New Ship Design from Players?

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Sat May 23, 2009 3:12 pm

Hi - I am new to federation Commander and I like to modify miniatures. Is there a ship design tool or SSD creator for unofficial ships so that I might use my designs in my non-FC-sanctioned games?

For example, I need a Federation Hospital ship ( I have a micro-machines STTNG hospital ship miniature ) for a scenario I'm thinking about. Also, having seen the latest Star Trek movie this month, I want to design a Colony Support Ship based on the USS Kelvin's ship configuration. I plan to invert the plastic Zocchi Federation Dreadnought ship, remove the two outboard nacelles, and reclassify that mod as the new ship.

HeyRandy · Post by **HeyRandy** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:10 pm

I am a newbie too but I'd like to take a stab at this as I have just posted a similar question.

First, I was excited to see in the new Briefing #2 The Middle Years was a hospital ship uses an old Light cruiser hull. You could use this card for your new mini.

I also have a variety of miniatures made in the 80's for another game system that are of the same scale. Initially, I thought of making new cards for them but now I think the smart approach is to try and integrate the ships into existing class types. I plan to make small changes as I run games with them.

The number of cards currently available from ADB is fantastic and they've done most of the work already by playtesting them. I hope this is of some help with your plans to use your miniatures in the game.

Good luck and have fun!

Post by **Steve Cole** » Sat May 23, 2009 5:01 pm

We really don't have an SSD creator, and don't seem to need one, not with 15,000 SFB SSDs all over internet that people created on their own.

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Sat May 23, 2009 6:16 pm

I'll just make my own then. Looking forward to playing some games! Thanks for the replies.

DorianGray · Post by **DorianGray** » Sun May 24, 2009 12:26 am

The USS Kelvin from the movie could be done quickly with just an added part to the top of the hull to a Saladin class.

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Sun May 24, 2009 1:08 am

DorianGray wrote:The USS Kelvin from the movie could be done quickly with just an added part to the top of the hull to a Saladin class.

I agree - I was thinking the engineering section and pylon of a plastic Zocchi CA Heavy Cruiser would do nicely for the above mod.

To be a perfectionist, you would need to cut the engineering section just forward of the shuttle bay doors, then rotate the resulting small end piece with the shuttle doors 180 degrees and re-attach to engineering hull that is now located above the saucer.

Getting back to original topic, does anyone know of a link to an SSD that is a close or partial match for a hospital ship that would fit the STTNG hospital ship here:

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/mediaview?id=13374

...and another SSD for a single nacelle ship with an engineering hull <similar to USS Kelven in the latest ST film>?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun May 24, 2009 3:36 am

From the looks of that hull, the light transport tug would probably do. The pod would be the medical section.

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Sun May 24, 2009 3:50 am

Mike wrote:From the looks of that hull, the light transport tug would probably do. The pod would be the medical section.

That's a great idea for the hospital ship. The light tactical transport fits the layout. All cargo boxes could be medical bays. Now - about the weapons...would the Federation allow weapons to be fitted to a medical vessel? Maybe it keeps the weapons but may only fire in self-defense at targets that shoot at the hospital ship first?

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sun May 24, 2009 4:29 am

iirc the CLH only had ph-3s.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun May 24, 2009 7:34 pm

True, the CLH only has Ph-3's. Anything larger than a Ph-3 on the LTT could be replaced with Ph-3's.

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Sun May 24, 2009 10:57 pm

I will change the two PH-1 boxes on the LTT SSD to LAB boxes when using that SSD for the hospital ship. That leaves a single 360 arc PH-3 on-board. Thanks for the suggestions - now to find an SSD for a Fed ship that has only one engine nacelle and one engineering hull...

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Mon May 25, 2009 2:22 am

The Middle Years hospital ship is based on the hull of an old light cruiser and has four Ph-3's. Removing those Ph-1's and replacing them with lab might be disarming the LTT a little too much. Is there anything else that could be transformed into lab boxes instead of the two Ph-1's?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Mon May 25, 2009 2:27 am

If you really want the over-under look of the Kelvin, how about taking a regular Fed CA and removing one of its engine nacelles from the SSD? Change all the photons and the forward Ph-1's to labs, and change the other Ph-1's to Ph-3's. Perhaps increase the number of shuttles to eight.

Maybe basing it on a frigate hull would be better. Remove one nacelle, replace the photons and the forward Ph-1 with labs and make the other Ph-1's into Ph-3's. Also double the number of shuttles.

Or a similar scheme could be applied to a NCL.

gcrutch · Post by **gcrutch** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:34 am

Mike wrote:The Middle Years hospital ship is based on the hull of an old light cruiser and has four Ph-3's. Removing those Ph-1's and replacing them with lab might be disarming the LTT a little too much. Is there anything else that could be transformed into lab boxes instead of the two Ph-1's?

Or I could use the Fed Light Tactical Transport SSD "as-is" and interpret all cargo boxes to be medical bays.

As far as the "Kelvin-like" SSD, I think the Fed CA SSD minus one nacelle, a downgrade of some weapons, and more shuttles as you suggested, would fit the role of "Exploration Cruiser" nicely.