Nebula Class

[Ruzzell]

I have been wondering what players and fans think of the Nebula Class? Is it more expensive than the galaxy class? Where does it fit in the game? Starfleet? Could this be a viable extreme deep space vessal?

[Stu1701]

I've always been a fan of most of the ships from the mid 24th century including the Nebula. It's definatly not more expensive than an explorer like the Galaxy class. The Nebula would be more of a cruiser.

[osena]

i Like the Galaxy class more but if i can't get a Galaxy ill rock Nebula till i can get NX-91001

[Nytok]

Class: Nebula
Type: Explorer
Commissioned:2357
Production Base: Utopia Plani-
tia & San Francisco Fleet Yards
Length: 465 metres
Beam: 467.1 metres
Height: 140.5 metres
Mass: 3,309,000 metric tons
Crew: 750
Cruising Speed: Warp 6
Maximum Speed: Warp 9.6
Armament: 8 Type X phaser arrays, 3 Mk 80 photon torpedo launchers

VS.

Class: Galaxy
Type: Explorer
Commissioned:2357
Production Base: Utopia
Planitia Fleet Yards, Mars
Length: 641 metres
Beam: 467.1 metres
Height: 137.5 metres
Mass: 4,500,000 metric tons
Crew: 1,012
Cruising Speed: Warp 6
Maximum Speed: Warp 9.6
Armament: 12 Type X phaser arrays, 3 Mk 80 photon torpedo launchers

The Nebula is a deep space exploration and science vessel which also serves to assist Galaxy class vessels in the field. Because It is less in size, and interior space than the Galaxy class vessels, it is cheaper to produce. It's main function is indeed to explore the depths of space at long ranges and long voyages. In most games the Galaxy class is considered a battleship and the Nebula class a battlecruiser ( a more heavily armed cruiser). I doubt it'll be any different in STO.

Personally, I very much dislike the design. I'd prefer a Miranda class or a Soyuz class over the Nebula class any day.

[47Wasps]

The way I see it,the Constitution-class had the Miranda-class,the Excelsior-class had the Centaur,and the Galaxy-class has the Nebula.Essentially,its the cruiser version of the Galaxy-class.
I like the design more than I like the the Galaxy-class,but for that era's starship design family,I prefer the New Orleans-Class.

[Harmony-Jade]

I've always liked the Nebula class more then the Galaxy. It's probably the ship i'd aim for in-game.

That is until I can defect to the Romulan Star Empire and take my rightful place as commander of a shiny D'deridex :D

[Manx]

I have always assumed that, given its size, the Nebula itself is almost as good as the Galaxy; but then, when a specalized pod is added, it becomes better than the Galaxy in one or maybe two areas.

I know swapping out a pod doesn't seem like such a big deal, but those pods are considerably larger than, say, a Defiant class or Nova class starship; so there is a lot of sensors/weapons/whatever in those things.

[Nytok]

I have always assumed that, given its size, the Nebula itself is almost as good as the Galaxy; but then, when a specalized pod is added, it becomes better than the Galaxy in one or maybe two areas.

I know swapping out a pod doesn't seem like such a big deal, but those pods are considerably larger than, say, a Defiant class or Nova class starship; so there is a lot of sensors/weapons/whatever in those things.

Those pods are basically needed in order to just stand up to the shadow that is its big sister, the Galaxy class. Yes, even in the show it's customizable. However, the Nebula class of ships is usually so jammed pack full of sensors, science facilities, and engineering equipment that they actually have a consideraly smaller space for crew and less of a weapons capacity than a Galaxy class ship. It needs the pod.

[Ruzzell]

The pods are one big thing that has me looking a time or two at the Nebula.

If some of the NX-91001 upgrades could be refitted into a Nebula class, could the Nebula class run with any ship in space, combat or otherwise?

My idea is since the Nebula is one of the bigger ships, and I want to run a deep space long term exploring mission, I think that the Nebula would act as a "base" ship, with two NX-91001 running as the primary exploring ships and an intrepid class running scout duty. Some would probable say to go Galaxy for that, but I am thinking that the Nebula and it's special pods could offer this role better and be more cost effective, since the NX-91001 ships are gonna be bank busters.

[tonymetpolice]

I have always assumed that, given its size, the Nebula itself is almost as good as the Galaxy; but then, when a specalized pod is added, it becomes better than the Galaxy in one or maybe two areas.

I know swapping out a pod doesn't seem like such a big deal, but those pods are considerably larger than, say, a Defiant class or Nova class starship; so there is a lot of sensors/weapons/whatever in those things.

i think something like the nebula will be handy if you want a variety of missons. big and advancd enough that could hold its own in a fiht with abig capital ship but not a "pure" warship. with the pod t the back and the amount of customisatio they are talking about with ships you could have a good science/sensor ability as well. but if your looking to play at more aggressively and warlike then something like the defiant or the new oslo class would be better

[Nytok]

The pods are one big thing that has me looking a time or two at the Nebula.

If some of the NX-91001 upgrades could be refitted into a Nebula class, could the Nebula class run with any ship in space, combat or otherwise?

My idea is since the Nebula is one of the bigger ships, and I want to run a deep space long term exploring mission, I think that the Nebula would act as a "base" ship, with two NX-91001 running as the primary exploring ships and an intrepid class running scout duty. Some would probable say to go Galaxy for that, but I am thinking that the Nebula and it's special pods could offer this role better and be more cost effective, since the NX-91001 ships are gonna be bank busters.

It works, very well too. But you need to make sure of one thing. Either be in a fleet or play with a few friends.

[Ruzzell]

It works, very well too. But you need to make sure of one thing. Either be in a fleet or play with a few friends.


Close to relase time, I am going to work these forums to find 3 people to form a tight subfleet, and then join together into a larger fleet.

My goal in STO is to push the exploration function of the game to it's limit, and by that I mean a full two year mission into deep space, with a 4 man team, 2 primary explorers, one scout, and one big base ship. Obviously the NX-91001 is going to be one of the ships, but I am considering other ships for the other roles. Being a Voyager fan, I do want an intrepid, but I am not fully commited to that. Part of me thinks that the scout role could be handled by a smaller ship full of teeth like the Defiant or Saber Class, but I worry that they do not posses enough cargo space or science ability for long term deep space.

[Nytok]

Close to relase time, I am going to work these forums to find 3 people to form a tight subfleet, and then join together into a larger fleet.

My goal in STO is to push the exploration function of the game to it's limit, and by that I mean a full two year mission into deep space, with a 4 man team, 2 primary explorers, one scout, and one big base ship. Obviously the NX-91001 is going to be one of the ships, but I am considering other ships for the other roles. Being a Voyager fan, I do want an intrepid, but I am not fully commited to that. Part of me thinks that the scout role could be handled by a smaller ship full of teeth like the Defiant or Saber Class, but I worry that they do not posses enough cargo space or science ability for long term deep space.

Even though you have an Archer avatar, I'm up for it. I want to get a NX-91001 and take it out to explore the galaxy; and you in a Nebula could really come in handy. So hit me up closer to launch. Just remember that I also like PvE'ing and PvP'ing so I may not be around all the time or might try and have you join me in those events.

P.S. You could always just make your own fleet, there's enough people on the forums. And I bet a lot want to do the same thing and explore the furthest reaches of the galaxy.

[Manx]

Those pods are basically needed in order to just stand up to the shadow that is its big sister, the Galaxy class. Yes, even in the show it's customizable. However, the Nebula class of ships is usually so jammed pack full of sensors, science facilities, and engineering equipment that they actually have a consideraly smaller space for crew and less of a weapons capacity than a Galaxy class ship. It needs the pod.

I don't think its smaller armament really makes a difference; it's not like these ships ever seem to use all their weapons at once. A Federation starship generally seems to rely on its main arrays on the saucer; the others are just backups to cover potential blind spots. Since the Nebula has a much more compact configuration than the Galaxy, it has fewer blind spots to cover, and therefore needs fewer arrays.

As for internal space... well, by volume, it is still the second biggest ship in the fleet (or so I understand).

[Nytok]

I don't think its smaller armament really makes a difference; it's not like these ships ever seem to use all their weapons at once. A Federation starship generally seems to rely on its main arrays on the saucer; the others are just backups to cover potential blind spots. Since the Nebula has a much more compact configuration than the Galaxy, it has fewer blind spots to cover, and therefore needs fewer arrays.

As for internal space... well, by volume, it is still the second biggest ship in the fleet (or so I understand).

Sovereign is second in size, and the Nebula's third. Also, a Nebula class vessel is extremely less defended on its bow. You have a cloaked Romulan or Klingon in the area that knows this and you'll be abandoning your ship. This is a big design danger on all Miranda type vessels. It's just more so on the Nebula class, but it makes up for it by having the same phasers as a Galaxy class. Nebula class vessels usually did travel with other ships (usually smaller ones) in the show, which makes me believe that Starfleet knew this flaw but also understood the value of the design and made sure the ships also had at least one partner in case of attack.

Almost forgot, the Nebula Class was originally designed to operate without the saucer section. This is because the Nebula class was first designed to recover saucer sections from Galaxy class vessels and assist it on it's way to a starbase or back to Earth if need be. The idea was later scrapped because the Federation was running out of resources to build more Galaxy class vessels but the Nebula class could function as a new generation of Miranda type vessels. It began to be built with saucer sections perminently attached because of unfinished Galaxy class vessels (especially during the Dominion War) and put into service and has indeed served with distinction as a Starfleet vessel.

[lokan]

Sovereign is second in size, and the Nebula's third. Also, a Nebula class vessel is extremely less defended on its bow. You have a cloaked Romulan or Klingon in the area that knows this and you'll be abandoning your ship. This is a big design danger on all Miranda type vessels. It's just more so on the Nebula class, but it makes up for it by having the same phasers as a Galaxy class. Nebula class vessels usually did travel with other ships (usually smaller ones) in the show, which makes me believe that Starfleet knew this flaw but also understood the value of the design and made sure the ships also had at least one partner in case of attack.

Ermm..how is the Nebula any more vulnerable at the bow than the Galaxy? It has the same phaser arrays, and a torpedo launcher on the secondary hull above the deflector dish.

Almost forgot, the Nebula Class was originally designed to operate without the saucer section. This is because the Nebula class was first designed to recover saucer sections from Galaxy class vessels and assist it on it's way to a starbase or back to Earth if need be. The idea was later scrapped because the Federation was running out of resources to build more Galaxy class vessels but the Nebula class could function as a new generation of Miranda type vessels. It began to be built with saucer sections perminently attached because of unfinished Galaxy class vessels (especially during the Dominion War) and put into service and has indeed served with distinction as a Starfleet vessel.

Err, this is based on what exactly? According to the dedication plaque on the USS Phoenix it was commissioned before the Enterprise. Which would seem to indicate that fully intact Nebula's were being constructed right alongside Galaxy's nearly a decade before the Dominion War.

[Nytok]

It's because of the scope of the phaser arrays. On the blueprints of a Nebula class cruiser, there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow. The only phaser arrays on the design are on the saucer section and the pylons. However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy class in a straight ahead battle.

Both the Nebula class and the Galaxy class were commissioned at the same time (2357). When The Nebula class was first being produced, It had a seperating saucer as well. However, this function was to help recover Galaxy class saucers after leaving their own at a starbase. This was because the Federation believed they had enough resources to build more Galaxy class ships than they actually did. However, when they found out that they couldn't make as many as they planned, they scrapped some in order to save resources and made them into Nebula's instead, and the Nebula's haven't had a seperating saucer since. During the Dominion War, Galaxy class vessels were still being produced. However, several more were scrapped in order to make the cheaper Nebula to send in battle which could be produced at a faster rate. I got all this from a technical manual I found while searching for starship blueprints online.

[Manx]

http://www.st-v-sw.net/STSWvolumetrics.html

You can find some nice data on ship volume here; it's not official, but it has all been worked out using known or accepted ship dimentions. Anyway, the data clearly shows that the Sovereign is much smaller than the Nebula (and slightly smaller than the Ambassador; probably the Niagara too, although that's not on the list). In fact, aside from the Galaxy, the Nebula is almost twice as big as any other Starfleet vessel listed there.

[Nytok]

http://www.st-v-sw.net/STSWvolumetrics.html

You can find some nice data on ship volume here; it's not official, but it has all been worked out using known or accepted ship dimentions. Anyway, the data clearly shows that the Sovereign is much smaller than the Nebula (and slightly smaller than the Ambassador; probably the Niagara too, although that's not on the list). In fact, aside from the Galaxy, the Nebula is almost twice as big as any other Starfleet vessel listed there.

Here's some graphic proof: http://users.bigpond.net.au/dax/starship.jpg

The Sovereign is #2 because it's a few decks shorter than the Galaxy class, but has some length on it. And apparently I was wrong about #3 (Go Ambassador class!). Not to mention that by canon fact, a Soverign class vessel is not that f**king small. And please try to find sites that use standard ship dimensions: length, beam, and height.

Sorry, I'm a bit touchy about dimensions...

[Sinclair]

I've always felt that the Nebula class design was just a little too squat, with the nacelles entirely tucked uner the primary hull. It may be very practical but it just doesnt seem like an elegant design compared to other Starfleet ships. Having the Nacelles come out of the hull like the Steamrunner or be somehow angled off the hull like the Akira would make it a little more graceful in my opinion.

I'm ready to fly it though ;)

[Manx]

OK, and now go here and check out the top view chart.

http://www.trekships.org/fleet-charts.htm

Compare the size of the saucers, Nebula/Galaxy vs Sovereign. Look at how wide the secondary hull on the Galaxy is compared to the Sovereign; the Nebula's is just as wide.

Sovereign isn't that big a ship really; it's just long. This is why volume is the best way to guage a ships size, rather than length/height/etc. That stuff can be misleading.

Anyways, I'll drop it now. Really didn't mean to argue; I just love digging nerdy stuff like this up :p

[Sumoben]

The Nebula refit, with the weapons pod, is on par, if not even more powerful than the Galaxy, in terms of offense, however still somewhat lacking in defense, other than that it has a slightly better ability to move.

[PattonJ007]

Also, a Nebula class vessel is extremely less defended on its bow. You have a cloaked Romulan or Klingon in the area that knows this and you'll be abandoning your ship. This is a big design danger on all Miranda type vessels. It's just more so on the Nebula class, but it makes up for it by having the same phasers as a Galaxy class.

It's because of the scope of the phaser arrays. On the blueprints of a Nebula class cruiser, there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow. The only phaser arrays on the design are on the saucer section and the pylons. However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy class in a straight ahead battle.

So ... which statement is correct?

You said that the Nebula Class "is less defended on its bow" and then "there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow" but then you say "However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy Class in a straight ahead battle."

...anyone else catch this?

Oh yea and to the OP ... I love the Nebula Class, I already have the name and registry for mine picked out:)

[Nytok]

OK, and now go here and check out the top view chart.

http://www.trekships.org/fleet-charts.htm

Compare the size of the saucers, Nebula/Galaxy vs Sovereign. Look at how wide the secondary hull on the Galaxy is compared to the Sovereign; the Nebula's is just as wide.

Sovereign isn't that big a ship really; it's just long. This is why volume is the best way to guage a ships size, rather than length/height/etc. That stuff can be misleading.

Anyways, I'll drop it now. Really didn't mean to argue; I just love digging nerdy stuff like this up :p

As do I. I'm touchy about details like that because I'm working on my degree for aerospace engineering. Not to mention I'm a second gen Trekkie. And I'm just a bit prejudice of the Nebula class. I can't deny that it has been one of the best ships in Starfleet, I just can't seem to like the design no matter how much I study it.

[Nytok]

The Nebula refit, with the weapons pod, is on par, if not even more powerful than the Galaxy, in terms of offense, however still somewhat lacking in defense, other than that it has a slightly better ability to move.

I can't argue with that. It's the very reason that it was so useful during both the Cardassian War and the Dominion War.

[Nytok]

So ... which statement is correct?

You said that the Nebula Class "is less defended on its bow" and then "there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow" but then you say "However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy Class in a straight ahead battle."

...anyone else catch this?

Oh yea and to the OP ... I love the Nebula Class, I already have the name and registry for mine picked out:)

When I stated "is less defended on its bow", I was referring to the entire ships offensive and defensive capabilities.

When I stated "there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow", I was referring to my examination of a labeled blueprint of the design. I was also stateing that the Nebula class had phaser arrays on the Saucer section which are the exact geometry and type as the Galaxy class's saucer's phaser array. It was because of this design feature that I stated, "However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy class in a straight ahead battle."

[MajorD]

The Nebula should be the Galaxy's counter part in the Escort and Science roles, thanks to its size and the mission pods. That way it can either be better armed than the Galaxy, or better scienced, but not both at once. Since the Nebula is smaller, if we make the assumption that its warp core is equal to the Galaxy's warp core in output, then the Nebula will have stronger shields, since it has less volume to envelope with the same amount of power available.

[PicardoManeuver]

I have been wondering what players and fans think of the Nebula Class? Is it more expensive than the galaxy class? Where does it fit in the game? Starfleet? Could this be a viable extreme deep space vessal?

I always thought of it as more of a science vessel than the Galaxy. I mean, that dish seems like a big sensor, kind of like an AWACS plane

[DragonShark]

Not getting the "less defended on its bow" allegation either. Looking at the screenshots of the ship, the Nebula has identical phasar arrays on the saucer, it has a phaser bank under the secondary hull that can fire forward, and like the Galaxy it has phaser banks on the nacelle struts that can fire forward. It also has a built-in torpedo launcher between the saucer and the secondary hull, again like the Galaxy. This is all exactly the same forward firing armament that the Galaxy class has.

The only time I have heard the claim that the Nebula class was designed to pick up Galaxy saucers was on a fansite on the Web some time ago. There's never been any canon claim to this whatsoever, and I find the idea Starfleet would build a ship like this just on the off-chance a Galaxy might lose its stardrive section to be silly. It's been quite clearly shown that a tractor beam works quite nicely for towing, even at warp speed.

The registry numbers of known Nebula class starships also clearly indicate the class predated the Galaxy class by a few years at least. NCC-60205 for the Nebula class USS Honshu, as opposed to NCC-70637 for USS Galaxy. That's 10,000 numbers right there, and Honshu wasn't even the first ship of the Nebula class.

I've always thought of the Nebula as more of a Jack of all trades type of multimission starship that could be tailored to be more mission-specific at times by the use of different pods.

[Sumoben]

Actually, due to the Nebula's ability to maneuver better in combat makes it slightly more defended than the Galaxy. Although, in terms of shield strength, that remains to be seen. However, in terms of weapon strength, the Weapons pod adds more torpedo tubes, and more armament of photon torpedoes, and extra shield generators.

[The_Sisko]

The way I see it,the Constitution-class had the Miranda-class,the Excelsior-class had the Centaur,and the Galaxy-class has the Nebula.Essentially,its the cruiser version of the Galaxy-class.
I like the design more than I like the the Galaxy-class,but for that era's starship design family,I prefer the New Orleans-Class.

The New Orleans class is so great. I love it too.

I seriously hope they put the New Orleans in the game!

[The_Sisko]

It's because of the scope of the phaser arrays. On the blueprints of a Nebula class cruiser, there are no phaser arrays that cover the bow. The only phaser arrays on the design are on the saucer section and the pylons. However this makes the design as powerful as a Galaxy class in a straight ahead battle.

You mean aft, not bow.

[takiwa]

Originally Posted by 47Wasps
The way I see it,the Constitution-class had the Miranda-class,the Excelsior-class had the Centaur,and the Galaxy-class has the Nebula.Essentially,its the cruiser version of the Galaxy-class.
I like the design more than I like the the Galaxy-class,but for that era's starship design family,I prefer the New Orleans-Class.


I think there is a pretty big difference in some of the ships listed.
The Soyuz was a planetary defense design, not even a fleet type ship, the Miranda is listed as a light/medium cruiser, and the Nebula is listed as an explorer, the Centaur however was an agile medium cruiser, designed for manueverability, there are some similarities but not in how they fit among the fleet.
Never having looked at the nebula class before today, I can say its not a bad looking ship though it looks TOO big. I think I will take a Soyuz or Miranda, and settle with that vice something that large.
Takiwa

[lokan]

I think there is a pretty big difference in some of the ships listed.
The Soyuz was a planetary defense design, not even a fleet type ship, the Miranda is listed as a light/medium cruiser, and the Nebula is listed as an explorer, the Centaur however was an agile medium cruiser, designed for manueverability, there are some similarities but not in how they fit among the fleet.
Never having looked at the nebula class before today, I can say its not a bad looking ship though it looks TOO big. I think I will take a Soyuz or Miranda, and settle with that vice something that large.
Takiwa


As an aside, I've never understood why the Soyuz is considerd a unique class...it's a Miranda variant. :mad: It'd be like giving every Nebula pod configuration a unique class name. :p

[takiwa]

As an aside, I've never understood why the Soyuz is considerd a unique class...it's a Miranda variant. It'd be like giving every Nebula pod configuration a unique class name.

Well she shares a great deal of parts with the Miranda, but seamingly since the purpose is so different and the top rear section of the saucer is so completely different I think they called it a seperate class. Look at USN Frigates or cruisers, they are different classes of frigates and cruisers but they all look very similar and have different weapons and systems loadout bias's.
Looks alone doth not a different class make.
Takiwa

[Nytok]

Not getting the "less defended on its bow" allegation either. Looking at the screenshots of the ship, the Nebula has identical phasar arrays on the saucer, it has a phaser bank under the secondary hull that can fire forward, and like the Galaxy it has phaser banks on the nacelle struts that can fire forward. It also has a built-in torpedo launcher between the saucer and the secondary hull, again like the Galaxy. This is all exactly the same forward firing armament that the Galaxy class has.

The only time I have heard the claim that the Nebula class was designed to pick up Galaxy saucers was on a fansite on the Web some time ago. There's never been any canon claim to this whatsoever, and I find the idea Starfleet would build a ship like this just on the off-chance a Galaxy might lose its stardrive section to be silly. It's been quite clearly shown that a tractor beam works quite nicely for towing, even at warp speed.

The registry numbers of known Nebula class starships also clearly indicate the class predated the Galaxy class by a few years at least. NCC-60205 for the Nebula class USS Honshu, as opposed to NCC-70637 for USS Galaxy. That's 10,000 numbers right there, and Honshu wasn't even the first ship of the Nebula class.

I've always thought of the Nebula as more of a Jack of all trades type of multimission starship that could be tailored to be more mission-specific at times by the use of different pods.

Look at schematics on the bow of the Nebula class. Trust me, a lot of things may look like phaser arrays but they aren't always what they seem. Get a good, close to cannon blueprint that's labeled and you'll see. You can find them online with a bit of digging. And I did state that there are identical phaser arrays on the Nebula's saucer and the Galaxy class (two times now!). And I also stated that this design made it equal to the Galaxy class in forward combat (and sides also). As long as the Nebula turns quick enough and you never show your a** to the enemy, then you'll crush'em. The bow is too lightly defended in offensive capabilities. It doesn't really matter against the larger ships, but at least one phaser array has to be in the rear in order to shoot some beams at smaller more maneuverable enemies who want to put their torpedoes up your warp drive.

Also, nothing about the Nebula class's design errors have been about it in games. Several good games give it some (but less than others) phaser arrays in the bow. Other games have just made it equal in 360 degree offensive capability (Star Trek Legacy).

I did read about the saucer section of the Nebula class from a Tech. Man. I found way back in the day (quite a few years ago) on the web; so honestly, I don't know how canon it actually was. But it was a Tech. Man. so they had the endorsement of the IP at least.

The pod makes the Nebula class one of the Federation's most important multimission vessels. I don't argue with the pod. The pod allows the Nebula class to change it's mission capabilities in the field making it one of the most successful Jack of all trades, and the Nebula class would be severely limited without a pod at all.

[Sumoben]

Maybe you should find out what a "Bow" of a ship is first..

httphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_(ship)

I believe you mean, the aft of the Nebula, not its Bow.

Also, if you DO mean the aft, the weapons pod houses extra shield generators that reinforce the aft and dorsal shielding, and provides some extra protection to the aft ventral shielding section.


Also, we have seen the Galaxy do some spectacular turns on screen, which means that the Nebula, with greater maneuverability should be able to do those turns, and then some, without all the "excess" bulk of the Galaxy.

I put Excess in quotes because its not really Excess, just that in the Nebula's case, it is "Excess" bulk.

[Nytok]

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO'H!

Now there's a list of people I have to apologize to.

I'm sorry:
DragonShark
PattonJ007
lokan

I did indeed mean aft or stern whenever I stated bow. Sorry for any inconveniences, misunderstandings, and bad feelings. I'm going back now and editing my posts so that they will be correct and not bulls**t.

[Nytok]

To lazy to find them all, so I'm just moving on.

Also, if you DO mean the aft, the weapons pod houses extra shield generators that reinforce the aft and dorsal shielding, and provides some extra protection to the aft ventral shielding section.


Also, we have seen the Galaxy do some spectacular turns on screen, which means that the Nebula, with greater maneuverability should be able to do those turns, and then some, without all the "excess" bulk of the Galaxy.

I put Excess in quotes because its not really Excess, just that in the Nebula's case, it is "Excess" bulk.

Not complaining about the shields. I know they can take a lot of damage. My complaint is about the armament on the stern. With the standard pod, it only has a photon torpedo launcher on the stern. It's a nice heavy weapon, but a faster lighter weapon is better at shooing away the smaller craft which present the danger of cloaked craft uncloaking behind you and all you got is a slow loading powerful torpedo that can be evaded or absorbed by enemy shields. I think the weapons pod does indeed make up for this though.

I agree it is bulk if your talking about a Nebula and it is more maneuverable than its sister class. However, a small cloak capable ship has a lot more to fear from the Galaxy class's almost 360 degrees of phaser arrays than a Nebula's about 270 degrees.

[Sumoben]

To lazy to find them all, so I'm just moving on.



Not complaining about the shields. I know they can take a lot of damage. My complaint is about the armament on the stern. With the standard pod, it only has a photon torpedo launcher on the stern. It's a nice heavy weapon, but a faster lighter weapon is better at shooing away the smaller craft which present the danger of cloaked craft uncloaking behind you and all you got is a slow loading powerful torpedo that can be evaded or absorbed by enemy shields. I think the weapons pod does indeed make up for this though.

I agree it is bulk if your talking about a Nebula and it is more maneuverable than its sister class. However, a small cloak capable ship has a lot more to fear from the Galaxy class's almost 360 degrees of phaser arrays than a Nebula's about 270 degrees.

You're considering it on a on a 2d scale. Try considering it on a 3d scale, with the Z axis. The Nebula can easily go in a diagonal direction upwards to use its forward phaser arrays to fire at targets behind the ship, or tilt downwards to fire at that same ship with its ventral phaser arrays. Sure, we don't see these tactics on screen, but in a game, its completely possible.\

In the game, you may or may not be able to see things like a Nebula with its saucer facing downwards, just so it can get a better firing arc.

[Levry]

I've always liked the Nebula myself. Sleek design, compact and manoverable. Never understoos how it was classified as a science and research vessal.

[Sumoben]

I've always liked the Nebula myself. Sleek design, compact and manoverable. Never understoos how it was classified as a science and research vessal.

Its classified as a science and research vessel because Starfleet does not build "Warships" or anything classified as a "warship".

[Nytok]

Its classified as a science and research vessel because Starfleet does not build "Warships" or anything classified as a "warship".

Very, very true. Closest they've ever come was the Defiant class.

[Nytok]

You're considering it on a on a 2d scale. Try considering it on a 3d scale, with the Z axis. The Nebula can easily go in a diagonal direction upwards to use its forward phaser arrays to fire at targets behind the ship, or tilt downwards to fire at that same ship with its ventral phaser arrays. Sure, we don't see these tactics on screen, but in a game, its completely possible.\

In the game, you may or may not be able to see things like a Nebula with its saucer facing downwards, just so it can get a better firing arc.

Have been. A lot of the Nebula class's own structure blocks the path of beams so in forward flight an enemy from varying degrees behind the ship will not be able to be hit from those phaser arrays. And the technique you stated is good, but not used a lot in games mainly cause of limitations in games which usually sticks the ship in a mock 3d environment and is actually 2d. I used the technique on Legacy though but didn't really matter because the developers went ahead and stuck some phaser arrays on the stern.

[Sumoben]

Just don't underestimate Cryptic's ability to be groundbreaking and surprising. :D

[Nytok]

Just don't underestimate Cryptic's ability to be groundbreaking and surprising. :D

Never been underestimating Cryptic. I was just going by the other ST games I've played. I believe that Cryptic is going to give us a truly good game. I just hope I'll be able to warp while in a system so I can do the Picard maneuver and come up with some of my own. I like using the warp drive while in combat.

P.S. Cryptic's ship customization will truly fix any problem about rear defenses on the Nebula class.

[Sumoben]

Never been underestimating Cryptic. I was just going by the other ST games I've played. I believe that Cryptic is going to give us a truly good game. I just hope I'll be able to warp while in a system so I can do the Picard maneuver and come up with some of my own. I like using the warp drive while in combat.

Majority of the older games were made by Activision... =/

[Nytok]

Majority of the older games were made by Activision... =/

Wasn't saying they weren't good. But there haven't been that many really, really good games in my opinion. I loved Star Trek Starfleet Command 3 though.

If you weren't defending them... I understand.

[Sumoben]

Well, we also can't forget, that the Nebula isn't really meant to go out alone, specifically during wartime.. Including the rest of the larger ships in the fleet. During wartime, they're usually supported by smaller ships, or.. they were ambushed on a science or diplomatic mission, or something.

[Nytok]

Well, we also can't forget, that the Nebula isn't really meant to go out alone, specifically during wartime.. Including the rest of the larger ships in the fleet. During wartime, they're usually supported by smaller ships, or.. they were ambushed on a science or diplomatic mission, or something.

Maybe I should just let you summarize my points. I know a few people would probably be happy about that :D.

[Manta2015]

The Nebula is one of the largest ships for the 24th Century aside from the Galaxy or Sovereign. Sure it's not the longest, but aside from the connecting neck-section of the Galaxy, it's pretty much the same size.


This site has good size comparisons to other main ships ~ Though not entirely accurate (saber among others waaay off in size) the Nebula is where it should be. It's huuuge =)

http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleetfront.jpg
http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleettop.jpg

http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleet.html


-Manta-

[Nytok]

The Nebula is one of the largest ships for the 24th Century aside from the Galaxy or Sovereign. Sure it's not the longest, but aside from the connecting neck-section of the Galaxy, it's pretty much the same size.


This site has good size comparisons to other main ships ~ Though not entirely accurate (saber among others waaay off in size) the Nebula is where it should be. It's huuuge =)

http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleetfront.jpg
http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleettop.jpg

http://www.strekschematics.utvinternet.com/fleetchart/mainfleet/mainfleet.html


-Manta-

Since it came up again, I better finish it. The debate over size of ships on this thread is divided into two schools of thought. There's my way, which compares ships by the number of decks and is the standard way to do it on Naval seafaring vessels (particularly U.S. Navy). And then what seems to be everyone else is the volume of the ships. In volume, Nebula is second. In decks, the Sovereign is second. Anyone reading this can go by what they want. I'm not going to be debating this anymore.

P.S. Nice pics. I found them a bit ago but I never downloaded them. Thanks.

[Ruzzell]

Since it came up again, I better finish it. The debate over size of ships on this thread is divided into two schools of thought. There's my way, which compares ships by the number of decks and is the standard way to do it on Naval seafaring vessels (particularly U.S. Navy). And then what seems to be everyone else is the volume of the ships. In volume, Nebula is second. In decks, the Sovereign is second. Anyone reading this can go by what they want. I'm not going to be debating this anymore.

P.S. Nice pics. I found them a bit ago but I never downloaded them. Thanks.

Very true. Gotta look at a few things though, like the design of the ship, where can things be put, the interiors of the ship are configured in certain ways, how big are the cargo holds? How space is wasted by poor design? For example Module A can be 42'X50'X10' square. I might not be able to put it in my cargo hold even if I have 21000 cubic feet of space.

[The.Grand.Nagus]

I have been wondering what players and fans think of the Nebula Class?

General ship discussion goes here:

http://forums.startrekonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

Is it more expensive than the galaxy class?

If by "expensive" you mean "resource intensive", then yes.

Where does it fit in the game?

The Nebula class can fill the role of a battlecruiser(by reference, the Galaxy would be a dreadnaught or battleship).

Starfleet?

...Um, where else? The Klingon Empire?

Could this be a viable extreme deep space vessal?

Sadly, the writers of Voyager made it clear that even a light cruiser can be a viable "extreme deep space vessel".

[Ruzzell]

Sadly, the writers of Voyager made it clear that even a light cruiser can be a viable "extreme deep space vessel".

Umm, go back into your video library and watch Season one, Episode one. Janeway clearly states that Voyager (an thus the intrepid class) was designed for deep space. Several features in the ship's designs are deep space designs.

Do you remember the episode where voyager encountered another federation ship, that were using those lifeforms as fuel? The captain of that ship also commented about Voyagers size and strength. Also size wise Voyager was just as big as most of the ships it came into contact with. Comparing it to the Galaxy and then calling it a light cruiser is unfair because of the mass size of the galaxy, just because it wasn't that big doesn't mean it wasn't big.

[The.Grand.Nagus]

Comparing it to the Galaxy and then calling it a light cruiser is unfair because of the mass size of the galaxy, just because it wasn't that big doesn't mean it wasn't big.

Here is a pretty accurate progression of size in Starfleet ships:

Saber(frigate)<Intrepid(light cruiser)<Akira(heavy cruiser)<Galaxy/Sovereign(dreadnaught)

And here is a visual:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/dax/starship.jpg

The intrepid is only bigger than frigates. The Excelsior, Akira, Nebula, Ambassador, etc, etc, are all bigger than it is.

[Manta2015]

Saber(frigate)<Intrepid(light cruiser)<Akira(heavy cruiser)<Galaxy/Sovereign(dreadnaught)


These terms have often been shown to mean nothing in federation terms, and since ships continue to increase in size, designations change as well. I personally find discussing the differences pointless ~

Lets talk about the Nebula again and how it goes down to only four phaser blasts from a Prometheus in separation mode :D :D

Make sure you turn down the volume, the music is god awful :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGH9Q_6JX_c


-Manta-

[Manx]

These terms have often been shown to mean nothing in federation terms, and since ships continue to increase in size, designations change as well. I personally find discussing the differences pointless ~

Lets talk about the Nebula again and how it goes down to only four phaser blasts from a Prometheus in separation mode :D :D

Make sure you turn down the volume, the music is god awful :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGH9Q_6JX_c


-Manta-

Cool vid; although, you're right, the music does suck :D

There was actually a discussion about the Promy taking down the Nebula so easily in one of the numerous 'which ship is best?' threads in the ST Universe section. A plausible explanation was offered; the Promy is supposed to be the fastest ship in the fleet, so for the Nebula to catch it, it was probably pouring all its availiable power into the engines.

Just speculation of course.

[CaptXpendable]

These terms have often been shown to mean nothing in federation terms, and since ships continue to increase in size, designations change as well. I personally find discussing the differences pointless ~

Lets talk about the Nebula again and how it goes down to only four phaser blasts from a Prometheus in separation mode :D :D

Make sure you turn down the volume, the music is god awful :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGH9Q_6JX_c


-Manta-

I don't know about selling a Prometheus, but that vid did makes me want to see "Message in a bottle" again.
Cool vid; although, you're right, the music does suck :D

There was actually a discussion about the Promy taking down the Nebula so easily in one of the numerous 'which ship is best?' threads in the ST Universe section. A plausible explanation was offered; the Promy is supposed to be the fastest ship in the fleet, so for the Nebula to catch it, it was probably pouring all its availiable power into the engines.

Just speculation of course.
I would hope though, that by 2409 the Nebula would have been upgraded so that it's not so easily pimp-slapped.
Game mechanics wise, I would expect a tactical ship like the Promy to have an advantage, but not that much of one.

[Manta2015]

My only realistic explanation to why the Nebula fell so quickly (aside from bad writing) is they had all their shields directed towards the front. Since during separation, the incompetent captain didn't rotate shields quick enough, the rear was open to only a couple hits, and it was finished.

I agree, hopefully the future Nebula won't get taken down so easily ~ it's a beast of a ship imo, and has the STO trademark interchangeable / customizable module =)

Here's that first (and nice) beauty shot of a Nebula on the big screen at 1:33

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2S_YtLSSgI&fmt=18


-Manta-

[Nytok]

If by "expensive" you mean "resource intensive", then yes.

How is it more resource intensive than the Galaxy class? Seriously?

[DragonShark]

How is it more resource intensive than the Galaxy class? Seriously?

It's not. That's why there are a lot more of them than the Galaxy class. But it's still a very heavy user of resources.

I did read about the saucer section of the Nebula class from a Tech. Man. I found way back in the day (quite a few years ago) on the web; so honestly, I don't know how canon it actually was. But it was a Tech. Man. so they had the endorsement of the IP at least.

The only TNG era tech manuals that have IP endorsement are the TNG and DS9 Tech Manuals, the first written by Okuda and Sternbach and the second by Zimmerman, Sternbach, and Drexler. These are actual books, not web sites, though Memory Alpha and Ex Astris Scientia both contain a lot of information from them. Neither tech manual mentions anything about the Nebula being used to collect stray Galaxy saucers. The design parameters listed for the Galaxy class at the beginning of the TNG Tech Manual make mention that the ship will supplement other already existing classes, one of which is the Nebula class.

Well, we also can't forget, that the Nebula isn't really meant to go out alone, specifically during wartime.. Including the rest of the larger ships in the fleet. During wartime, they're usually supported by smaller ships, or.. they were ambushed on a science or diplomatic mission, or something.

I don't think that assessment is supported. The Phoenix was doing just fine against the Cardassians in the episode "The Wounded".

[Wildfire30]

The Nebbies make good weapons platforms. The federation doesn't normally keep ships around unless they are useful. Also, during wartime most vessels would probably be refitted at some point in time. The Nebula is probably one that got wartime refits. As far as being more resource intensive to produce than a galaxy, probably not. The Galaxy is larger meaning more resources are used to build it. Makes sense I think.....