[Spaceships] Star Trek Ships

[elustran]

It would probably be better to have multiple nacelles count as multiple systems, given the amount of space they take up and to keep the 'feel' of the genre. Just stipulate that you need all of them working in order for your warp drive to function. This also means that if both get damaged, you have twice as many repairs to do before you can get moving, which seems 'realistic' within the setting.

[Randover]

I can't quote esisodes since its some time from my trek days but I would call disabling nascales a GM arbitrary call. In some episodes the whole ship get disabled or even destroyed if hit to the one nascale...In other episode it had to drop out of warp, with little or none damage - only reharmonising the warpfield. And I am pretty sure that it was possible if nessesary to ajust the ship to temporalily fly with only one nascale - but take note that the geometry of warp field was essencial and it resonated somewhat with the shape of ship...So it might be hard for something as Galaxy class travel only on one nescale...

[doctorevilbrain]

Hackbarth, when I click on your webpage, it just shows a blank white page.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by elustran

It would probably be better to have multiple nacelles count as multiple systems, given the amount of space they take up and to keep the 'feel' of the genre. Just stipulate that you need all of them working in order for your warp drive to function. This also means that if both get damaged, you have twice as many repairs to do before you can get moving, which seems 'realistic' within the setting.

I would say you need engineering rolls to warp with fewer nacelles than the ship normally warps with, but protagonist engineers always seem to be able to to perform miracles on the shows.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by elustran

Just stipulate that you need all of them working in order for your warp drive to function.

I'm pretty sure there were a couple of episodes where ships were able to warp, albeit at reduced speed, with one nacelle out of commission.

(But it's Trek. If you want to require all nacelles to be functional, feel free. It won't be the only contradiction you face, and it was't a major point in most of the series.)

[Imbicatus]

The number of nacelles has always been variable. Several canon federation ships had one, three, or four nacelles instead of two.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

(But it's Trek. If you want to require all nacelles to be functional, feel free. It won't be the only contradiction you face, and it was't a major point in most of the series.)

It's SF television. However much damage is in the visuals, chosen for how cool it looks, is exactly the amount necessary for the plot, which might possibly have been written before the visual effects guys started working on the sequence, but you shouldn't count on it. I'm pretty sure the lead time required on graphics heavy sequences is still longer than on final scripts.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Imbicatus

The number of nacelles has always been variable. Several canon federation ships had one, three, or four nacelles instead of two.

Some other species ships do without nacelles altogether and build the warp drive into the hull. The Klingon Bird of Prey does this. The D-7/K'tinga class has what are presumably the warp engines closer to the hull and not exactly out on pylons.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Imbicatus

The number of nacelles has always been variable. Several canon federation ships had one, three, or four nacelles instead of two.

Including the Federation Scout ship which had 1 nacelle.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by malloyd

It's SF television. However much damage is in the visuals, chosen for how cool it looks, is exactly the amount necessary for the plot, which might possibly have been written before the visual effects guys started working on the sequence, but you shouldn't count on it. I'm pretty sure the lead time required on graphics heavy sequences is still longer than on final scripts.

Or they could just reuse the same half dozen or so graphics regardless of script like original Battlestar Galactica. Man, I loved that cheese as a kid.