The Most Useless Ship - Oberth-class Star Trek Starship Breakdown
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- When I say the MOST USELESS Star Trek Starship, I am sure you all have some ideas that come to mind! Is it the USS Enterprise-J, because some of you REALLY don’t like it, perhaps the Nova-class for being tiny, or maybe… just maybe, you agree with us that it’s the Oberth-class. Just look at it. It looks like they had a spare part kicking around from a catamaran and said: "Sure, why not? That'll work"
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___________________________________________
Chapters:
00:00 - The Oberth-class
00:59 - Technical Information
04:20 - Oberth-class Lore
07:42 - Design & Behind The Scenes
Video Credits:
Written by Craig Turner
Presented by @CaptainJack
Edited by Troy Courtney-Hart
Special thanks to:
@GingerTrekkie - Oberth-class Star Trek: Online Footage
• USS Grissom - Oberth c...
Hero Collector / Eaglemoss - Old Star Trek Information
___________________________________________
All STAR TREK® footage and its various marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. 2022 © CBS Studios Inc./Paramount Global Pictures Corp.
Title: The Most Useless Ship - Oberth-class Star Trek Starship Breakdown
#StarTrek #Starships #TheNextGeneration
Star Trek Starships Explained, Star Trek Oberth-class, Star Trek Explained, Star Trek Star Ships, Star Trek USS Grissom, Star Trek Oberth-class Visuals, - บันเทิง
![ภาพนี้ก็ฮาเหมือนกันนะเนี้ย #2 SS8 [ พากย์นรก MEME.EXE ] | easy boy](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RMhUgxxD49Q/mqdefault.jpg)
The only ship known to be made of explodium, a rare and volatile mineral.
Explodium, crashium, and of course, oberthiun.
Pretty sure it's also used on the Miranda Class too
😂😂
Explodium, the mineral derived from TorPex and Cordite imployed by the navies of the Second Great War.
I agree with you on that
In Star Trek online as a joke, I set up an end-game Oberth class on a tactical captain named the U.S.S. Tempting Fate. The Captain even has the accolade title of "Torpedoe Target."
Irony of an Oberth saving the Galaxy and surviving.
It's kinda brilliant: no enemy is going to take the threat of an Oberth seriously until it's too late.
I really like the Oberth class 🤨 I always thought of it as a testbed for new tech and a true exploration ship.
Not every class has to be a battleship
As ship for testing equipment perfect for research perfect and for transport perfect. It falls down when they have her attacking the borg
@@leeds200282 but it also excels in its expendable cannon fodder role (;
@@ds6080 so you mean tip of spea and shield of Federation but you may have upset your commanding officer to be stationed there 😂
@@leeds200282 To be assigned aboard an Oberth-class, you sure did upset someone in Starfleet or the Federation - egregiously.
@@theequalizer9154 YES
Wait a minute. The reason why the ship exploded in one shot is because the USS Grissom is not a warship, and Captain Esteban didn't raise shields. They took the equivalent of a cruise missile, so, yeah, BOOM!
There's a missing scene where the captain orders the shields raised that was cut out when the Klingons appeared.
Sure, but we've seen other starships take a hit from that same equivalent cruise-missile with shields down and not go 'boom' instantly.
And if 'not a warship' means that the ship lacks sufficient defensive systems to tank a single photon torpedo, then there's still something lacking in its construction compared to other Starfleet vessels. Because not-warships may still need to defend themselves!
In the early 20-teens, I was working on a fan-made audio series which would have told the backstory of the USS Equinox. The project didn't last long, don't ask - huge drama. However, one of the lines in our first episode had Captain Ransom explaining that the Nova class was intended to eventually replace the Oberth class, and he thought it was about time because Oberths always seemed to getting into trouble (see Star Trek: The Next Generation 😉).
I wonder if a Run about could kill an oberth in combat🤔🤔
I love the Nova and Honestly like the Equinox crew, atvkeast I saw potential, I'd love to see a back story to that ship/crew...👍👌😕
@@raven4k998 *runabout
@@user-RetardedMonke your right the runabout could one shot kill an oberth class easily
well if that Runabout had the dipshit loadouts I always give to my ships (small craft included) in Star Trek online then yes, it will one shot an Oberth class
"The bridge, of course, was located in the stupid place"
THANK YOU! Having the bridge against the outer hull on deck 1 is one of my biggest pet peeves with starships. The door leading directly from the bridge to space on the Oberth was just icing on the damn cake.
The Enterprise refit has an airlock directly to the rear of the bridge. Spock's shuttle docked there in TMP.
And the Titan in Picard actually demonstrated the same bridge escape-hatch. Which I thought was a nice touch.
Always a pleasure to see another video on the War Canoe.
When a Starfleet Admiral doesn't like a certain captain, that captain is assigned an oberth-class.
Even the Ferengi think the Oberth-class is a joke.
From the moment I first saw it on the big screen in the 1980s, I thought it was a cool looking design. A very futuristic design. I still like it.
I like that idea that not bottom part is nothing but storage and pods. Could be neat to see it as a separation type.
I think the pod is the ships main sensor array.
Boyd over at TrekWorks was building one of these and said pretty much the same thing - that the top portion of the ship is a great design all on its own.
The Oberth and Nova Class Starships are two of my all time favourites :)
I am betting a nova could one shot kill an oberth class in combat🤔🤔
The only way for an Oberth class ship could kill a Nova class ship, would be to ram it.
@@raven4k998 Te Nova is the original design for the Defiant, In other wards it's a tough little ship :)
In an alternate reality the Oberth class are last resort weapons with the secondary hull being a massive bomb designed to wipe out an aggressor.
the main mission profile of the Oberth class seems to be to go to some backwater planet as far away from any help as possible and find the most efficient way to get completely blown to hell after engaging the biggest warship you can find lol.
If an Oberth could speak, it would sound like Guy in Galaxy Quest: "I'm the one who gets killed to show that the situation's serious!"
"It was cold outside and they were all alone, more or less"
You tried to sneak that Red Dwarf reference past me, but I got it.
A ship so weak a sneeze near the warp core would make it breach.
It still has great sensor and communications arrays. Yes, it needs an escort, but it's not useless.
It actually perhaps best exemplifies Starfleet's ideals of peaceful exploration and scientific discovery. I'm actually surprised it doesn't have better shields. Never know when that star or stellar phenomena you're studying will suddenly throw off a massive flare or otherwise endanger the ship.
I love the Oberth class ships, beautiful and unique
A Runabout would out class it.
Fun Fact:This ship is made of Explodium alloy
starfleet: wait but ....the ferengi said explodium was a strong substance.....
@@imablock16 Ferengi: We didn't lie.
Shhh, secrets ;)
- Jakc
@@Evil0tto ...But, we Ferengi have a great sense of humor. Oberth-Class... Hew-mons... Bwahahahaha!
Not every car can be a Ferrari or IED resistant Humvee. Sometimes you just need something to get you from point A to point B. 😆 I like the look of the Oberth. It's just made to go out there and scan things.
They could have at least put a turbo lift from the top section to the bottom.
@@briansmith48thay used a transporter it was faster 😂
Send a Runabout it's a better ship.
It’s a research ship, not a battleship. I don’t think it’s useless.
Because the “heavy cruisers” in star fleet can’t do any research, and have no sensors 😂
@@KkevrockK On the frontier, use a Constitution or Miranda. But deep inside the Federation it would be a waste of resources. Note that we generally only see the exceptions.
I wouldnt exactly call the oberth useless. It was a death trap, but like you said, it was a workhorse. They primarily operated in federation space and could reach speeds comparable to a galaxy class. Thats far from useless. I'd argue that various short lived ships were less useful due to some starfleet designs being redundant. Oberth at least had a purpose and the surprisingly long service record indicates that it was doing something right.
The key word here is, "death trap".
It wasn't meant for combat in any form... Just scientific missions.
@@theequalizer9154 that's two words actually.
My point though is that throughout the series there are canon and apocryphal ship classes that appear briefly and are then never used again because of various reasons. The Yaeger class for instance is just an intrepid saucer glued to some spare parts and sent out because starfleet had a surplus. Then theres the frankenstein fleet which was just miranda and excelsior parts haphazardly stuck together. These didn't really have any longevity.
The oberth on the other did because it was useful to have them around.
@@deadturret4049 Let's make it three words, "major death trap". The Oberth-class was handy to have around, when you wanted to cut down on personnel.😁
@@theequalizer9154 yeah but the claim being made isn't about whether its a death trap. The claim is that its a useless ship. Safety issues have no bearing on this topic.
Its a useful ship that just happens to also be a nightmare for OSHA.
Well it was designed to be non threatening as not to scare new aliens
I'm sure it didn't scare old aliens either.
Yet still better looking than the "J" and more useful :)
The Oberth Class was built with explodium. If Starfleet ever had a kamikaze ship, the Oberth would be it: an easily destructible ship to carry out barely legal clandestine experiments, or as a kamikaze ship to ram down their enemies' throats.
'sounds like the proposal for the Littoral Combat Ship. I'm not making this up: It's intended to be knocked out on the first hit, whereupon the crew conveniently abandon ship.
@@elviakerlick1163 that sounds like something designed by committee if I ever heard one.
It was More powerful then people think.
That's why enemies of starfleet specifically needed to take them out first before they got Hurt 😅
That is what Starfleet Admirals tell Captains who protest assignments aboard Oberth-class starships.😄😄
Interesting theory.
I've been working on a story recently. A renegade/outlaw is recruited by starfleet to retrieve a second phase cloaking device that was left behind on the Pegasus. Eventually at the end, he and his crew reactivate it after being cornered by Romulans to unphase the ship from the asteroid and escape. He goes on to be the new captain of the Pegasus, with some much needed weapons upgrades.
I'd like it better as a civilian design. It doesn't really work as a Starfleet design for me though.
Always wanted to see one without the struts and the bottom and top welded together. Don't reposition the bottom section to be halfway down the saucer either, leave it where the bow of the bottom is lined up with the bow of the saucer and you just have that long underbelly. Always hated those pylons. Do a little reshaping of the aft piece of that underslung section to resemble the original Enterprise's aft and you have a fully functioning cargo pod for a freighter while having the warp engine in the saucer section piece. Move the nacelles in just a bit so the sides of the saucer are just outside of the nacelle line and you can dock either side with no problem. A single turboshaft from the cargo pod to the saucer section is all you need to traverse multiple decks quickly and, if oversizing it a bit, makes a handy cargo lift.
Just my two cents.
Oberths are from the early 23rd century actually, hence the low NCC number on the Grissom and the funky nacelles.
Disagree, it could be quite useful..... if converted to be unmanned it'd make a great warp speed missile.
I thought the same thing. 😂
The oberth is my guilty pleasure she’s quirky I get why people dislike like her but I just can’t bring myself to😊
I know it's useless but for some reason I like it and think it has potential.
Just think, the Oberth class lasted until it's decommissioning in the 24th century.
Yeager class: I am a joke to you?
Yes, yes you are Yeager.
Aesthetically, I think the Oberths are wonderful. Functionally, I can see where they're going with them. The canoe-shaped hull could be entirely devoted to sensors. There was always a demand for Starfleet scout ships and the Oberth fitted the role perfectly. Only 40-80 crew, small size, what's not to love? 'your tax credits at work! The three black gaps - on the bow, port and starboard - could be probe launchers. Of course, anything that launches probes might serve as a photon torpedo launcher as well. Phaser turrets? If you see one, your glasses have a better prescription than mine. We've never seen the Oberth in action against a BOP when the former had fair-warning. Perhaps it was very elusive, hence the captain's "Stand by for evasive!" command.
"Evasive" is Starfleet speak for "Running away moves". I don't think he was about to pop out turrets like a Q ship. All canon sources I've seen have this thing with a single relatively light phaser bank fore and aft.
I have an alternate head canon the extolls the virtues of the Oberth Class
First of all…. What we see as the Oberth class is only ONE variant…
In truth the OBerth class is only the upper hull with its attached Nacelles…. This self contained unit has all of the components necessary to fly the ship, plus a small reserve space for single mission staff and some equipment…. Though in many cases it only houses the controls for the equipment, with actual technology being controlled is mounted to the underside of the ship in a multitude of structures, though the most common one is the “winged boat “
More on the secondary in just a moment….
Before we move onto external hardware is should be pointed out that large sections of the upper hull can be detached and replace with purpose built sections …
The outer bowl of the primary hull has 48 sections stacked in three rings of 16 , most of which can be detached and replaced with both generic and purpose built compartment …
Moving on to external hardware…..
While the types of underpods that can be attached is limited only by the maximum mass the vessel can haul the most common variant is the winged boat….
But even hear appearance can be deceiving.
One of the biggest knock on the class is no way for shuttles to transverse the gap…
Im the most extreme cases the upper hull is equipped with a special design lift pod that travels in slotted rails along one or both of the ships wings ….
That being said there are a number of add on necks that can bridge the gap between hulls
The actual number of crew needed to staff and fly the ship is shockingly low and crew accommodations for them CAN all fit in the internal deck space directly under the bridge dome. That being said the default crew accommodations of the Oberth are by far the most spartan of all starfleet vessel larger than a single deck runabout. In a pinch the ship can operate with only three person command staff and a three person engineering staff snd in extreme situations not be fully staffed at all time even in this reduced capacity ….
According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 97), the Oberth-class was "named for 20th century German rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth."
If nothing else, another ship could use a holographic disguise to look and read as an Oberth and make their enemies underestimate how much to attack with. So that's... one useful thing I guess?
So who on the team set the challenge to slip in Red Dwarf lyrics? Because it was very well done, more or less.
Dude, the Oberth Class is one of my favourite ships.
A Kamakazi pilot would agree with you. 😃
It's a cheap and easy to build platform. Doesn't require a massive crew. Very modular makes for easy mission customization. You could send a dozen of these to 12 different sectors at the same time for the same resources as a single Galaxy Class.
I've come to like the Oberth, in recent years. I always thought it quite ugly until I received an Eaglemoss model of the Grissom by mistake, I had ordered the Enterprise-E, but this was just before Eaglemoss shut down, so I was never able to return it and get the one I ordered. Funny thing, actually seeing it properly in model form, rather than just in the background, I started to like the way it looked. I had found the separate primary and secondary hulls silly, but as I looked at the model, I began to see that it made the ship look futuristic. I had thought that the primary hull and nacelles were ugly, but I began to see them as unique.
In universe, I know it isn't big, and it certainly isn't powerful, but I also appreciate that it isn't meant to be. It is meant to be a science ship, or a ship transporting aid. It is a ship of peace, in the finest StarFleet tradition, and - frankly - if StarFleet would only realise that they might stop exploding all the time. To me the Oberth feels like a latter day NX-class, build for peaceful exploration, to help out where it can, to right a few wrongs, and wrong a few rights, not to fight in endless bloody wars.
And, you know what, I don't care about the mortality rate, if I - as myself, Captain Sam Lawrence, rather than any kind of futuristic alter-ego - were to command a Star Trek ship, it'd be an Oberth-class. A ship of peace, it's five year mission to scan interesting rocks, to bring help to those it can, to vaguely saunter where quite a few people have gone before. I recently watched the Nebula-class video at the end of which you asked what we'd call a Nebula under our command. You don't ask this here, but I shall answer it anyway, in accordance with the peaceful mission profile, I would call it the USS Harmony.
Hilarious that they were closing down and just went “screw this, send him an Oberth.”
@@daddalonglegz0 Basically the same attitude as Starfleet has. I love those ships, you've gotta think Starfleet gave them to the kinds of captains who turned up to temporal mechanics class with a tool-kit
Makes the California class look super advanced.
This is why I'm working on a 25th century remix of the class to go with the Constitution III and Excelsior II.
despite all its flaws, I purchased the eaglemoss XL of it because I think the design is very cool. I used to dislike it when I was a kid 25 years ago, lol.
Nothing like blowing up D'deridex class warbird with an Oberth class in Star Trek online. LOL
Replace the big science pod on the bottom with a quantum torpedo launcher/magazine and deploy them in wolf packs of a dozen or so. Then send them out hunting, see what’s up
For the life of me, I cannot figure out what that lower hull section is about. Cargo? Engineering hull, but how do you access it? It is not directly connected to the rest of that Starship.
@@theequalizer9154 I’ve always thought they were modular mission pods that could be swapped out, like the regular science version we see, or a cargo version, loaded with giant shipping containers, or a weapons pod or maybe a mobile communications array etc. My head canon is that multiple variants exist offscreen that don’t explode
@@lancep2002 Okay, I agree with that.
I guess they would access it via transporter. There's no other way that one can get to that section.
Have always loved the oberth class science ship.
I always assumed it was a mercantile hull aquired by star Fleet as a ship not intended to be anywhere near potential conflict. Kind of like the escort carriers in WWII.
1 phaser and torpedo launcher seems like the runabouts are more heavily armed since they have two of each🤔🤔
Or like antarctic survey ships employed by current navies. Built to civilian hull standards and not really armed or given countermeasure because they aren't combat vessels.
The quick way to fix the "hard to get to the bottom hull" problem would be just adding a middle connecting column between the top hull and bottom. You'd move between the two via the middle column and the diagonal columns would be just for engineering reasons and bracing the warp engines
Ships like the Oberth and Miranda in my mind were built for one thing. Canon fodder. If you saw a Oberth class ship on TV you knew it wasn't long for this world or it was already dead.
Yes, it did seem like the "red shirt" of starships. But maybe it just seems that way, since it was destroyed so quickly in Star Trek III.
Always loved the Grissom, lots of fun and didn’t deserve to be shot down.
I don’t remember the name of her, but the Oberth sent to Wolf 359 was unfair
I think it was the Bonestell
@@pwhitty82 thank you, yes it was :)
I can't wait for this video to... explode in popularity.
"Its not a combat ship, it must be useless" .... I must shake my head at people that think like this.
Good job we didn’t say that ;)
- Jack
@@TrekCentral Yup, I was just making a general statement based on what you see pop up in the comments about the poor oberth class in video comments.
I honestly find that Auxiliary and Civilian adjacent ships more interesting then the hero ships in most sci fi. I like wondering about how the day to day of something like the federation works.
As a civilian transport or freighter it seems adequate. It should never be put in a position where it faces battle.
The Oberth was definitely "You rolled snakeyes" for your starship assignment! It was suitable only for internal exploration missions and cargo running, it couldn't even fight off a well armed pirate, it was so poorly armed. I most certainly wouldn't send them into combat, anyone doing so is an idiot or guilty of criminal stupidity.
yeah I would take a nova over a sissy oberth as I would atleast have a chance of surviving the mission then🤣🤣🤣🤣
When I first heard the name of this class, I thought it was the "O'Birth" class.
I laughed my head off when Dr T’Ana mentioned the Oberth class
I like how Star Trek Online for the T6 version of the ship chose the Voyager concept model and embellished on it.
Oberths are under-rated and I hate how the fandom, (and even the studios,) have dog piled on it over the years. Replace the sensor pod with a torpedo launcher and weapons array, (Jester and Orca classes,) and you have a system defense corvette, which I'd much rather have than a Danube.
Also haters, if you take a Defiant, and sling a sensor pod under it,,,
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true!"
They were like liberty ships.
Oberth-class: the red shirt of the federation starhips
"'Why would you put that on the bridge?' 😆😆😆😆😆😁😅😅" (-James)
It's cold outside
There's no kind of atmosphere
I'm all alone, more or less
Let me fly far away from here
Fun, Fun, Fun, in the Sun, Sun, Sun
I want to lie shipwrecked and comatose
Drinking fresh mango juice
Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes
Fun, Fun, Fun in the Sun, Sun, Sun
Supposedly, some Oberths (minus the lower section) took over the Transport Duties formerly performed by the old Ptolemy Class Tugs. The Oberths were more powerful and up to date since very few Ptolemys did not get the first refit that the Connies did. Also requiring crews of as little as 10 where the Ptolemys required a minimum of 200, since they were essentially Constitution Variants.
A short range science ship that was always used in situations it was not designed for
I like the unusual design of the Oberth class. But I think it should have had a "gooseneck section" like the Constitution class U.S.S. Enterprise connecting the saucer and the secondary hull sections together. Maybe a variant design like that exists, we just haven't seen it.
So the lower section was for carrying cargo. You'd have to beam into that section from the saucer section to inpsect the cargo?
the oberth class is the granddaddy of the California class
Ah! Designed to have its ass kicked! Simply put, the redshirt of Federation starships, just like the USS JJprise (and Kelvin Timeline, you couldn't have ended soon enough)... heeheehee! 😄
The Oberth is supposed to be used for a variety of SAFE missions WITH-IN the Feds boundaries. Science mainly or to transport delegates, researchers etc.
It's not a fighting vessel. Since Fleet isn't technically a military only enterprise such as the Army or Air Force.
This ship is akin to a private vessel, save that it's allowed some armaments.
The Oberth Class DESPERATELY needs a dorsal section!!!
It was cold outside... I ALMOST didn't catch that. They certainly weren't having fun in the sun.
Where is Lt Com Adam??? His commentary is the reason I subscribed.
On Risa
- Jack
@@TrekCentral Thank you for permission to speak freely Captain Jack.
Always wanted to kit-bash one to take the struts out between the top and bottom pieces and make a freighter out of it as those pylons were the only part I hated. Otherwise, kind like that little ship and it's 5 person crew minimum.
I love the design of it. Along with the miranda class.
I don’t think the ship is useless, but I agree that there is no excuse for starfleet to be sending out defenseless vessels. There’s no reason why they can’t include weapons, shields, etc. to protect them.
Caught that Red Dwarf referance. Nice.
i always had the impression that the Oberth class was intended to be crewed mainly by civilian scientists and Starfleet officers who wanted to start a family. The ship itself is supposed to do the 10th contact missions and long term scientific missions within well known federation space. Its mainly outfitted for hazardous space and defense against less developed powers. An Oberth should rarely and only in the most desperate defense attempts for example in the case of a Borg cube showing up out of nowhere deep in federation space with Starfleet being unable to assemble a sufficient fleet, be called to battle. Oberth Class should play it safe. They are no Warships and are not intended to be such. They are on purpose armed badly for many of them are commanded by civilians and nobody wants a civilian gone mad in command of an ship that could do serious damage.
starfleet seemed to have a major issue with consistent bridge design every starships seems to have a different bridge layout even in the same class.
Hey I have a question for a trek loremaster.
The KM test, the big bad.
I've been trying to get a good answer for my way of attempting to beat it.
1) Send a broadcast over all channels, stating my vessel's intention to save a stranded civilian freighter, and to cross the neutral line with intentions of peace.
2) Relay my intentions directly to Star Fleet if possible, to let them know of my intentions and that if my vessel perishes, then I did so of my own volition to rescue civilians.
3) If ordered to wait for reinforcements, wait to see if the program actually gives me anything. If not, proceed ASAP.
4) When engaged, broadcast distress on all frequencies with my intentions and return fire to allow the Kobayashi time to evacuate, sending anything I can to give them time and assistance to escape.
5) Either save the Kobayashi or die trying.
I figure my plan is incredibly naive, but my idea is to make it blatant that should my ship be attacked and damaged, that it be known we never tried to be the aggressors.
@@marvinmallette6795 Damn.
Well, I guess I'd fail hard then, thanks for letting me know gentle, lol.
@@marvinmallette6795 Was my ides worth it? Even if there is a delay for the message, I guess making my intentions clear to save civilians would be a good indication of trying to do the right thing.
@@marvinmallette6795 Heh. Thanks for helping out.
Like I said my idea was that if the ship does exist, limit casualties, try to shield the KM as best I can even if we die. Maybe beam aboard my own crew save those willing to stay.
Ugghh…Starfleet academy flashbacks
“An Oberth class vessel. This will be a challenge.”
Was the class named for Hermann Oberth (1894-1989)?
2:10)A version of one type? In another video, the saucer had a hanger on all four sides. I asked were the shuttle(s) in the secondary hull under ferry. Logical if they were hauling cargo.There was some talk about how the turbolifts could travel the pylons. I suggested that with no gravity, crew floated through.The USS Constellation (NCC 1017) Class saucers are attached with explosive bolts for separation. PURE speculation.The engines' solid attachment to the saucer and placement on top of the pylons leads me to suspect explosives bolts. A heavily damaged "canoe" could be jettisoned. The saucer becomes a smaller target.
Cheers Jack
The fact that the Oberth class was in production for nearly a century kinda proves it was not useless.
I'd take a Nova over an Oberth any day of the week.
Starfleet needed a generic "victim" starship to help drive storytelling. Also, the USS Pegasus should have been an Ambassador-Class starship or some quick kit-bash. Seriously it made no sense for the production team to select an Oberth-Class and go through the trouble of building a model in [rock].
I wouldn't call it useless, but calling it the Exploder Class isn't unfair because of how frequently they got destroyed. To be fair, I think this was primarily due to the sheer number produced and their length of service. To some degree they were also considered expendable for experimental tests because they were cheap and plentiful, as well. You also have to factor in reverse survivor bias. That is, you mostly only see ones that _did_ get into trouble. The Enterprise wouldn't be responding to a distress call if a ship hadn't gotten into some trouble; that wouldn't be a noteworthy log entry or worthy of an episode. There were literally hundreds of these things produced and they often operated independently in remote areas, so it makes sense that they'd get into trouble more often than other classes.
It's a research & test bed platform for new tech. It was replaced by the nova class.
I always had the belief that the oberth class was actually a converted civilian design. A yacht or similar designed to resemble starfleet vessels superficially. It could do scientific endeavors, little tours of known space, parties, going out on equivelent of whale watching, or just warping around federation space doing odd jobs here or there.
Naturally the Federation government sees the Oberth Class the potential as a cheap inexpensive science ship and test bed, so likely either bought or nationalized the rights to construct the Orberth for fed use. So the Oberth became the little science vessel the deove around federation space doing little missions here or there but i have a feeling that if she was initially a civillian vessel and that the Oberth civillian model was running around that the original government Oberths were actually spy ships. Using a civillian model that was running around that blended with the actual civillian models until someone in the federation whistle blew and the government spun the story that they were testing a Oberth for federation use and thus started building them officially, but making sure its civillian specs were in place so that any officer that pisses off someone ended up on a Oberth assignment. Civillian crews and science crews liked it, but tactical and engineering officers. They knew being on a Oberth a potential death sentence.
Still it would be cool if something like Lower Decks comfirmed the Oberth as originally a civillian design with perhaps having a actuall civillian model. Likely upgraded beyond what a fed version would be
I am an absolute fan of the Nova and Oberth class ❤👌
No I'm full 'Murican 🇺🇲 I have no idea what your football pitch analogy means.
The Oberth class was actually kept around by Starfleet for socio-political reasons. The Klingons would've likely gotten more hostile if they got the sense of how Starfleet was vastly more competent in starship operations. As a result, Starfleet continued to use the Oberth class, a starship so incredibly ass that it made Starfleet in it's entirety seem less threatening.
I mean taking it from what it is, this ship isn't that bad of a vessel class. I can get why people think it sucks but if I was a captain of this type of vessel I would try to stick to the strengths of this ship and try to avoid combat as much as possible.
Its a modular ship where the critical sections are separate from the mission module. Its the perfect science ship.
I have no problem with the Oberth. My Science Captain uses one in STO.
There is nothing in the design that makes it easily destroyed, it's just the limited budgets for early TNG had them reusing the old ILM models and kept defaulting the ship to being the wreck of the week for any story that required one.
It ended up with the opposite of plot armor, kind of like Sean Bean, you knew if it turned up in a story it wasn't going to survive.
'Dwarf reference appreciated.
During the domminion war I am surprused that starfleet did not refit a few oberth class ships with defiant armout and weapons on class warp core
even then respect to the oberth capitain ,who got the message that sector 001 was under attack , knew what he had , called red alert , probably told the scientist down stairs to turn off all there equipment to save on power and prepare for a bumpy ride !!
beter die figthing then becoming a drone!!!
I like the berth, just open the forward shuttle bay to reveal a pair of heavy duty rail guns