Star Trek Online is a huge multiplayer online role-playing game set in Trek's 25th century. Players get to control a wide range of unique Federation and alien vessels that have taken ship design to the next level. In the first of a new weekly feature lead artist Thomas Marrone looks at the latest starships included in the Victory is Life expansion.

1. Cardassian Detapa-class Intel Escort

Length: 218 metres

Description: Recent starship development on Cardassia has changed a lot from the time of the Dominion War, and before. More focus is given these days to sizing up your opponents before leaping into the fray, rather than trusting on the strength of your armaments and skill of your crew. Better to be prepared than to be dead. Of course, even a cautious approach needs forward scouts, and the Detapa-class Intel Escorts are the perfect blend of reconnaissance vessel and forward strike crew. These nimble vessels bear the honour of being named after the reinstated civilian government of the recently-reformed Cardassian Union. Gameplay features: This ship has a Spiral Wave Blast Module, can cloak, and can utilize the full suite of intelligence starship specialization abilities.

Design: The Detapa-class Intel Escort was intended to be a small, fast spin on the iconic Cardassian-design philosophy. With all of our new Cardassian ships, we wanted to blend the aesthetic of a stealth fighter with the blocky, industrial feel of canon Cardassian ships, and this was especially true with the Detapa-class Intel Escort. Ship Artist Mauricio Tejerina designed and modelled the ship, and when he started he began by creating dozens of different possible silhouettes (below) to choose from. Click on the image for a larger view.

From there we picked which of these silhouettes felt appropriate for each of the three Cardassian ships we wanted to create. For the Detapa, we wanted something that felt nimble, without sacrificing the brutal Cardassian angles. After selecting the basic shape of the ship, Mo went to work creating the forms of it, blocking it out in 3D (above). It was at this stage that he added the angled wings, a predatory addition that hinted at the aggressive nature of the escort. We also added a second set of “wings” for engines to emphasize the ship’s speed, and the iconic “tuning fork” at the back of the ship.

Mo then went on to create final illustrations (above) that everyone agreed on, and from there modelled the ship and brought it into the game. Click on the images for larger views.

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This ship is available as part of the Gamma Vanguard Pack. Click here for details.

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