequate" facilities aren't enough to prevent performance drop-off after a few years of being on board without planetside or Starbase facilities.

[Reliant121]

True, but I believe the GCS is just a little too much. Keep a MODEST amount of it, but not so its a 5 star hotel with engines.