Coolest Ships in Sci-Fi

[The Bushranger]

Having finally watched Star Trek last night (awesome eye-candy, but You Fail Orbital Mechanics Forever), I got to pondering, and wondered: to you, what are the coolest ships you've found in Sci-Fi, by your own personal standards?

For me, the top three would be:

1. Destiny, Stargate Universe.

2. Enterprise, Star Trek XI.

3. Yamato, Uchū Senkan Yamato (aka Argo, Star Blazers).


Yours?

[Starscream]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:i8AYdfTEjBnqaM:http://www.dixonschwabl.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tardis.jpg
Bigger on the inside, capable of traveling throughout time and space, looks generally awesome, goes unnoticed wherever it is, can translate any language, may very well be sentient with its own personality, the interior can be altered to look however you like...

And owning one means that attractive young women will be lining up around the block to be your "companion".

[Ravens_cry]

Enterprise D
Star Trek: The Next Generation
It's Picards ship. What more must be said?
Discovery
Sure, the onboard computer is a little wonky. But its one of the closest to what we will really some day build.
Space Shuttle Columbia
Cowboy Bebop.
In 2003, you flew out of history.
See you, Space Cowboy.

[Drakevarg]

Serenity. One of the few ships in Sci-Fi I can think of that I could actually find my way around in. Most of them tend to be plot-sized.

[Nerocite]

The Millennium Falcon. Cause it's fast.

[warty goblin]

Serenity. One of the few ships in Sci-Fi I can think of that I could actually find my way around in. Most of them tend to be plot-sized.

This is a very good point. Also one of the few sci-fi ships that look like people actually live there.

Although I'm rather partial to Babylon 5's Starfuries myself. You just can't beat that omnidirectional maneuverability.

[BRC]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:i8AYdfTEjBnqaM:http://www.dixonschwabl.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tardis.jpg
Bigger on the inside, capable of traveling throughout time and space, looks generally awesome, goes unnoticed wherever it is, can translate any language, may very well be sentient with its own personality, the interior can be altered to look however you like...

And owning one means that attractive young women will be lining up around the block to be your "companion".
Starscream, I must ask that you wait until at least the second page before rendering the rest of a thread irrelevant.

[Geiger Counter]

Talyn
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3204992836_da768c6671.jpg

[Toastkart]

Daedalus class battlecruisers from the Stargate franchise for sheer awesomeness factor.

Nebula class ships from Star Trek are also pretty slick looking.

[Dienekes]

I've always enjoyed Star Craft's Carriers, though I can't point to any specific ship. Others to pick are the Executor from Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (more for the show than the actual ship I think), and The Normandy from Mass Effect.

But Serenity, the Falcon, and of course the TARDIS are all great choices that I support wholeheartedly.

[Geiger Counter]

Wraith Hiveships from SG Atlantis
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100217012942/stargate/images/a/a3/HiveInfection11.jpg

[thompur]

Moya from Farscape.
The Vorlon ships from Babylon 5
The Shadow ships from Babylon 5
Heck, most of the ships, especially from the First Ones, were cool!

[Serpentine]

Most of the ones from Animorphs: The Visser's Blade Ship, the nasty little Bug Fighters, the elegant Andalite Dome Ships and... whatever their fighters were called.

Also the ship in Alien, because it looks grotty, broken-down, well-used, practical and lived-in - a change from shiny brand-new sleekness that was around before then.

Oh! Speaking of which, the alien ship they find the xenomorph in. Anything designed by Giger has gotta be good! :biggrin:

[warty goblin]

Moya from Farscape.
The Vorlon ships from Babylon 5
The Shadow ships from Babylon 5
Heck, most of the ships, especially from the First Ones, were cool!

Babylon 5: It's like porn, but with spaceships.

[Jade_Tarem]

The Icarus, from Timothy Zahn's The Icarus Hunt. That ship was chock full of surprises! And by surprises, I mean problems. Still, most of the plot takes place on board, so it's pretty well described, and definitely cool.

[warty goblin]

Also, all the capital ships in Sins of a Solar Empire, particularly the TEC ones. The Dreadnaught and battleship are just gorgeous hunks of hot burning space destruction.

[Dervag]

Dauntless, superdreadnought of the Galactic Patrol.

You just can't beat the classics sometimes...

[Seonor]

Most of my favorites have been named, but also (nearly) every (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_%28The_Culture%29) ship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_types_%28The_Culture%29) of the Culture ever.
And the Orion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raumpatrouille), of course.

[The Bushranger]

Oh, I suppose I can add a fourth ship to my list: Valiant, from Doctor Who.

I just have trouble seeing the TARDIS as a ship. :smalltongue:

[Mando Knight]

Enterprise D
Star Trek: The Next Generation
It's Picards ship. What more must be said?

Enterprise-E is also Picard's ship (but only in the post-TNG movies, alas), and is sleeker and awesomer.

Of course, it doesn't scream "Oversized Freudian Excuse" like the Executor, Vader's 17-kilometer long Super Star Destroyer from Empire and RotJ. Pick it up in Empire at War and you can almost hear the Rebels scream for mercy. The TIE Defender is also the awesomest starfighter ever to make the jump to LEGO speed. The Emperor's heart might be a rotten lump blacker than coal, but his engineers know how to make cool weapons.

[Dervag]

A note: My preference is unchanged, but I must say that the USS Enterprise has a really good song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmhOS1ywdjs&feature=related) written about it. Which takes it up a notch.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

The Beans-With-Bacon Megarocket trumps all. It's the keenest!

http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/PC/CommanderKeenInGoodbye,Galaxy!-SecretOfTheOracle-Bean-With-BaconMegarocket.png

[Serpentine]

COMMANDER KEEN! :biggrin:

In that case, I thow in this one:

http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/math1/blaster1/mbe.gif

It has maths! And, uh... drops rubbish... and... um... Hm.

[Starscream]

I just have trouble seeing the TARDIS as a ship. :smalltongue:

That's sort of the point. Try landing the Enterprise on a London street corner somewhere so you can go see a Beatles concert in 1969.


http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/math1/blaster1/mbe.gif

It has maths! And, uh... drops rubbish... and... um... Hm.

Math Blaster! That game was awesome. I still liked Dr. Quandary better, though.

[Mando Knight]

The Beans-With-Bacon Megarocket trumps all. It's the keenest!

http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/PC/CommanderKeenInGoodbye,Galaxy!-SecretOfTheOracle-Bean-With-BaconMegarocket.png

It is the Keenest. How many 8-year-olds build a ship that exceed the current capabilities of all our aerospace engineers... out of household objects? (Note the vacuum cleaner main engine nozzle and liquor bottle fuel tank. And car battery power supply.)

How could I forget the Bean-With-Bacon? It was my first starship.

...Or was it the second, third, or fourth? The early 90s are a bit fuzzy for me.

The other candidates for my earliest starships: LEGO Space (http://guide.lugnet.com/set/?q=6813_1&v=z) Police (http://guide.lugnet.com/set/?q=6897_1&v=z)II! (http://guide.lugnet.com/set/?q=6984_1&v=z)

[DraPrime]

That's sort of the point. Try landing the Enterprise on a London street corner somewhere so you can go see a Beatles concert in 1969.

I see no problem with that. It would be the most stylish way to arrive possible.

[Excession]

Babylon 5 again, but I lean toward the Starfury, because they actually look, and fly, like they're designed for space. The Shadow ships are also awesome, simply for being so damn scary looking.

http://www.gkane.de/artwork/starfury_still.jpg

[Knaight]

The new Battlestar Galactica ships. Most of them really, but particularly the Galactica and the Pegasus. Mostly the Galactica.

I'm assuming Sci-Fi means Sci-Fi and Space Opera.

[Graymayre]

Of recent memory, the new Star Trek movie rendition of a Romulan mining vessel created an amazing piece of art.

Others that should recieve praise include the ship from the movie Sunshine. It was an fantastic bridge between asthetic visuals and utilitarian design.

I'll agree that Serenity cannot be ignored, simply because the thing has so much life in it.


But one of the best I have ever seen has to be from a little known 2000-and-something film known as The Fountain. The contraption was nothing more than a galactic snow globe with a large tree dominating the center. Pictures of the ship's solitary passenger sitting against its trunk in the vastness of space, seemingly uncontained, were simply breathtaking.

[Lycan 01]

If I could have any starship of my choice, I'd want a ship like the Millenium Falcon. Not the same ship, but the same model.

Slap on a few point defense turrets for those pesky pirates, a more advanced hyperdrive generator so I can get to places quicker, and some creature comforts like a holo-screeen and a comfy sofa, and we're good. :smallcool:



I want to play the Star Wars Saga RPG now. :smallconfused:

[Archdeacon GX]

This.
http://www.hufos.net/images/maybe_a_fake_ufo.jpg


But in all seriousness, I'd have to say...TIE Fighter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/SithJada/Star%20Wars%20pics/Transports/TieFighter.jpg?t=1268887149

[Dr.Epic]

the Millenium Falcon


'nuff said

[Mando Knight]

But in all seriousness, I'd have to say...TIE Fighter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/SithJada/Star%20Wars%20pics/Transports/TieFighter.jpg?t=1268887149

Eyeballs? TIE Interceptor's an order of magnitude cooler than the basic TIE. And the TIE Defender is even cooler than that... so long as it's on your side.

[Syka]

Serenity. Seriously, it's held together with duct tape and love and still runs. :smallsmile:

After that: Moya, TARDIS, and Galactica.


Oh, tack on the V ships, too. :D

[Deca]

The Galactica, the Dalek ships and the Necron World Engine.

[JonestheSpy]

but also (nearly) every (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_%28The_Culture%29) ship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_types_%28The_Culture%29) of the Culture ever.


Definitely, although the line between character and ship is pretty nonexistent there.

Speaking of which, I can't believe no one's mentioned The Heart of Gold yet, equipped with the one and only Infinite Improbablility Drive.

There's an infinite number of monkey's who's like to talk to you about this script for Hamlet they've worked out...

[IthilanorStPete]

Seconding (well, thirding...fourthing...nthing...) Serenity. Small, easily navigable, comfy, and pretty awesome.

Also seconding the Destiny. It flies through stars to refuel.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet, from Larry Niven's Ringworld series...the Ringworld itself. Not a proper spaceship until the end of the 4th book, but it's a truly giant construct - think Halo, but enlarged to encircle a sun, with a radius just a bit short of 1 AU. And its primary defensive mechanism is inducing solar flares in the sun it's around, then using those as giant gas lasers.

[Serpentine]

Omg omg omg! Lexx! It's a giant living dragonfly-like ship that destroys planets and consumes them for fuel =D

[endoperez]

Space Shuttle Columbia
Cowboy Bebop.
In 2003, you flew out of history.
See you, Space Cowboy.

I had forgotten this. It is awesome.

[MethosH]

The Avatar:

http://www.eve-wiki.net/images/1/19/Avatar.jpg

The Ragnarok:

http://www.eve-wiki.net/images/6/66/Ragnarok.jpg

The Erebus:

http://www.eve-wiki.net/images/archive/e/ea/20080302235731!GallenteErebus.jpg

The Leviathan:

http://www.eve-wiki.net/images/1/19/CaldariLeviathan.jpg




Normandy:

http://pensamentogamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/normandy03.jpg

The Citadel:
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images//thumb/e/ed/MassEffect_2008-08-12_11-12-14-85.png/420px-MassEffect_2008-08-12_11-12-14-85.png

[The_Snark]

Eyeballs? TIE Interceptor's an order of magnitude cooler than the basic TIE. And the TIE Defender is even cooler than that... so long as it's on your side.

Nah, I'm with him—the original is the classic. Sure, the later ones have more guns and extra wings and can fill out your tax forms, but they're not the ones I imagine when I think of the classic flyby and accompanying mechanical scream (http://filmsound.org/starwars/tie.wav).

People have mentioned a lot of cool ships, let's see if I can think of any that haven't been mentioned... oh, the Cylon basestars. They start with a sleek, radially symmetrical design, and get eerier every time you learn more about them.

[TheThan]

The VF-1 Valkyrie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-1_Valkyrie)

Also the STF-1 Macross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDF-1_Macross)

Are pretty cool space ships.

[factotum]

I nominate a ship whose model was built on a budget that wouldn't have paid for one of Captain Picard's dress uniforms:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberator_%28Blake%27s_7%29

[Mercenary Pen]

I'm gonna pick the Ptolemaios 2 from Gundam 00, personally... manages to do most stuff without relying anything as fancy and inexplicable as artificial gravity...

[Starscream]

Oh, and I would also like to nominate every single ship here:
http://i42.tinypic.com/9lfjf4.jpg

Cool people get this reference. Just thought you should know whether or not you are one.:smallbiggrin:

[Finn Solomon]

Serenity! Actually has a defined layout and personality.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Well, Serpentine beat me to the punch, but my favorite ship is the Alien (Horseshoe) Ship where the crew of the Nostromo found the first xenomorph.

What can I say... I grew up in Southwest Colorado, and spent my boyhood crawling all over the Anasazi cliff dwellings, so I have a thing for archeology. And the movies still have never gone back to figure out where the Space Jockey came from, or where he was going, or WHY he was haulling around Alien Eggs! Some of the Dark Horse comics did, but I read those over twenty years ago!

[Hazkali]

Well, Serpentine beat me to the punch, but my favorite ship is the Alien (Horseshoe) Ship where the crew of the Nostromo found the first xenomorph.


Actually, I'd much rather have the Nostromo. It fits my image of what a ship should be like- a mix of dirty engineering and sparkly technology, in something cathedral-sized.

[Hardcore]

The Deathstar. (It moves under it's own power so it is a ship)
Also Imperial Cruisers in general.

[Dallas-Dakota]

http://cultblender.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/space_invaders.jpg

[factotum]

So which of the four types of ship in your picture are you going for, Dallas-Dakota? (I'm ignoring the one at the bottom since it seems to be exploding at the moment :smallsmile:).

[Ravens_cry]

Of recent memory, the new Star Trek movie rendition of a Romulan mining vessel created an amazing piece of art.

Disagree in every manner possible.
OK, maybe as Modern art piece.
But as something that looks like a full functional vessel meant for its intended purpose?
No, in this Trekkies opinion.
For one, it can't be too far in the future from TNG, as Spock was still alive, yet it relates nothing to the aesthetic palette of Romulan ships seen in that era. It's just a mass of spikes and spears, like an overgrown overgrown burdock. The only part that looks like it should be part of a mining vessel is the planetary scale thermal lance. Where is the tanks to hold the harvested ore?
Compare the Malon export vessel (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Malon_export_vessel) or the J class freighter (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/J_class). Both look like they are meant to carry large amounts of material. The Romulan mining vessel looks like it was made for the aesthetics of villainy, then had it's back story tacked on after.

[Geiger Counter]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/128842-192933-lrrr_large.jpg
Drop Down, Increase Speed, Reverse Direction.

[Ossian]

This thread needs the MERZO (http://www.merzo.net/)site, badly. All the warships you need, and way more...

I personally nominate the Yamato (aka Argo). First homungous cannon of my anime education, and one cannot trump the first Motion Wave shot, sorry :smallcool:

[The_Snark]

The Romulan mining vessel looks like it was made for the aesthetics of villainy, then had it's back story tacked on after.

Oh yes. I tend to forget it's supposed to be a mining ship—it wasn't until pretty recently that I sat bolt upright while watching it and said, "Hey! That's why it has a giant drill!" (Much to the amusement of my friends.)

It is cool-looking, though. I like to imagine that the Romulans extend that design philosophy to every vehicle, no matter how pedestrian. Garbage scow, weather satellite, hovertaxi...

[Ravens_cry]

It is cool-looking, though. I like to imagine that the Romulans extend that design philosophy to every vehicle, no matter how pedestrian. Garbage scow, weather satellite, hovertaxi...
Trouble is, it doesn't look much like a Romulan ship either. The drone ship of Enterprise (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Romulan_drone-ship) and the Romulan warbird (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/D%27deridex_class) had more in common.

[The J Pizzel]

1st place goes to Serenity for reasons already said.

2nd place goes to Destiny. Cause like someone said, it goes through stars to refuel. And that's pretty damn cool

3rd place goes to the Event Horizon. Because it went to hell and came back possessed. And that's pretty damn cool too.

[Eldan]

Nostalgia for Infinity. That ship is awesome.

[Syka]

I forgo the Bistromath. It's run on arguments had in a bistro with the complex calculations done on the waiter's pad.

So you get a nice dinner to get you where you're going. :smallwink:

[Saph]

Probably the Starbridge from Escape Velocity Nova.

Picture:
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/evn/images/0/0a/Starbridge.png

[Weezer]

I think I'll have to second the Dauntless, absurdly fast, armored, armed and crewed by the best of the Galactic Patrol. And thats ignoring the fact that Kimball Kinnison, Grey Lensman, is it's captain. It's a classic gotta give it credit.

[crazedloon]

1st serenity (I love how "real" the ship feels)

http://geek-tastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/serenity.jpg

2nd The Outlaw Star (who doesn't want a ship with arms and a sword or a snarky personality :smallbiggrin:)

http://grayphantom.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/g_p-outlaw-star-remastered-24x26452f63298mkv-00000.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n233/slymatt/Outlaw_star05.jpg


and more to come :smallbiggrin:

[Mauther]

For pure functionality I'd go with the Earth Alliance Omega Class destroyer from Babylon5 like the EAS Agamemnon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EAS_Agamemnon.jpg
Looks like a brick with cannons, with the crew conpartments added as an after thought. We don't need no fancy antigravity, we'll just spin the crew compartment around. Awesome. Let the Narn and Mimbari have their elegant or organic designs. The Omega's not going to win any beauty contests, its just going to f*&k you up.

For best weirdness, I'm rather fond of the Tohoku class cruiser from Firefly like the IAV Dortmunder
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/firefly/images/thumb/e/e7/IAVDortmunder.jpg/250px-IAVDortmunder.jpg
Its basically a flying city on top and an inverted aircraft carrier underneath. Just unbridled arrogance.

[Athaniar]

Some of my personal favorites, in no particular order:

The Narada (new Star Trek) - A huge Romulan mining ship enhanced with Borg technology? Oh yeah.

USS Enterprise (Star Trek) - Yes, all of them. They're all awesome.

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) - And not just for the hot AI.

Executor (Star Wars) - Don't tell me its introduction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLUTOGpJ2es) isn't one of the most awesome things ever.

Species 8472/Undine Bioships (including Energy Focuser) (Star Trek) - Who needs a Death Star?

Romulan D'deridex-class warbird (Star Trek) - They even look like birds. Sort of.

Almost ever ship in Star Trek, ever - There, I don't have to mention them all.

[Grumman]

The Lusankya, from the Star Wars EU. All others are inferior. The ship gets a series of Crowning Moments of Awesome, which is more than you can say of Serenity.

[Timberwolf]

The Leviathan II (http://www.classicbattletech.com/images/gallery/Classic_BattleTech_Technical_Readout_3057_Revised_ [email protected]) (the battleship version, not the transport.) 2500000 tons of Clan awesomeness.

Then there's the Nike class from Honor Harrington (the latest HMS Nike) I rather liked the sound of it.

[TheBibliophile]

The Republic Gunship, from Attack of the Clones.

Also, the Jedi Starfighters. Those little things are awesome.

[TheBlackShadow]

How have we not made greater mention of the Imperial Star Destroyers from Star Wars? From the first time I saw Star Wars when I was about five or six, right up to this day, Star Destroyers have never failed to spread a grin across my face. And the scene at the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back with the huge fleet, the first sight of the Super Star Destroyer, and the Imperial March playing in the background? Cue diabolical laughter.

The various ships from the Culture books are pretty cool too, especially the Sleeper Service/Quietly Confident and the Interesting Times Gang from Excession.

[Dogmantra]

10th DoctorXTrillian
...
Oh come on I can't have been the only person to think of that!


I'm going to have to second the TARDIS and Heart of Gold, though possibly more because I like the things in which they occur.

[Dervag]

For one, it can't be too far in the future from TNG, as Spock was still alive, yet it relates nothing to the aesthetic palette of Romulan ships seen in that era. It's just a mass of spikes and spears, like an overgrown overgrown burdock. The only part that looks like it should be part of a mining vessel is the planetary scale thermal lance. Where is the tanks to hold the harvested ore?Hmm. I always figured that they designed it to sling the ore between all those big spiky pylons in big nets. That way, you're not limited by the need to move the rocks in and out of a cargo hatch.

[Athaniar]

As I mentioned, the Narada has been enhanced with Borg technology. It's all in the manual prequel comic, apparently.

[Ravens_cry]

As I mentioned, the Narada has been enhanced with Borg technology. It's all in the manual prequel comic, apparently.
I didn't know this. I should not have to know this. Tell the story in the story, god dammit! I am. . . peeved. :smallfurious:

[The Big Dice]

I forgo the Bistromath. It's run on arguments had in a bistro with the complex calculations done on the waiter's pad.

So you get a nice dinner to get you where you're going. :smallwink:

But the Heart of Gold is so much cooler. And has a better name, too. And the Infinite Improbablity Drive makes more 'sense' than the bistromathic drive.

Other cool ships, other than the obvious, TARDIS / Falcon / Enterprise ones probably includes the Hot Needle of Inquiry from the Ringworld books. Thinking about it, there's lots more cool ships in Niven's books. The MacArthur from Mote in God's Eye, just about anything built by Pak Protectors, the Fleet of Worlds would technically count as a ship too. And that's five (formerly six) entire planets. Outsider ships are awesomely weird. And I'm sure there's more.

The tree ship Ygdrassil in Dan Simmons' Hyperion series has to be up there too. It's a gigantic tree modified for space flight after all.

[Platinum_Mongoose]

I didn't know this. I should not have to know this. Tell the story in the story, god dammit! I am. . . peeved. :smallfurious:

By that logic, shouldn't you accept the Romulan ship as a Romulan ship, seeing as there are no other Romulan ships in the movie for comparison?

Anyway, it's hard to choose between the Falcon and Serenity. I also quite liked the Protector from Galaxy Quest.

[Falconer]

To you, what are the coolest ships you've found in Sci-Fi, by your own personal standards?


This:

http://almostnot.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/deathstar.jpg

Listen to this for the full effect. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8)

[Amiel]

Y'know, the Serenity reminds me of a horse in space; a Space Horse. Now was it intentional or unintentional?

The Event Horizon
Basilica: Necropolis
Tyranid Bioships

[Excession]

Serenity seems similar to a Bristol Freighter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Freighter) to me. Cargo doors on the front with the cockpit over the top. Two chunky engines on stubby wings. Survived long after you'd expect them to be replaced; it seems one was still flying post-2000. Same reputation for "quality", with it once being described as "40 thousand rivets flying in close formation."

Different size though, the cockpit of a Bristol Freighter is extremely small.

[The Big Dice]

This:

http://almostnot.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/deathstar.jpg

Listen to this for the full effect. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8)

Shame the music didn't come in until the second film. After the planet killing terror was blown up by a one man fighter...

[Kane]

Oh, and I would also like to nominate every single ship here:
StarControlII/Ur-QuanMasters.jpg

Cool people get this reference. Just thought you should know whether or not you are one.:smallbiggrin:
They are awesome. You are awesome.
The Broodhome is one bad mother. I like that ship, even if I'm not too great with it. The Torch is fun to play with, and nothing is funnier than when a Podship accidentally kills itself with it's plasma-shot, except maybe a Spathi Eluder. The Nemesis is downright scary.

But that Earthling Cruiser is my favorite. You do not know the true awesome of the ship until you have killed four Dreadnoughts in a row with your last cruiser.

Of course, you can hardly mention them without granting first place to the Sa-Matra.


As for the thread at large, I might vote the Theodore Roosevelt, of Mike Resnick's 'Starship: [Mutiny/Pirate/Mercenary/Rebel/Flagship] series, but I think most of the highly pressurized Awesome concentrate that was present was in the Captain, not the ship. It does how ever, deserve an honorable mention for being eighty years out of date, and personally both saving and destroying the Democracy in less than twenty hours. (The Democracy, with sixty thousand worlds, and three and half million ships.)

Ringworld, of course. There's nothing that's infinite, but when you're on foot, it would be the same thing.

Any ship that is controlled by an AI seems automatically cool.


And, of course, naturally I'm missing some.

EDIT: Hyperlink to 'The Ballad of Wilson Cole' (http://scifisongs.blogspot.com/2009/12/sci-fi-song-25-ballad-of-wilson-cole.html), since people were adding points to certain ships for having their own musical numbers. Spoilers for the books, which totally suggest you read, but it's nifty anyway.

[Weezer]

The MacArthur from Mote in God's Eye

Ye gods how could I forget the MacArthur, that's an amazing ship.

[Barmacral]

Personally, I'm gonna go with Serenity, the Millenium Falcon (always been the ship I've wanted as a kid, at least one of the same class) and the Battlestar Galactica.

[Starscream]

nothing is funnier than when a Podship accidentally kills itself with it's plasma-shot

This is why I like the Arilou. I can take down 5 or 6 Podships in a row with one of those dinky little UFOs.


Of course, you can hardly mention them without granting first place to the Sa-Matra.

I actually always found the Sa-Matra to be a little underwhelming in terms of difficulty. If you're nimble, you can take it down with a single Pkunk.

And hey, guess what ship you are suddenly given several of in the middle of the battle if you did the Pkunk/Yehat quest? It's like they gave you step by step instructions to win.

[Barmacral]

Oh, here's another one I've always liked.


http://www.antoniogenna.net/simpson/futurama/sfondi/800x600Astronave.jpg

[snoopy13a]

The Millennium Falcon.

[Kane]

I actually always found the Sa-Matra to be a little underwhelming in terms of difficulty. If you're nimble, you can take it down with a single Pkunk.

And hey, guess what ship you are suddenly given several of in the middle of the battle if you did the Pkunk/Yehat quest? It's like they gave you step by step instructions to win.

The thing is, those aren't it's guns. Those are it's passive defenses.

[snoopy13a]

This is why I like the Arilou. I can take down 5 or 6 Podships in a row with one of those dinky little UFOs.



I actually always found the Sa-Matra to be a little underwhelming in terms of difficulty. If you're nimble, you can take it down with a single Pkunk.

And hey, guess what ship you are suddenly given several of in the middle of the battle if you did the Pkunk/Yehat quest? It's like they gave you step by step instructions to win.

Are the Yehats the ones with the "Glory device"?

My buddy and I used to duel with opposing Yehats and try to see who could activate the Glory device first in order to blow up the other ship. Of course, premature activation led to the opposing player winning so there was some skill involved.

[Starscream]

Are the Yehats the ones with the "Glory device"?

Those are the Shofixti. The Yehat are the ones with dual machine guns and a force field.

[Hunter Noventa]

The VF-1 Valkyrie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-1_Valkyrie)

Also the STF-1 Macross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDF-1_Macross)

Are pretty cool space ships.

Yes, yes they are. I also nominate the Kurogane.
http://daitrombe.net/attachments/68427/0dc0bf022cd8dea0d53f7c60.jpg?1263563521

It carries a ton of giant robot and it has a DRILL on the front.

[Grumman]

Put the picture in spoiler tags. It's screwing up the interface

[TheThan]

There’s also the Sol Bianca. Which evidently is a (space) pirate ship commanded and crewed by a bunch of beautiful women.

Oh yeah, it transforms into a giant bow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Csgfn6QiDM)

[V'icternus]

the Millenium Falcon (always been the ship I've wanted as a kid, at least one of the same class)

The Falcon has no class. :smalltongue:

[Kane]

Those are the Shofixti. The Yehat are the ones with dual machine guns and a force field.

Ah, yes, the 'Terminator's.

Incidentally, I'd like to add Dahak from the Heirs of Empire trilogy; It's a warship the size of a planetoid, that coats itself a couple kilometers of rock to camouflage itself as a moon. And before anyone goes all 'Deathstar up in this', I'd like to point out that every inch of it's surface is used for weaponry designed to engage anything from regular space ships to, (primarily) other planetoid-warships.

The fact that it acts as a fleet carrier for battleships, cruisers, and smaller crafts, along with the fact the Dahak-as-Dahak came to sentience by accident, just make it cooler.

[Thane of Fife]

No love for the X-Wing?


http://www.monicahelms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/x-wing.jpg

And I've always really liked the Tsunami from Spelljammer, but I can't find a picture of one.

[Serpentine]

I forgot Helva, the Ship Who Sang! =O Also, the Red Dwarf and Holly, of course.

[MethosH]

Oh damn... This post just made me want to design my own space ship fleet...

Actually... This entire post makes me want to jump to arts&crafts and a rally a group to create a sci-fi space-based world.

[Mando Knight]

The Falcon has no class. :smalltongue:

Well, not anymore. The stock YT-1300 freighter performs nothing like the Falcon. And that's assuming you can find a stock YT-series. They're made to be customized by their owners. Corellians are one of the top 5 awesome cultures in Star Wars for that one reason.

[Falconer]

Shame the music didn't come in until the second film. After the planet killing terror was blown up by a one man fighter...

Now that's just not fair. Nothing can stand against the power of the plot.

[Frostwolf]

In no particular order:

Imperial Class Star Destroyers, and Star Dreadnoughts, especially the Executor
Since I was a kid, I've found these ships to be...aesthetically pleasing. Watching these beauties in the movies made my heart jump a little, every time.
While we are here, I got to mention that the TIE-Interceptor is my favorite Starfighter class. Yes, it beats even the Defender.

Tyranid Bioships
There is only few images of these things, but the idea of gigantic, sealike monstrosities in space that harbor billions of deadly members of a galactic locust swarm is too awesome for not being mentioned here.

Borg Cube.
It's a cube.

I'd love to mention some Battletech Jumpships just to get Battletech some credit, but...they ain't cool.

[Barmacral]

And from one of my favourite cinematics of all time (At the end of Starcraft (not broodwar))... the Gantrithor!

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraftfanfiction/images/c/c6/GANTRITHOR_II.jpg

[smellie_hippie]

*views thread*

*ponders*

.......... and now it's time to nominate The Satellite of Love. :biggrin:

http://www.mst3kinfo.com/freebees/10_satellite.jpg


I will also toss in votes for Serenity and Spaceball 1 (Mega Maid)

[Ravens_cry]

By that logic, shouldn't you accept the Romulan ship as a Romulan ship, seeing as there are no other Romulan ships in the movie for comparison?
.
At least those were sources that only cost me time and possibly a cable bill. I watched Enterprise over the airways and TNG when I was a kidlet, so not even that. The other requires me to buy a piece of merchandising for something to pretend to make sense. And it still doesn't. Nothing about the ship, even the Cthulhus burdock design, suggests it was modified by Borg. Nothing stood out to me in the back story as shown in the movie said that Nero made a deal with Borg.

[Serpentine]

"She's gone from suck... to blow!"

In that case, Lone Star's Winnebego.

[Starscream]

.......... and now it's time to nominate The Satellite of Love. :biggrin:

http://www.mst3kinfo.com/freebees/10_satellite.jpg

But how do they eat and breathe?! And other science facts?!

[lin_fusan]

I like the ship designs from the Homeworld video game series. They reminded me of old sci-fi book covers from the 70s with their spines and bright, contrasting colors.

[Athaniar]

Nothing stood out to me in the back story as shown in the movie said that Nero made a deal with Borg.

Actually, it's stolen from a research station. Also, Nero's weapon is the Romulan imperial scepter. Note that I haven't read the comic either, I just read Memory Alpha (and the countdown to Star Trek Online).

[Platinum_Mongoose]

At least those were sources that only cost me time and possibly a cable bill. I watched Enterprise over the airways and TNG when I was a kidlet, so not even that. The other requires me to buy a piece of merchandising for something to pretend to make sense. And it still doesn't. Nothing about the ship, even the Cthulhus burdock design, suggests it was modified by Borg. Nothing stood out to me in the back story as shown in the movie said that Nero made a deal with Borg.

*Shrug.* 'Kay. It was, however, a very cool ship.

[Siosilvar]

Probably the Starbridge from Escape Velocity Nova.

Picture:
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/evn/images/0/0a/Starbridge.png

I see your Bridge and raise you one Pirate Valkyrie IV.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060608003030/evn/images/f/fc/Pirate_Valkyrie.jpg
Note for those who don't play EV Nova: The PVIV has weapons that mass approximately twice its total mass.

Or even an IDA Frigate.
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060420011049/evn/images/2/2a/IDA_Frigate.jpg

[LOTRfan]

I have a favorite ship from pretty much all the shows I watched, so here is the collective list:

The Zephyr (from Battle Star Galactica)
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/b/b1/Space_Park.JPG

The Millennium Falcon
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070507224007/starwars/images/d/dc/Melfal.jpg

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070502024617/memoryalpha/en/images/b/be/USS_Enterprise_%28NCC-1701%29%2C_ENT.jpg

[Hawriel]

But how do they eat and breathe?! And other science facts?!

Lalala




how about the USS Cygnus.

[WarBrute]

All this is worthless against my Dai Gunzan!


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/ShadowBankotsu/Tengen%20Toppa%20Gurren%20Lagann/Gurren_Lagann_-_Dai-Gunzan.jpg


:smallbiggrin:

[Vorpalbob]

Its got six Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers. What's not to like?

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091202030224/starwars/images/c/cc/Outboundship.jpgIts the Outbound Flight!

[Derthric]

I have always been partial to the N.E.A.S. Protector from GalaxyQuest

I also am surprised the Ebonhawk hasn't been mentioned.

[Serpentine]

I have always been partial to the N.E.A.S. Protector from GalaxyQuest"What do these do?! THIS EPISODE IS POORLY WRITTEN!"

[Fri]

Beside VF-1 Valkyrie that is my favourite ship ever, another of my favourite ship would me moya from farscape.

Hell, I never actually watch farscape, and just know about her from cultural assimilation and wiki, but she's still so awesome.

Is farscape any good, by the way?

[Mando Knight]

All this is worthless against my Dai Gunzan!


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/ShadowBankotsu/Tengen%20Toppa%20Gurren%20Lagann/Gurren_Lagann_-_Dai-Gunzan.jpg


:smallbiggrin:

I'll drill into it, and make it my own! I call it... Dai Gurren! Better name for a big red mecha, isn't it? :smallwink::smalltongue:

I prefer Super Galaxy Dai Gurren (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvZ5ZjpvJ3w#t=22m26s), though.

[Avilan the Grey]

1) The Tardis

2) New Normandy

3) Serenity

[Thiel]

I like the URSS Alabama

[Shadow of the Sun]

I'm thinking...

The Spelljammer!

Although, admittedly, that is more science fantasy...

[SAMAS]

How about an original one: The ship from Flight of the Navigator (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnB7rIL2fy8)?

[bibliophile]

The Millennium Falcon.

The USS Discovery One from 2001 a Space Odyssey


And now, one y'all have never heard of

The Luna from Destination Moon (the American film, not the unrelated tintin comic)

[gooddragon1]

The Archangel-Class Dreadnought (http://homeworld.wikia.com/wiki/Archangel-class_Dreadnought)

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/homeworld/images/thumb/9/9f/Archangel_Dreadnaught.jpg/300px-Archangel_Dreadnaught.jpg

Missiles, "Torpedoes" (energy cannon bursts), and lasers. It's just an awesome ship to watch in combat.

[Zen Monkey]

Serenity

It looks like it could be a good home, and carries the only sci-fi character group I've ever wanted to join.

[Mauther]

1) The Tardis

2) New Normandy

3) Serenity

My only problem with the New Normandy is why are portions of my ship locked. If I'm the fricking captain, let me in the stinking port observation lounge. I don't care if there's some blue skinned sociopath babe in there or not.

But both SR2 Normandy and Serenity get +1 for both a working kitchen and a working toilet.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

The Defiant from DS9.

Overgunned, undersized, and at the very point of flying apart at the seams. and oh yes, designed to destory the Borg.

The Scimitar from Nemesis.
Possibly the only cool thing about Nemesis, aside from Not-Picard's knife. (Faith used the same kind of knife in S3 of Buffy).

I will always have a soft-spot for the first Star Destoryer we see at the beginning of Star Wars.

[Hardcore]

SPACE 1999 - Eagle (http://chrusion.com/images/display/Eagle-1.jpg)

[EleventhHour]

Floating Gothic Cathedral in space? Far more interesting than the generically sleek starships.

How about an Emperor Class Battleship? :smallwink:
http://www.minishoppa.com/store/images/BFG/BFGEmperor.jpg

[Brewdude]

Yes, Farscape is worth watching. Better than andromeda, almost as good as SG-1 (some might say better, but it's to taste). Had a major case of "screwed by the network" in it's 4th season, but it's still cool.

[Jorkens]

All this is worthless against my Dai Gunzan!


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/ShadowBankotsu/Tengen%20Toppa%20Gurren%20Lagann/Gurren_Lagann_-_Dai-Gunzan.jpg


:smallbiggrin:
That looks like the Yellow Submarine with an attitude problem. Speaking of which, the Lief Ericson from Illuminatus is pretty cool.

The shadow vessels are also a good shout, though.

[Hawriel]

I really like Star Trek's Luna Class. Will Riker is the captain of the Titan. The publisher and paramont had a fan contest for its desine. The winner got his ship put on the cover of a titan novel pluss a fold out in the book. Considering some of the runner up desines that they posted, I think they brought in a ringer.

[The Glyphstone]

I still have a soft spot for Homeworld's Mothership.


http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/homeworld/images/thumb/0/0a/Kushan_Mothership.jpg/300px-Kushan_Mothership.jpg

[industrious]

I can't believe the Carrier from the Authority hasn't been mentioned yet.


http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/308/78723-56192-the-carrier_super.jpg
http://www.comicvine.com/news/the-authority-writers-talk-to-comic-vine/140133/
For reference, that ship is the approximate size of Cuba.

[Silly Wizard]

Millennium Falcon, Star Wars
Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft, Star Wars
Orion, Stargate

[AslanCross]

Executor, Star Wars. It's just so incredibly mean-looking, and its "And you though the Star Destroyers were big (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLUTOGpJ2es)" introduction in Empire Strikes Back still sends chills up my spine.

[Lord Raziere]

any ship I can design. :smallcool:

[Dilvish]

I'm going on looks here.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 - though I can't pick between the original series ship and the refitted Enterprise of the first few movies. She just has that look that says cruiser and exploration ship.

The Romulan Warbird from the original series. Maybe it is the paint job. Maybe it is me growing up on the original series. Maybe it is playing Star Fleet Battles. :)

Star Wars, the Y-Wing fighter. Give me the Y-Wing in looks over the X-Wing and the rest of the alphabet fighters.

Queen of Naboo's personal starship. Reminds me of a silver SR-71.

(Speaking of which, Stargate really should have designed a space fighter that looked like the SR-71. The Blackbird/Habu is practically screaming Spaceship!)

Darth Vader's personal TIE fighter. Oh yeah, it's time to do some butt-kicking.

Vipers from BSG. I could draw them as a kid.

[The Glyphstone]

Star Wars, the Y-Wing fighter. Give me the Y-Wing in looks over the X-Wing and the rest of the alphabet fighters.
.

I dunno...the Y-wing does look cool, but I think it's got strong competition with the rather extremely under-represented B-wing. Not only does the B look neat, but it's the only ship (that I know of) in the entire Star Wars canon that makes more than a passing attempt to behave like a 'real' spaceship would, with its rotating cockpit mount.

[Wardog]

Babylon 5 supplies a lot of my "Coolest Ships":

Starfuries, for actually handling the way a space fighter would.

Omega-class destroyers. For looking hard-as-nails, and for being ugly in the way that says "We spent out aesthetics budget on more guns".

The Whitestar. For being the exact opposite and managing to look (and be) extremely beautiful, extremely deadly, and extremely alien all in one sleek package.


Also, Freelancer has some pretty nice ships. I found some good images here:
http://www.memes.no/88flak/forum/viewtopic.php?t=718

In particular:
Defender

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6179/libertydefender01xk7.jpg

[Starbuck_II]

10th DoctorXTrillian
...
Oh come on I can't have been the only person to think of that!


I'm going to have to second the TARDIS and Heart of Gold, though possibly more because I like the things in which they occur.

I agree. But Include Farscape's ship and Outlaw Stars.

Also TARDIS is not actually look like a police box: that is a illusion/camoflauge that machine is stuck in.
It can look like anything you dang please.

[cattoy]

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g10/NapoleonDeCheese/Tenchi%20Muyo/ryo_ohki12.jpg

This one runs on carrots! Also, sometimes, it's cuddly.

[Kzickas]

Londo Mollari/G'Kar

[Deca]

The answer to the question of 'coolest ship' can be answered with another question: "Which ship is capable of doing the Adama Maneouver?"


http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3760/battlestargalacticaship.jpg

So say we all

[Mando Knight]

Not only does the B look neat, but it's the only ship (that I know of) in the entire Star Wars canon that makes more than a passing attempt to behave like a 'real' spaceship would, with its rotating cockpit mount.

What? I can't imagine a dynamics situation in which having a rotating cockpit set away from the neutral axis would be useful at all.

[warty goblin]

What? I can't imagine a dynamics situation in which having a rotating cockpit set away from the neutral axis would be useful at all.

Particularly since it only rotates along an axis parallel to the pilot's line of sight. Now if the axis of rotation was perpendicular to LoS, it would actually allow you to see something new, but as it is it really doesn't.

[TheThan]

Yes, Farscape is worth watching. Better than andromeda, almost as good as SG-1 (some might say better, but it's to taste). Had a major case of "screwed by the network" in it's 4th season, but it's still cool.

yeah, its a great show, but it does have some seriously bizarre mind screw episodes. But as a whole its pretty cool.

[factotum]

Particularly since it only rotates along an axis parallel to the pilot's line of sight. Now if the axis of rotation was perpendicular to LoS, it would actually allow you to see something new, but as it is it really doesn't.

I always thought the reason for the B-wing working that way was so it would fit into the hangar bay openings of capital ships, which tend to be very wide and not all that high. Of course, you have to ask why they didn't just design it to be long and wide to start with so they didn't have to include all that dead weight for the rotating components!

[Dinvan]

Voyager with all the tech futre jayne way brings at the end of the series.

Tardis

SSV Normandy 2

[zimmerwald1915]

(Speaking of which, Stargate really should have designed a space fighter that looked like the SR-71. The Blackbird/Habu is practically screaming Spaceship!)
It almost is one. :smallwink:

[Kcalehc]

http://www.merzo.net/ <-- Some nice (to scale) pics of spaceships.

I personally like a lot of the ships from Freespace: The Great War. Some of the basic fighters do have some lovely looks.

[lightningcat]

Incidentally, I'd like to add Dahak from the Heirs of Empire trilogy; It's a warship the size of a planetoid, that coats itself a couple kilometers of rock to camouflage itself as a moon. And before anyone goes all 'Deathstar up in this', I'd like to point out that every inch of it's surface is used for weaponry designed to engage anything from regular space ships to, (primarily) other planetoid-warships.

The fact that it acts as a fleet carrier for battleships, cruisers, and smaller crafts, along with the fact the Dahak-as-Dahak came to sentience by accident, just make it cooler.

Add in the fact that is OUR moon, just makes it even cooler.

But I'm going to have to go with the good old X-wing as my favorite ship of all time. With B5's Whitestars and Starfury's and SG:U's Destiny coming close behind. And SW's B-wing for an honorable mention.