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[Slayven]

Ever new thing I see about the show gets me more excited for it. Just wish it wasn't locked behind CBS' fuckery

I'll watch it, and truly hope I am wrong, but personally, looking more forward to Orville.

Da Hell, you want to see Seth recycle the same jokes again?

 

[Pluto]

It just doesn't fit the era it's meant to fit. There's too many design elements which weren't NX and which didn't fit into subsequent designs. If you're making a point of making a show between two fixed points in time you really should pay attention to the preceding and subsequent points.

How does it not fit the era? We know almost nothing about federation starship design of that era, we've seen the constitution class and that's it and by the time of The Cage the Enterprise was already supposed to be an older ship with a history.
Discovery could easily be 20 years older or younger than the constitution class to explain the differences and let's be honest, starfleet changes its design elements all the time. Look at the movie era, connie refit, exclesior and oberth all have completely different nacelles, saucer shapes, secondary hulls.
It's the same in the 24th century, the enterprise d, defiant, voyager and enterprise e were all build within a few years and look nothing alike (and excelsiors, oberths and mirandas are still flying making them contemporaries of 24th century ships too).

The NX was more rounded, and the original connie didn't have any real angular features. This has it's own aesthetic which seems to be a complete design cul de sac from what came before and after.

So what? There isn't always a clear evolution in design, B doesn't have to look like an intermediate step between A and C.
I mentioned the Oberth class above, how does that fit the designs that came before and after?

Let's look at some Volkswagens:

1960s:

1990s:

2010s:

Does the middle one look like it fits between the others? Not really, it still happened.

 

[Sloane]

Let's look at some Volkswagens:

1960s:

1990s:

2010s:

Does the middle one look like it fits between the others? Not really, it still happened.

That's not the same model though. It's more like this:

 

[brian577]

How does it not fit the era? We know almost nothing about federation starship design of that era, we've seen the constitution class and that's it and by the time of The Cage the Enterprise was already supposed to be an older ship with a history.
Discovery could easily be 20 years older or younger than the constitution class to explain the differences and let's be honest, starfleet changes its design elements all the time. Look at the movie era, connie refit, exclesior and oberth all have completely different nacelles, saucer shapes, secondary hulls.
It's the same in the 24th century, the enterprise d, defiant, voyager and enterprise e were all build within a few years and look nothing alike (and excelsiors, oberths and mirandas are still flying making them contemporaries of 24th century ships too).



So what? There isn't always a clear evolution in design, B doesn't have to look like an intermediate step between A and C.
I mentioned the Oberth class above, how does that fit the designs that came before and after?

Let's look at some Volkswagens:

1960s:

1990s:

2010s:

Does the middle one look like it fits between the others? Not really, it still happened.

The Intrepid looks perfectly at home among other 24th century designs. The Sovereign and Defiant classes are both post Wolf 359 designs built to combat enemies like the Borg

 

[Himynameischris]

Well...the Discover looks old...maybe it's what inspires the design of the Enterprise?

 

[Mivey]

Well...the Discover looks old...maybe it's what inspires the design of the Enterprise?

Maybe in the sense of "Wow, we fucked that one up. Let's bury the designs and never make another atrocity like that".

 

[Pluto]

That's not the same model though.

Doesn't matter, it's still cars made by the same company. It's not like people care what "model" the starfleet ships are, if it doesn't fit a preconceived look it's assumed to be wrong.

And I obviously picked the cars on purpose, the old and new beetle resemble each other, with the new one being an intentional callback to the old one. People who have only seen those two probably wouldn't expect a completely different looking car in between but that doesn't make it wrong. Many of the complaints people have could be applied to the Volkswagens too, the middle one lacks roundness, no cute bug lights, why so many doors, a complete design cut de sac from what came before and after etc.

 

[kmag]

How does it not fit the era? We know almost nothing about federation starship design of that era, we've seen the constitution class and that's it and by the time of The Cage the Enterprise was already supposed to be an older ship with a history.
Discovery could easily be 20 years older or younger than the constitution class to explain the differences and let's be honest, starfleet changes its design elements all the time. Look at the movie era, connie refit, exclesior and oberth all have completely different nacelles, saucer shapes, secondary hulls.
It's the same in the 24th century, the enterprise d, defiant, voyager and enterprise e were all build within a few years and look nothing alike (and excelsiors, oberths and mirandas are still flying making them contemporaries of 24th century ships too).



So what? There isn't always a clear evolution in design, B doesn't have to look like an intermediate step between A and C.
I mentioned the Oberth class above, how does that fit the designs that came before and after?

Let's look at some Volkswagens:

1960s:

1990s:

2010s:

Does the middle one look like it fits between the others? Not really, it still happened.

You're comparing a beetle with a estate car.

1960's

1980's

Look at military vehicles, there's almost always a direct linage to previous designs, because military production is fundamentally an iterative process. Sure you have outliers like the Nighthawk although that unique design is fundamental determined by the stealth requirements and the limitations of the technology at the time, but even stuff the like Zumwalt is extending the more angular aesthetic of the Arleigh Burke which itself is a clear iteration on the Kidd.

The Discovery is a strangely boxy design compared to the NX and the Constitution class. The deflector looks like something which fits in with the Excelsior, the bussard design is odd, and the saucer design seems a step back from the NX, and seems functionally useless. The Shenzhou more naturally fits the aesthetic.
.
The Oberth is and always has been a fundamentally stupid design (how do people get from the saucer to the secondary hull? Through the nacelles?)

 

[obin_gam]

Do we know what class the Discovery is?

 

[sammex]

I'm not sure how this fits with the canon but maybe the Discovery is the last of its line? Like betamax vs vhs and this is the last betamax ship before they discontinued it.

 

[Walshicus]

The Oberth only makes sense if you accept the lower hull is just cargo. There are a number of fan designs which use that modularity quite well.

 

[Captain Skeleton]

Do we know what class the Discovery is?

Probably a Discovery Class.

 

[Pagusas]

I love how all the cars used to help show comparable design trends are also ugly as sin.

Lets all just be honest with each other, this is the worst looking star ship to ever headline a star trek series.

Its just bad, we dont need to make excuses or reasons for why its bad, sometimes things are just bad in life.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

The Voyager is still uglier than this is.

This has some fucking great looking unis though.

I might go so far as to say maybe the best any series has had.

 

[The Elite]

Being a tailor in the Star Trek universe really is the way to go.

 

[Busty]

Ship looks massive.

It looks a pizza cutter which is giving my conflicted feelings about it.

 

[Captain Skeleton]

It looks a pizza cutter which is giving my conflicted feelings about it.

Most do.

 

[s_mirage]

Ship looks massive.

I still think this thing looks butt ugly. In addition, it looks like it could have one of problems that ILM criticised the Ent-D for: it only looks good from a few angles. From what we've been shown, it's going to look like ass from side on, and possibly from in front or behind too (AFAIK, they haven't shown these angles at all since the teaser, and all the shots except the top down shot have been angled from below)

 

[Kai Dracon]

Everything about the ship's design, hull material, and coloring makes me think it's a test vehicle for technology, like a prototype spaceframe from Utopia Planitia that was never meant to be taken into deep space.

It would fit with the general impression that the show is about some kind of intelligence mission.

 

[kmag]

What possible function does the saucer design have? On the face of it seems bizarrely silly. Even separation doesn't work due to how the 3 sections connect to the neck.

 

[Kai Dracon]

What possible function does the saucer design have? On the face of it seems bizarrely silly. Even separation doesn't work due to how the 3 sections connect to the neck.

That's why this thing looks like a raw prototype to me. The saucer makes me think of testing for a larger saucer section compared to the NX, where a bigger module is temporarily fixed around the circumference of the original saucer.

 

[aHebrewMenagerie]

I don't think it looks bad at all, my only criticism is that I wish the pylons for the nacelles tapered up like traditional Federation design

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

I'm not conflicted. I don't like it at all. The gap in the saucer section, the ridiculouslying nacelles, the lack of pylons. It barely looks like a Starfleet ship.

 

[The Elite]

Sometimes you get assigned to the ugly ship.

It's got character. I will give it that.

 

[JeffZero]

It's an ugly ship but I still like it anyway. Character is a good word for it. I definitely don't look at the Discovery and think "generic."

 

[BrokenFiction]

I need to see it in action, but leaning towards ugly.

 

[Morts]

I'm hopeful we get a new trailer out of Comic Con.

 

[farscape82]

I really like how the ship looks from above. The other pics are rather meh.

 

[AlStrong]

It looks a pizza cutter which is giving my conflicted feelings about it.

"Captain, they have what appears to be some sort of shielding that resembles 20th Century Pizza."

"Ramming speed!"

It does kinda look like the outer disc could spin independently though.

 

[whyamihere]

I'm hopeful we get a new trailer out of Comic Con.

I'm pretty confident we will. It's Comic Con, after all.

 

[Kevin]

It sounded like they are going to have a LOT of new Discovery content at Comic Con. The panel has all the actors and what not and I am pretty sure they mentioned we would be getting a lot more details and new footage.

This is likely going to be the time to really start promoting the show since it airs in just over 2 months. Surprised they waited as long as they did really. So I'm expecting a lot of cool content.

 

[BrokenFiction]

Cool close ups by Lucasfilm's (yep) own Justin Bolger:

 

[JeffZero]

Looks fantastic.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

I really like how the ship looks from above. The other pics are rather meh.

Huhhhhhhh

it kinda looks like a retrofitted Bird of Prey with a saucer attached. Wonder if this was a joint Starfleet-Klingon ship designed to take on the Ancient Klingons.

 

[CorrisD]

Ship looks massive.

Think I would throw it in the same group as the Prometheus class from Stargate, sinfully ugly, the Daedalus however was glorious.

 

[Himynameischris]

Huhhhhhhh

it kinda looks like a retrofitted Bird of Prey with a saucer attached. Wonder if this was a joint Starfleet-Klingon ship designed to take on the Ancient Klingons.

Weren't the Federation and Klingons in a "Cold War" at that time?

 

[Woorloog]

The ship looks cool and interesting. Retro, but that is not a bad thing. Mixed geometric shapes looks nice. And apparently it is kinda gold? Very nice.

I do wonder if the series will be good though...

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

As iconic as it is, I still think the Enterprise D is an ugly ship.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

That's because Enterprise D IS an ugly ship.

C was the last ship in that line to look good.

 

[JeffZero]

Bobby preaching the gospel message up in this.

 

[Himynameischris]

Yeah the C is awesome, with the A being my favorite.

 

[aHebrewMenagerie]

Enterprise-A will forever be the GOAT starship design, the Enterprise-E ain't no slouch either

 

[JeffZero]

Interesting quote regarding the Klingon Torchbearer:

From the plaque next to it, we know a bit more about Klingon culture in Discovery's era. The Torchbearer suit is both armor and an EV suit—which the full face helmet makes a bit of sense for. Apparently this version of the suit is ”worn only by a warrior chosen through a sacred ritual" and Torchbearers can ”sound The Call for all houses to unite by activating a ceremonial obelisk." We know that uniting the houses is the goal of T'Kuvma, so I wonder if we will see him don this armor.

Also, a little bit further into the article, regarding T'Kuvma:

The outfit's plaque goes further into T'Kuvma's motives, saying he ”seeks to unite the 24 great Klingon houses to halt the encroachment of others." ”Others" has to be the Federation, right? I guess it could be Romulans. or some other foe for both Starfleet and the Klingons to worry about.

 

[Himynameischris]

So does this confirm that they are normal Klingons and not some ancient offshoot?

 

[JeffZero]

Nah, I'm pretty sure they are in fact gonna be some ancient gig. Could be wrong, but yeah. I edited my post for clarity; I realize now that my quoting kinda makes it seem otherwise.

 

[Effect]

Hmm. I have to actually agree and join in on this. I don't think I've ever liked how the Enterprise D looked. I just got so used to it that it didn't annoy me. Thinking back I remember really liking the Enterprise E a good bit. I remember liking the C and B as well. Motion Picture Enterprise and A are still my favorites I think. I don't care for TOS Enterprise that much though. I know it's space and shape really doesn't matter but the saucer section of D was way to big compared to the rest of the ship.

 

[Himynameischris]

The plaque explains that these aren’t based on TOS-style Klingons, but the “ornate, re-imagined” weapons are based on the films and The Next Generation’s Klingons. Which makes sense, even though Discovery takes place before the original series, Star Trek has always—save a throwaway line in things like Deep Space Nine’s “Trials and Tribble-ations”—just pretended that the ridge-headed Klingons from TNG are what they’ve always looked like.

either someone didn't watch Enterprise or is actively blocking it from their memory

Nah, I'm pretty sure they are in fact gonna be some ancient gig. Could be wrong, but yeah. I edited my post for clarity; I realize now that my quoting kinda makes it seem otherwise.

Ah ok, I hope they go that route and show TOS style Klingons, I think it'd be hilarious

 

[Morts]

As iconic as it is, I still think the Enterprise D is an ugly ship.

I didn't really like it until they figured out what angles worked for it in DS9.

My only real beef with the Discovery is it's too similar to the NX/Akira/Franklin.

 

[CorrisD]

Nah, I'm pretty sure they are in fact gonna be some ancient gig. Could be wrong, but yeah. I edited my post for clarity; I realize now that my quoting kinda makes it seem otherwise.

It's the only way I see it working.

They've either decided to ignore TOS klingons which is then ignoring the first series this show is based on when there has been references to them and then an in-universe explanation for. Or these are how they think Klingons should now look, which then ignores how the Klingons have looked for near 40 years.

So yea, I hope these are an ancient Klingon race or something along those lines and haven't decided to go against 50+ years of Star Trek just because.

 

[sammex]

Sarcophagi usually imply something ancient. I think that's a big clue. These are from the end of last year so maybe they could've changed but I think the whole ancient Klingons will be true. Probably wake up from some sort of stasis.