Most uncool starship?

[GypsyComet]

The High Passage one was a Q-ship, wasn't it? Or maybe I'm confusing it with another Q-ship design.

I'm thinking of the Iron Fist in HP#2. It doesn't mention a prior use for the hull, but most writers weren't thinking along those lines in 1981.

The Iron Fist is a big flat box with a cantilever bridge sticking out over the cargo bay doors. 27m wide by 40 long, and two decks high, though there are implications that the lower deck might be a bit taller than a single deck. Cargo access is all forward, and the ship is not well connected between the decks. It is also under-armed, with only three turrets.

 

[cym0k]

Not necessarily "uncool", but an honourable mention for what could be a slightly impractical shuttle craft: The Widow Maker from MST3k. Who doesn't want to fly around in a jet propelled VW camper?

 

[GypsyComet]

Found another one: the Blotch-built ship from Third Imperium fanzine #6.
http://thirdimperiumfanzine.info/

 

[Brian Smaller]

I'm playing a practical joke on my PCs: they've been gifted a starship, and they've cross half of the Spinward Marches to get to its berthing location. And when they arrive I want to show them art of the most uncool/aesthetically displeasing starship in Charted Space. Must be able to be operated by 4 PCs with maybe some hired NPCs or robots assisting. Don't worry about condition, I'm just canvasing for an ugly design.

IIRC there is some sort of Ice Pirates-esque bulk carrier or something that just looks god awful. Anyone?

I don't know if you got around to needing one, but this is one of my ugly ships.

http://woolshedwargamer.com/2014/08/29/200dton-jump-barge/

 

[Easterner9504]

Ships of Clement Sector 6: Swift Flyer is godawful ugly, green to boot and is supposed to be a luxury yacht. It looks like it was cobbled together from dead SDB's of mixed classes.

Inside it seems an excellent design.

 

[Patron Zero]

One other thought might be your PCs receiving a ship that originally was manufactured-deployed by an alien race, even a re-habbed Zhodani vessel would be foreign enough to be uncomfortable in the beginning.

 

[martletsquire]

On that thought, if your party is a bunch of over-entitled and prissy Vilani, stick them with a totally stripped down, no frills added, Sword Worlder ship.

 

[gregcaires]

UPDATE -- most uncool starship

I gave them the K'Kree ship. Told them it had misjumped and by the time it was salvaged the K'Kree had resorted to cannibalism; the lone, insane survivor was extradited back to K'Kree space and the Imperial Navy crew all sworn to secrecy lest they cause a major interstellar incident.

Since in drydock, the natural flora reclaimed large parts of the ship -- fuel is down to J-1 as this ship is a stand in for the March Harrier in my TTA. They crew bought a bunch of survival shelters to live in -- no passengers have been desperate enough yet to book passage -- and a ton of groats to a) keep the flora at bay and b) sell speculatively and c) to keep their Vargr friend happy.

The whole situation is both an embarrassment for the crew and a source of humor for the players.

 

[Jetrock]

I realize it's late to the party, but these are the deck plans for a ship I designed about 20-25 years ago specifically to be an ugly, cheesy-looking small ship for the characters to operate but try to avoid admitting that they owned. I designed it for MegaTraveller but it's a TL 10 100 ton hull, Maneuver-1, Jump-2, Powerplant-1, computer 1bis (to manage Jump-2), six staterooms and two low berths, armed with a dual missile launcher in a single turret. Cargo capacity is 45 tons plus a 5-ton "special cargo room" that can also be used to store an air/raft or other ground vehicle. Designed in High Guard it should work out the same but with a bit less cargo space. The name of the ship is "Space Ghost."

 

[RandyB]

I realize it's late to the party, but these are the deck plans for a ship I designed about 20-25 years ago specifically to be an ugly, cheesy-looking small ship for the characters to operate but try to avoid admitting that they owned. I designed it for MegaTraveller but it's a TL 10 100 ton hull, Maneuver-1, Jump-2, Powerplant-1, computer 1bis (to manage Jump-2), six staterooms and two low berths, armed with a dual missile launcher in a single turret. Cargo capacity is 45 tons plus a 5-ton "special cargo room" that can also be used to store an air/raft or other ground vehicle. Designed in High Guard it should work out the same but with a bit less cargo space. The name of the ship is "Space Ghost."

"We all live in a yellow submarine..."

 

[tbeard1999]

Battle Beyond the Stars had an awful design:

Here is a frontal view that has to be seen to be believed:

http://i.imgur.com/oIq5pgK.jpg

And a comparison shot:

 

[GypsyComet]

Battle Beyond the Stars had an awful design

That has all the "subtle" indications of an in joke that the producers have never bothered to share.

 

[Condottiere]

Seems like an organic design.

 

[tbeard1999]

Seems like an organic design.

I recall a letter to Starlog magazine that said "John-Boy Walton flying what looks like a pregnant Enterprise..."

Notably, it was designed and built by James Cameron (yes THAT James Cameron) in one of his first gigs as an SFX supervisor.

Anyhow, I think it would humiliate any typical CT group that flew it. And imagine the nicknames...

 

[Condottiere]

Having nipples and emphasizing them doesn't help.

 

[mike wightman]

Homage to Barbarella perhaps

 

[ShapeShifter]

Barbarella's ship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMtC82YXrdU
is pretty goofy-looking.

 

[mike wightman]

I wasn't thinking of her ships....

 

[Patron Zero]

Myself, regardless of what challenges and obstacles a ship might present, a good crew can come together and overcome such with a fair and resourceful GM overseeing their adventures.

 

[Procopius]

IMO, the worse the PC's ship, the better the campaign that results. I've never been disappointed when I've given players an opportunity to be creative rather than use brute force. Almost never.