Posted by Rear Admiral Sarah Hemenway (Engineering Director) in SPEC FOR REVIEW: Hero Class by Kirt Gartner
HERO-CLASS
CATEGORY: EXPLORER
VARIANT: HEAVY
DESIGNER: Kirt Gartner
Mark I
Draft 1
DATE: 21 February 2019

History And Mission Overview

In the aftermath of the battle of Wolf 359 the Mariner class cruisers were given an emergency refit to modern specs to fill the gap of lost ships. However, at the end of this refit it was realized the now Kearsarge class was reaching the end of its useful lifespan, thus a replacement cruiser was requested by Star-Fleets exploration command and colonial divisions in 2367. Thus by 2370 design and field production of the Hero class was begun.

By 2373 eight of these mid-sized explorers were completed but due to wartime constraints no further ships were constructed. It was during the second battle of Chin’toka that these ships proved their worth in the war effort by being easy to maintain, repair, and showed their durability. Although during this battle four of the eight ships were lost to the Breen Energy Dissipator weapon, the fast turnaround of repairs for the remaining four convinced Star-fleet to begin plans for a refit and a continued production. However, before the refit renewed production could begin the Dominion war ended in 2375.

Finally, in 2376 the four surviving ships of the class were called into drydock for extensive refit and a requisition put out for a further nine ships of the class to these new standards. By 2379 shortly after the battle of the Bassen Rift refit and construction of the now 13 Hero class explorers was completed. This class once regulated to secondary patrols and missions within Federation space now became a rugged explorer ready to tackle a variety of exploration and other support functions.

I have an issue with continuity of design and purpose here. You state in the opening paragraph that this ship is supposed to be a replacement for the Kearsarge-class, which is/was (forgot, nobody’s using it anymore) a medium cruiser. That’s a different hull size and equipment allowance than an Explorer (per MNP and Milwaukee Plan) by a huge factor. A ship designed as a Cruiser is at least 1/3 smaller than an Explorer. How would you even manage an overhaul of that kind of proportion? Why would an extensive upgrade into a different crew and equipment rating be considered appropriate for a vessel designed as a Cruiser in the first place? It’s a lot of logic to simply do a wave of a hand to explain away. If it started out as an Explorer (i.e. large general purpose vessel) instead of a Cruiser (mid-size general purpose vessel), I might be okay with it, but as of now, there’s an issue with continuity here.

Mission Profiles

This all lines up with general use descriptions.

Structure And Construction

The hull of the Hero Class is made of a 50/50 Duranium-tritanium composite mix superstructure. With 2.0cm of Rodium armor plating along its entire hull.

That’s a sentence fragment. I’m guessing that’s a typo instead of a deliberate choice.

<SNIP> I have a good idea of how the ship looks. You may want to give a more specific description of where, exactly, the mission module is mounted on the stardrive section. Also, you may want to consider calling the lower hull something different, given that both parts of the hull are warp capable.

Saucer Separation
The Hero Class is capable of saucer separation with both sections capable of warp travel. Separation occurs between decks 15 and 16 within two minutes of the order given by the ship’s commanding officer.

The wording here feels a little awkward. Maybe separate the first sentence into two independent phrases. I definitely think that the second sentence would be better off if you phrased it along the lines of, “The separation occurs between deck 15 and deck 16. The separation sequence takes two minutes from initiation to completion.” At the moment, it’s like you’ve got the details present, but in a vague fashion, if that makes any sense.

Mission Modules

<SNIP> This mostly looks in spec, with a small stylistic nitpick.

Expanded Weapons Module - This module contains two more Type-6 burst fire torpedo launchers with 50 casings each made up of either photon or quantum torpedoes. It also contains two Type-10 phaser arrays on the dorsal side of the module to port and starboard containing 20 emitters each. It also contains 4 fusion reactors and crew rooms for supporting and manning the module.

You used, “It also,” twice. :) Otherwise, good description.
<SNIP>

Computer and Network Systems

The Hero comes equipped with two computer cores. Both cores for ease of maintenance are made of up isolinear network and data storage chips. The primary core is located on decks 5 through 8 within the star drive section’s neck. The secondary core is located on decks 18 through 21 in the saucer section.

Methinks you confused which section is the star drive, and which section is the saucer, unless I totally read your initial hull design incorrectly.

The Hero class makes use of the LCARS OS and MAJEL interface, as is standard throughout the fleet.

Emphasized section is redundant.

Sensor Systems

Per SSSF (I know, I know, it’s going away, but still), this is supposed to be “Science And Remote Sensing Systems”.

The Hero class is equipped with the Type-10 sensor system. It has a maximum high resolution range of 5 light years and a low resolution range of 17 light years.

That’s all that really needs to be in here unless you have any specialized scientific equipment not covered under your laboratory descriptions.

The ship’s main deflector dish is located on decks 30 through 33 in a circular shaped inset. The Hero class has a secondary deflector dish set on the forward section of Deck 15, it is small and rectangular in shape and is only used when the saucer is separated from the stardrive section, allowing the saucer to be able to travel at warp.

This goes in the Tactical Systems section.

Warp Propulsion Systems

The Hero class makes use of two Class-9 warp cores. The system has a max Cochrane output of 3,053+ a cruising speed of warp 7.0 a maximum sustainable speed of warp 9.6, a 12 hour maximum velocity of warp 9.975 and an emergency speed of 9.985 for six hours.

Glad you didn’t hot rod this just because you could.

Both cores feed the ship’s four nacelles during normal operations, and both sections during saucer separation.

Wow, that’s some crazy quantum mechanics going on there. You managed to have a warp core power nacelles to which said core has no physical connection. :P You just need to reword this to say that one core powers each pair of nacelles.

During seperation the emergency speed is reduced by half to 3 hours.

Any particular reason for this other than that you’re not combining the power of two warp systems? Separation equals a reduction in mass, and therefore a reduction in overall power needs for emergency speeds.

The saucer core is located on decks 2 and 3 ejected out the top of the aft section of the saucer in an emergency. While the star drive’s core is located in decks 32 and 33 near the centerline of the ship ejected out the bottom in an emergency.

I’m seeing some grammar issues here that need to be cleaned up. That’s for a later review, I think. I do have to ask this from a practical stand point - why in the Federation are you putting a warp core and all of the requisite volatile components (anti-matter, hydrogen, and bio-reactive coolant come to mind) directly underneath the central command structure of the vessel, and so close to the surface of the ship? It seems like a major weakness for any vessel. The same concern re: proximity to the outer portion of the vehicle is present for the secondary warp core et al.

Impulse Propulsion Systems
The Hero class houses three impulse engines. One dual injector engine is located on the saucer on decks 2 and 3 along the center aft line, while the second and third engines are located on the underside of the star drive section on decks 32 and 33.

Once again, why all of the power plants right underneath the bridge?

Together these three engines propel the ship while joined to a maximum thrust of .25c in 50 seconds and to a stop in that same time. When separated the saucer can accelerate to .25c in one minute and 15 seconds, while the stardrive accelerates to .25c in an even minute.

I’d be inclined to keep all the units the same. 50 seconds, 75 seconds, and 60 seconds.

Similar to what would be later found on the Mythology class the Hero class contains extended fusion reactors for stronger power supply, fuel processing and storage for extended missions.

Okay, that was something I was curious about regarding this design, i.e., why do we need it when we already have the Viking and the Mythology (says the man who made the Olinski when we had the Maverick and the Mjolnir, I know, but still). Establishing it as a predecessor has a certain amount of sense to it.

Tactical Systems

Defensive Shields
The Hero class originally mounted a Type-9 shield system, but during the post-war refit this was upgraded to the Type 10 shield system, with integrated metaphasic shield programming as standard.

This is a run-on sentence.
<SNIP>

Phaser Systems

<SNIP> This all works

Torpedo Systems
The Hero class originally mounted two Type-5 burst fire torpedo launchers forward and aft on deck 30 below the main deflector dish and above the star drive impulse engines, but with the refit this system was upgraded to the newer Type-6. Each launcher is capable of firing up to 12 torpedoes every 8 seconds.

Any reason that the saucer section doesn’t have a torpedo system?
<SNIP>

Command And Support Systems
Main Bridge
The Hero class’s main bridge is located on the middle sections of deck 1; arranged in an angular triangle shape.

Comma, not a semicolon.
<SNIP> I’m not seeing any issues with the description or the Secondary Bridge.
<SNIP> Everything I cut looks passable.

Science Labs
Located on the entirety of deck 17 of the star drive are the Hero class’s assorted science labs. The class comes equipped with two general science labs, two cybernetics, two robotics, two chemistry, two planetary biology and a single botany, astrometrics and stellar cartography lab.

Botany, astrometrics, and stellar cartography all in the same laboratory? Will wonders never cease. Honestly, you would be better off doing something along the lines of, “There are thirteen laboratories in total - two for general purpose, two for cybernetics research, two for robotics research, two for chemistry research, two for planetary biology, a botony laboratory, stellar cartography, and astrometrics.” Also, why so much research into synthetic engineering and not a single lab for geology or atmospheric research?

The chief science officer office connects directly to the stellar cartography lab.

Main Engineering
Main engineering is situated on the aft sections of decks 2 and 3 with the ship’s primary warp core. This flat cone shaped room has two levels,

Is it flat or cone-shaped?

the one on deck 2 primarily controls the warp core and ship’s power allocations while deck 3’s section contains emergency ejection and secondary ship status controls. Located aft side of deck 2 is the chief engineer’s office.

<SNIP>

Utility Systems

<SNIP>

Crew Support Systems

<SNIP> No major issues here.

Auxiliary Spacecraft Systems

The Hero Class supports 2 Shuttle bays the Secondary located in the saucer at the aft end of Deck 9 while the Main Shuttle Bay is located on Deck 25 in the Stardrive at the stern of the ship these bays allow for

Up to 4 Armadillo Shuttles each
Or 2 Liberty runabouts/Flying Angel Racing Yacht each
Or can in times of war or supreme need can temporarily support one squadron of 5 Cutlass class fighters.((NOTE FIGHTERS ARE SIM DEPENDENT meaning that the sim has to give a good enough reason for the fighters to be added and the fighters will be removed AFTER the sim is completed))

Another bit of awkward wording here, but I don’t know how to fix it. Also, I’m used to specs being entirely IC. Maybe you should figure out a way to guarantee that fighter craft are not intended to permanently host fighter craft.

Captain’s Yacht: The Captain’s Yacht is mounted to the underside of the Saucer section right in the center the Flying Angel Class Racing Yacht serves in this role

Technical Specifications
Dimensions and Structure
Length
664 meters
Beam (Width)
344 meters
Height
152 meters
Decks
33

Big bubba. Once again, how’d this get upgraded from a cruiser to an explorer? It was clearly designed for Explorer-level size pre-refit.

Crew Complement
Officers and Crew
948
Family and Civilian Personnel
50
Visiting Personnel
50
Maximum Evacuation Limit
2,000

This number is “stuffed to the gills and straining life support” capacity. One would think the ship could hold more than 195% of its typical operational capacity if you really pushed the limits.

Computer Systems
Core
Isolinear data storage and processing core x2
Operating System
Starfleet Library Computer Access and Retrieval System (LCARS)
User Interface
MAJEL OS

<SNIP>

Deck Layout

<SNIP>

Deck 7
Primary Computer Core
Primary Computer Core Control Room 1

Deck 8
Lower Primary Computer Core

That’s a pretty large computer core. Is that really all that the ship has on these decks? No crew quarters, nothing extra?

Deck 15
Upper Saucer Separation Connection Clamps

Pretty small deck if all that it has is the connection clamps.

<SNIP>

Deck 17
Turbolift Maintenance Room

You also say that, outside of Turbolift Maintenance, every single laboratory on the Hero-class is on this deck.
<SNIP>

Ships Of The Class

The Hero Class is named after Heroes of Myth and Legendary heroics from human history. The four prewar survivors have a different set of registry numbers then those that came later post Dominion War.

USS Momotaro, NCC-89185
USS William Wallace NCC-89186
USS Arthur Pendragon, NCC-89187
USS Leonidas, NCC-89188
USS Wukong, NCC-94400
USS Wyatt Earp, NCC-94401
USS Doc Holliday, NCC-94402
USS Amaterasu, NCC-94403
USS Robin Hood, NCC-94404
USS Sherlock Holmes, NCC-94405
USS Heracles, NCC-94406
USS Gilgamesh, NCC-94407
USS Bruno Gaido NCC-94408

The Following four names are the four ships of the class that were lost in during the second Battle of Chin’toka USS Hero USS Paul Bunyan USS Daniel Boone USS Enkidu

Why not include these in the above list and list them as destroyed?

The following ships are commissioned and held in reserve for use in NPC only status and may be reused as needed by gamemasters.

USS Beowulf, NCC-94409
USS Anansi, NCC-94410
USS Quetzalcoatl, NCC-94411
USS Osiris, NCC-94412
USS Achilles, NCC-94413
USS Casey Jones, NCC-94414

The use of real-life legends with mythical people seems to confuse the issue of how the vessels were named. Wallace, Earp, Holliday, Boone, Gaido, and Casey Jones don’t fit among the rest of this list.

Conclusion
The Hero class Explorer is a tough and rugged Explorer that after proving itself in a time of war has become the new workhorse of the fleet ready for any and all challenges it may face going where no one has gone before!

This is a good start, but it needs to be cleaned up and refocused. Most of the issues are grammatical, but some of it is related to what this vessel is supposed to do. Maybe you could even make it more Federation-wide, see if there are any heroes mentioned in canon among Vulcans, Tellarites, Andorians, etc. I am aware that a spec is no easy task to tackle, which may be why I’m looking at it a little harder than others. I really do want to see this design succeed; I just want it to do so after it’s been made as good as possible.

~ Nicholas “Pelican” Villarreal