Ship Porn: USS Enterprise NX-01 (Refit)

Ship slut here with a confession. I enjoyed Star Trek Enterprise. Some episodes didn't quite get the Star Trek feel, but I still liked it more than some other Trekkies. There were a lot of complaints leveled at the design of the new Enterprise, saying that it looked too much like one of the ships from First Contact. And upon closer examination, I agreed. But that doesn't mean that I didn't like the design. But, I like this new one even better.

This fabulous redesign comes courtesy of Doug Drexler, who is pretty much the Hugh Hefner of ship porn in my opinion. He's one of the chief contributors to the pantheon of Star Trek ships, and maintains a fantastic blog displaying art from Star Trek and numerous other Sci-fi properties that Mr. Drexler has designed for or contributed to. This concept was done mostly for the 2011 Ships of the Line calendar, which for me is as good as a pinup. And apparently I'm not alone in my adoration.

The refit design has become so popular that an unofficial conversion kit for Enterpirse 1/1000-scale model kits for the people who want to bring Enterprise that much closer to the original Trek. Its availible at Starfleet Models, and has become so popular that it is currently backordered. If you've got the base kit, grab one. If you're like me and don't have it, just try to content yourself with gazing longingly into that beautiful deflector dish.

For more on this design, including a truly awesome video of it in action, please please please go visit Doug Drexler's blog. You will be amazed at some of the projects he's worked on, and some of the behind-the-scenes knowledge he imparts.

A Gamer's Resolution

I, Violet, being of sound if not entirely sane mind, resolve that I will be patient with the video game industry. If a release date is pushed back, I will not complain. I will understand that creating a truly great video game takes a significant amount of time, and no howling from fangirls/boys will change this. I take this resolution in hopes that others will follow my example.

So one of the things I've really been noticing recently is that when a video game is announced, it is often followed by the news that the aforementioned product will be in the hands of consumers in less than a year. My usual reaction is: "Surely not!". But, I have been repeatedly proved wrong. Trouble is, I wish I hadn't been.

Ship Porn: The Gozanti Cruiser

Ship Porn is going to be a regular feature of this blog, with your host, the Ship Slut. It's true, I go totally bonkers over a good looking ship, space, sea or otherwise. 

I'd like to inaugurate this section with a starship that was heavily featured in last night's episode of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network: The Gozanti Cruiser.

To say that it's a good looking ship might not be entirely accurate, but it's still a great design. It combines elements of the Counselor-class corvette that most famously brought Qui-gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Trade Federation Command Ship at the beginning of "The Phantom Menace" and the gritty, patchy feel of the Rebel ships in the Original Trilogy.

It was manufactured by a partnership between the Corellian Engineering Company, best known for the Millennium Falcon's own YT-1300f class, and Gallofree Yards, best known for the GR-75 transport used by the Rebellion to evacuate Hoth. According to Wookieepedia, the ship was originally designed as an anti-piracy vessel, which is part of what makes it so cool! It has a Class 3 hyperdrive, which is not the best, but comes armed with 4 turbolaser emplacements, and a proton torpedo launcher, making it more heavily-armed than other ships of this size. The whole hull is right around 42 meters long, with enough space for 24 passengers and crew, a cargo capacity of 75 tons, and consumables to last 1 month. New, the ship could be expected to fetch 150,000 credits, and that's at a reputable dealer.

The Krayt's Honor, a Gozanti Cruiser used by Siqo Vass

All images and most statistics come directly from Wookieepedia, the best friend any Star Wars fanatic ever had. Go give them bandwidth for being awesome and supporting my Ship Porn addiction.

On "Star" Fandoms

It's one of the first questions that anyone who says they are a geek or nerd is ever asked, so it's only fitting that I start my blog with it.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Yes, this question ignites firestorms over forums and chatrooms and even in the dreaded expanse of Real Life. But the thing is: they're like two completely different beasts.

If you're with me this far, I'm going to assume that you're a fan of either series, or both like me, and I really don't need to tell how and why they're different. But what's really ridiculous is the fighting between the two groups. Even George Lucas himself doesn't get it. [Say what you want about Lucas, he did create the whole thing.]

I honestly don't understand why fans that come down on one side or the other are so... fanatical sometimes. I admit, I generally prefer Star Wars, simply because it's a more exciting setting to me. I just can't get into the Star Trek novels and comics, in large part due to the fact that they're not considered to be canon, and so the quality and continuity isn't as closely controlled as the Star Wars expanded universe. But I enjoy the hell out of Star Trek as well, even Enterprise, which I know a good deal of fans didn't enjoy. One of my first celebrity crushes was Jazia Dax on DS9!

So, if you ask me, Star Wars and Star Trek fans just need to accept that each have their differences, and kiss and make up.

Especially if they happen to be cosplaying as Jaina Solo and Hoshi Sato at the time of the kiss. >:)