"Part of being a captain is knowing when to smile, to make the troops happy. Even when it's the last thing in the world you want to do. Because they're your troops, and you have to take care of them." - Sisko to Worf
"In their design is expressed the character and ideals of the Federation itself: Beauty without excess, boldness without arrogance, and grace without pride." My god, you are bonafide poets.
Finally... a ship that can explore, but can actually do heavy combat as needed, as the class was actually designed with the thought "maybe this should be able to hold her own"
as lovely and naïve the federations stance is on conflict it's nice to see that they're willing to admit that peace is not always an option and war, war happens.
Was just thinking about this when they mentioned building relationships with the Romulans. The Federation has a few great moments where they showed that their crews were prepared to lay their lives on the line for even their enemies (destruction of the Enterprise C, the battle against Shinzon, even the final push down onto Cardassia Prime while the Dominion slaughtered the civilians.
@@pdehoff1 Star Trek seems to portray humanity as redirecting their stereotype as violent warmongers into one of dedicated guardians for any and all species big or small. Starfleet officers will risk their lives in defense of whoever may need it.
"Captain, we've been out in space nearly a year now. We're ready. The Enterprise-E is the most advanced starship in the fleet. We should be on the front line." -- Lieutenant Commander Geordie La Forge
The Sovereign is tied with the Akira for my favorite canon ship in all of Star Trek. It's just such a beautiful design, and a powerful ship. More importantly, it's a sign that Starfleet realized they can't rely on exploration cruisers when conflict inevitably breaks out. Even if your ideal is peace, the fleet must be ready for war, because the universe is rarely ideal.
@@thedragondemands5186 Defiant is not a fleet vessel, I'd put those in a separate unit. Like they discussed in DS9, use it like cavalry. Flank the enemy, get in fast and do a lot of damage, then get out and run like hell. Put the Luna in the main fleet.
@@ODST_Parker Defiant class is, on paper, an 'escort' ship. If you had a wing of say, five Defiant class (minus cloakers cuz treaties) with a Sovereign, and a few Akira, that'd be a damned good battlegroup. Especially if the Defiants also acted as frigates, rotating themselves in to absorb shots meant for the Sovereign. We all know Defiant class armor is damned dense, so they can take a good pounding. And when they've had enough, they rotate out, let the next one absorb the hits, all the while all ships are firing. How did that one book I read refer to them?... Refractory ships. Ships designed to take punches, while the big ships fight back.
The Sovereign was different from most other factions big capital ship in that it was *agile* and maneuverable, in order to take advantage of Starfleets greatest asset - the intelligence and _quick thinking original problem solving_ of its crews. While other big ships (including the previous flagships of the Federation) are just sitting there and trading blows, the Sovereign is nimbly gaining advantage on its adversaries by positioning, and taking advantage of out of the box thinking.
"That might be the most important thing to understand about Humans. It's the unknown that defines our existence. We are constantly searching, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions." - Sisko to the Wormhole Alien
The Sovereign class in its limited numbers did play a important part in the Dominion War, by freeing up large numbers of other ships so they could take part in what was a meat grinder War of Attrition.
The Sovereign class is a classic example of a great starship. Combination of explorer and combat ready vessel. She is one of my favorite class of ships. Along with the Excelsior class. Thank you for your video. Live long and prosper 🖖🏾
The Sovereign always did feel like an evolution of the Intrepid for me. The Intrepid is the high speed Science vessel that can hold its own in most situations. The Sovereign is the large capitol ship designed in a era where the threats to the Federation needed to see that Star Fleet was capable of defending their own, but still capable of displaying the elegance a first contact ship needs to not appear hostile.
until you scan it and see that its armed to the teeth. I actually find the Intrepid-Class a way better choice for a first contact situation. Both its smaller size and weapon loadout will be less intimidating to any unknown Species you encounter than a Sovereign or Galaxy-class. Their size alone will scare most worlds who do not build ships as big them selves. At the same time the Intrepid being powerful and quick enough to survive an unforeseen attack and make a quick escape. Also being more comfortable like the true workhorses oberth/ Nova/ defiant/ Excelsior classes we also see interior wise which suggest a secondary purpose as diplomatic and or Command vessel in mind as it was designed. We also see an interesting bridge layout which gives a second person like an diplomat the same status as the captain without having to say it explicitly by simply using no center captains chair but two equal chairs instead. Lastly it is even able to land and by that basically providing one of these movie like alien ship landing on planet while staying peaceful and providing a more controllable (at least seemingly) situation for species like Earth in First contact who would have almost no control over a ship in orbit what so ever but on the ground had more options to fight back which could comfort such a species.
Yeah, the Sovereign is like a hand in a steel gauntlet under white silk glove. It reaches out in peace and friendship, but it can also firmly hold a sword, if the need arises
The Sovereign class is hands down the sexiest ship in Star Trek.....not just Star Fleet vessel, but any ship in Star Trek. They couldn't have done a better job designing this vessel if they tried. The Enterprise-E will always be one of my top 5 favorite sci-fi ships of all time.
One of my favorite classes of Starfleet ship, it's too bad we never got to see more of it onscreen. And a fine addition to SF ships that carried the name 'Enterprise'. Its first reveal in first contact is one my favorites in trek.
@@Cailus3542 Thank God too, because the Galaxies were glass cannons. They could dish out a ton of punishment quickly when needed (especially the Dominion War Refit models) but they were woefully under shielded and under armored. The Excelsior class, despite being 70 years older, was a much better basis for a combat vessel. Which we saw in DS9 when a 2370s refit Excelsior fought the Defiant to a standstill.
Wow, this is an epic tribute to the Sovereign class. I've been watching Star Trek for ages but the Sovereign was the first design that I instantly fell in love with. She's just an utterly beautiful. Slim, fast and ready to fight if needed.
In ways that the Star Trek franchise has only managed to pay lip service to, the Templin Institute truly brings the disparate stories of many different series and films together, in a single lovingly crafted work, illustrating to us the bigger picture of a single “alternate world”. I love this video, for its commentary is a labour of love ❤️
Star fleet has been a vital part of the Federation both for scientific exploration which forever change the Galaxy, and survival for the ideals that formed the Federation itself. The Sovereign is/was the pinnacle of the Federation technological advances that perfect for hundreds of years, and the Sovereign was vital for the ending of plot that could have plunged both the Federation and the Romulus Star Empire into a destructive war.
*Sniff* I had a tear in my eye drinking my Earl Grey in the morning and being notified/watching this release. Beauty shots of the Sovereign Class was creatively done, second to my favorite to the Prometheus Class -_^ and I loved the point of the no neck designs that Starfleet is slowly incorporating into their starships. In addition, what made me love about Star Trek was the concept of a brighter future for humanity and the concept of an alliance of alien races working together to make a living in the vast expanse of space. Diplomacy First then if all else fails, than combat. People / Characters depict Starfleet as using diplomacy as a front with starships armed with a lot of guns if the other side does not comply. I view it as humanity/starfleet learning their lessons from being too Naive. Especially, after the Borg and Dominion encounters. Q stated, "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed....it's not safe out here. It's wondrous; with treasures to satiate desires subtle and gross....It's not for the timid." I will never forget how impactful this quote was back when I first watched "Q Who" on my cube TV. Such a statement is a real life lesson that shaped me into what I am today. Gotta be prepared for what is out there in the unknown. Do your best to make contingency plans and be flexible to adapt to any situation should it come so suddenly. Sorry for long talk ^_^;
Okay, I always cry when The Templin Institute makes a video related to StarTrek, simply wonderful, it brings everything that Star Trek represents and demonstrates, in a sense of hope for a better future. Really, thank you Marc and the rest of the team for making "Work of Art" on youtube.
Press F to salute the Sovereign class exploratory cruiser. (Pressing F) This is truly a well done video. I want to see more Federation starships on Arsenal soon, like the Constitution class and the Defiant class.
Sovereign is one of the few fed designs I don't mock. It's a good balance of shield, physical protection, firepower, mobility and speed, and crew numbers. It's also one of the few ships I've seen in the movies or shows firing more than one kind of weapon at a time, at more than one target at a time. The way it's designed makes it feel like they finally decided to emphasize that it's an armored vessel; the hull plates look very thick and tough, compared to earlier ships who's hulls were just a few centimeters thick and would easily fail if the shields dropped. Also, it has very visible escape pod portions which to me, is always a good thing. If it were up to me to give it a proper designation... I'd probably say it's kind of a fast response battlecruiser, with command function options. Something between a heavy cruiser, a battle cruiser, and a battleship. Not that feds would admit to making actual BATTLEships.
Starfleet learnt a tough lesson about having physical armour as backup in case shields can be bypassed. Both from early encounters with the Dominion, and especially by the embarrassing loss of the Enterprise-D to a single out of date Bird of Prey that had their shield frequencies.
getting a bloody nose and a broken jaw at Wolf 359 has that effect on a fleet that has become complacent with no real rivals and their biggest rival is now an ally. About the designations, I always found it funny how the Federation never labels their ships a warship. The Federation starships can tear dedicated warships to shreds and carry enough armament to render planets inhabitable, but they are not warships...
@@angelrivera2339 I'd say getting the crap beat out of them during the Dominion war lead to better designs like this. When their only real threat was the Borg, they just kept trying to out-tech them. But the Dominion just kinda removed the whole tech defense by stripping away their shields, shutting down engines, and actually doing physical-impact attacks when needed, which sent Star Fleet reeling. They'd depended on just having the strongest shields ONLY for the longest time. Armor a ship? Why? Secondary and tertiary shields going right down to ship skin? Why? But between the Borg and Dominion, they learned from seeing the Klingons and Cardassians, and even the Breen, that if you wanted tough ships...you made them TOUGH. Which included things like ablative and reactive armor and other built-in defenses. And to increase the mobility of ships, since their old fleet flag style ships had the dodge mobility of a wandering asteroid. I always wonder if Star Fleet ever tried ECM against other races. Like, not cloaking, but deliberate disruption of targetting sensors, so that shipboard energy weapons had a hard time locking on, and torpedoes would miss unless they had a really robust targetting computer suite. Or if all that was in the background and was just never mentioned.
This quote is the pivotal wisdom how Star Trek humanity advance beyond the primitive standards. A true interstellar civilization that don't dwells to wealth but knowledge and the thrill to go beyond.
I remember in old defunct Trek RPG books, the Sovereign was designated as a "Heavy Explorer". Apparently it's supposed to be able to work with barely any need of resupply and support from Starbases. Also considered a Dreadnought in combat times.
Sovereign and Akira classes are the awesome culmination of Starship design from hard experience with lots of enemy encounters. I sure do like both the Sovereign and Akira classes!! Good video - Well done!!
It's quite interesting to see how the soverign plays in STO. It neatly fits into being a good tactical ship, and a general all rounder when it comes to operations and such. There are better ships out there definetly, but it's a good ship for newer players to command to learn the ropes.
the legendary miracle worker sovereign is pretty hard to beat when equipped right, though equally hard to obtain anymore. battleships in 1 - 2 passes, escorts in 1 - 2 volleys, and not some mathed-out dps build either, just random stuff i like.
I have much respect for the narrator in this video. He delivers the facts while doing so in a manner which sounds scientific in nature with the subject material being science fiction. As a long time Trek enthusiast, I thank you for the attention to detail presented in this video. Live long and prosper!
My headcanon is that the Sovereign-class didn't appear much in the Dominion War because the Jem'Hadar blew up many of the key Starfleet shipyards (as mentioned by Vreenak in DS9 "In The Pale Moonlight") and delayed their entering mass production until after the war.
Canonical speaking, the Sovereign class was held back for two reasons; 1) To avoid the disgrace of having the pride of Starfleet destroyed in combat, Sovereigns are awesome but we're as vulnerable to Jem'Hadar kamikaze runs as any other ship. 2) To free up ships for the war effort and keep neutral/snall powers feeling safe in a "no worries we have our best ships here helping you out" kind of way.
Wow. Just...wow. I've enjoyed the narratives of this channel for a long time. But....that introduction (as well as the rest) was truly a pleasure to hear. May you all keep on creating such wondrous and well-written narratives going forward! Kudos to you all
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. After all Number One, we're only mortal." - Jean-Luc Picard
@AngelofDeath1431 nope, I thought the whole thing was weak and dumb. Sorry if you thought I was making a invitation, the whole movie was lame and a complete disappointment.
On the use of the Sovereign-class in the Dominion War - or lack of use perhaps - I took that as Starfleet keeping its ‘biggest stick’ in reserve. Similar to keeping the Enterprise out of the 2250s Federation-Klingon War, perhaps. Plus it’d confuse the hell out of Dominion intelligence: why weren’t the Federation putting their most capable starships to use on the frontlines? What were they holding them back for? And ultimately it allowed Enterprise-E and her sisters to take on the kinds of ‘firefighting’ diplomatic or military missions that’d require multiple less capable starships; allowing more of the latter to take positions in Starfleet’s numbered combat fleets.
My favorite startrek ship class. It is strikingly "startrek" . It is imposing without feeling bulky or being bloated artistic without being complicated it is simple yet refined without the needless and excessive "additions" or "details" you see in startrek online ships. I loved startrek so much.
I still want a post dominion era show about the crew of a sovereign class ship, there’s still so much story they can get out of that era. What’s going on with Cardassia and the Breen after the war? And maybe they could explore the gamma quadrant some more
I think they stopped because you'll need to do a time jump and the 30th plus centuries get pretty crazy from what we saw. They time travel and all kinds of stuff. If they stay in the current Era maybe a cartoon would do or a recast of characters simply because everybody is old now.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Lower Decks set after the Dominion War and Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant? 2nd season even gave us Tom Paris in one episode.
@CLIFF Have you not heard of Lower Decks & Picard & Prodigy? They’re already covering the Post-Dominion War eras. All we need now is a Sovereign-class & its crew, and we can just continue on as usual.
Didn't watch Star Trek but played STA3 for sins of a solar empire. Found the sovereign as a late game capital ship and thought "ok." Did not expect it to be an exploratory cruiser in lore.
@@paulrasmussen8953 There is a change to the attitude of Starfleet. Look at Picard. They have ships like Akira, Sovereign, The new Sagan Class. A heavily refitted Excelsior Class. Plus the attack fleet we saw at the end on season one. You can still do the science and exploration stuff, and still have a fleet that can fight. These are all post Dominion War thinking.
My favorite Star Trek design by far. A worthy successor to the Galaxy class that improves upon it in every way.
2 роки тому+6
Sovereign: Speak softly and carry a starbase-grade phaser array. or Sovereign: Because _sometimes_ you just have to park a megaton of duranium-plated fuck you above their capital to get the point across.
The Sovereign Class in particular Enterprise E will always be my favorite vessel design from Starfleet and also the bridge design being my favorite. I would agree that Majestic sums up the Sovereign class in one word. Well done Templin Institute!
Maybe it's because it was one of the first ships I ever saw on a screen (or at least in any capacity I ended up remembering) but this is among my favorite ship designs, if not the outright favorite.
There is just one thing... The Sovereign class wasn't created as an explorer, she was a Warship, created as part of the Anti-Borg program. The Sovereign was created to the defend the Federation against the eldritch horrors of the outer darkness
The Excelsior class also had a pretty girthy neck, I'd say. I do like the fused hull design though, I agree. Although I guess a counter point would be that, when shielding is much more effective than armor (as had been the case in the preceding vessels), thin connective parts of the hull don't really present that much of a disadvantage. Meaning, if your shields are down, having a thick neck isn't going to help much.
@@delphicdescant there's also a theory that starships (even without shields) are basically a collection of energy fields, and the hull merely serves as the conduit for these fields. So a part that looks thin might not necessarily be weaker than a thicker section (which taken to the logical limit become the 32nd century detached nacelles). So imo deriding Federation designs for their weaknesses according to current engineering principles is a bit presumptuous because they may not actually be weaknesses according to Federation science and engineering.
When even the most in denile Scifi military in the the Scifi multiverse has had enough of someone's BS... An said someone has REALLY pissed them off too. Except of course when plot was involved.... Cuz apparently it never occurred to Starfleet to sick their MOST powerful BATTLESHIPS on an enemy in the middle of a war.
However impressive it may be the Defiant, after being basically rebuilt from the ground up including the addition of plot armour by a space wizard from Ireland, would still best it in combat.
The thing I've always - *always* - hated about Federation starships are the engines. When they stick out like that it's a giant "shoot me here" sign for anybody they're fighting in a space battle. This is why the Defiant's design is my favorite. It is way more practical.
Except it created its own problems. Such as increased radiation exposure on the crew and more likely to accidentally tear the ship apart during high warps. The Defiant is a great short-range frigate, but a lousy long-range ship due to its engine placement.
Well they did serve in several engagements in the war .in the final months enterprise was at earth during the Breen attack for example or batazed liberation and esri dax served on the uss destiny ( sovereign class) which was damaged in a battle with the dominion. I believe, ark royal was another ( fifth fleet flagship)
I’d say she’s a return to the Excelsior layout and design goals. The Excelsior was designed towards to the end of the Federation/Klingon Cold War. She was designed as a warship first and foremost but still capable of performing the long duration exploration missions the Constitution class was famous for. After the Praxis incident the Federation and Klingon Empire were no longer in cold hostility. And thanks to the aftermath of Praxis the Federation was now the dominant power in the Alpha and Beta quadrants. They got lazy and naive. They were entering a golden age of peace. The Ambassador and Galaxy classes represent that train of thought, as both were designed for exploration and science first with combat capability being a secondary concern. The Sovereign represents a return to the thinking behind the Excelsior. Design her as a warship up front, but have her be capable of secondary science and exploration missions.
Exploratory Cruiser? With the amount of armaments she carries post refit, I believe the title of Assault Cruiser is more accurate, not to mention nothing was mentioned about aboard laboratories.
The Sovereign did carry on board labs- it had many internal modular bays that could be swapped out during refits for various mission profiles including science, but it didn't have everything at once like the Galaxy class. As for type, the Sovereign's internal designation was a "Command Cruiser". But keep in mid the same name scheme labeled the Defiant class as a "light tactical escort" haha.
I really didn't appreciate how good your videos really look until I threw this one up on the big screen. The voice audio seem to hit the bass a bit much though, that or UA-cam's immutable equaliser profile muddies the bass.
"Part of being a captain is knowing when to smile, to make the troops happy. Even when it's the last thing in the world you want to do. Because they're your troops, and you have to take care of them." - Sisko to Worf
YoU bEtRaYeD yOuR uNiFoRm!!!!” ~another part of being Captain Susko 😉
@@hellfish2309 I read it like you wrote it, as only Avery Brooks could deliver it.
All Might agrees with The Sisko!
@@hellfish2309 And you’re betraying yours. Right now. Sad part is you don’t even see it.
@@BullGator-kd6ge
Sisko: “cool story, bro… if you enjoyed the taste of my peppers, you’ll really get a kick outta these fresh trilithium torpedoes”
''Beauty without excess, Boldness without arrogance and Grace without pride.''
Beautiful.
Art.
A fitting bridge plaque motto to any Sovereign class.
Love this ship!
Sovereign Class: Because sometimes you have to stand your ground.
…and look awesome while doing it.
"In their design is expressed the character and ideals of the Federation itself: Beauty without excess, boldness without arrogance, and grace without pride."
My god, you are bonafide poets.
For God's sake, Jim! I'm a doctor! Not a poet!
Finally... a ship that can explore, but can actually do heavy combat as needed, as the class was actually designed with the thought "maybe this should be able to hold her own"
as lovely and naïve the federations stance is on conflict it's nice to see that they're willing to admit that peace is not always an option and war, war happens.
In any other universe they might call this ship the Sovereign-Class Battlecruiser.
@@generalnawaki si vis pacem, Para bellum.
Words to not only understand but live by.
@@cheeseninja1115 it never hurts to have a strong red right hand.
Starfleet prefers having the carrot over the stick.
that said, they're well trained and carry a lot of sticks for the day it's needed.
Something about Templin, where when you talk about Starfleet it's so inspiring and nearly tear jerking. You really nail what Roddenberry envisioned.
Was just thinking about this when they mentioned building relationships with the Romulans. The Federation has a few great moments where they showed that their crews were prepared to lay their lives on the line for even their enemies (destruction of the Enterprise C, the battle against Shinzon, even the final push down onto Cardassia Prime while the Dominion slaughtered the civilians.
@@pdehoff1 We should all want to be like those in the Federation. Understanding, compassion, drive, it's what Star Trek is all about!
These are good primers for when I pitch joining a Star Trek Adventurers RPG campaign
@@pdehoff1 Star Trek seems to portray humanity as redirecting their stereotype as violent warmongers into one of dedicated guardians for any and all species big or small. Starfleet officers will risk their lives in defense of whoever may need it.
Crusher: "Think they'll build another one?"
Picard: "Plenty of letters left in the alphabet."
@Moggie Oates Nope, it was Dr. Crusher ^^
@Moggie Oates The quote is from First Contact.
And when they run out, there's always the Cyrillic alphabet.
"Captain, we've been out in space nearly a year now. We're ready. The Enterprise-E is the most advanced starship in the fleet. We should be on the front line." -- Lieutenant Commander Geordie La Forge
"She’s a fine ship, you treat her right and she’ll always bring you home” - Dr. Leonard McCoy
The Sovereign is tied with the Akira for my favorite canon ship in all of Star Trek. It's just such a beautiful design, and a powerful ship. More importantly, it's a sign that Starfleet realized they can't rely on exploration cruisers when conflict inevitably breaks out. Even if your ideal is peace, the fleet must be ready for war, because the universe is rarely ideal.
The ideal fleet is Sovereigns, Akiras, and Defiants.
@@thedragondemands5186 Defiant is not a fleet vessel, I'd put those in a separate unit. Like they discussed in DS9, use it like cavalry. Flank the enemy, get in fast and do a lot of damage, then get out and run like hell.
Put the Luna in the main fleet.
@Thisis Gettinboring I’m convinced the Intrepid-class strikes the balance
@@ODST_Parker Akira > Luna, though it’s rarely outfitted properly/optimally
@@ODST_Parker Defiant class is, on paper, an 'escort' ship. If you had a wing of say, five Defiant class (minus cloakers cuz treaties) with a Sovereign, and a few Akira, that'd be a damned good battlegroup. Especially if the Defiants also acted as frigates, rotating themselves in to absorb shots meant for the Sovereign. We all know Defiant class armor is damned dense, so they can take a good pounding. And when they've had enough, they rotate out, let the next one absorb the hits, all the while all ships are firing. How did that one book I read refer to them?... Refractory ships. Ships designed to take punches, while the big ships fight back.
This wasn't a ship analysis. This was a love letter.
As it should have been, absolutely gorgeous ship, best looking in all of Star Trek
@@ElysiumCreator agreed
This ship certainly deserves it it just represents the Federation in its prime.
John eaves the absolute best starship designer artist
The Sovereign was different from most other factions big capital ship in that it was *agile* and maneuverable, in order to take advantage of Starfleets greatest asset - the intelligence and _quick thinking original problem solving_ of its crews.
While other big ships (including the previous flagships of the Federation) are just sitting there and trading blows, the Sovereign is nimbly gaining advantage on its adversaries by positioning, and taking advantage of out of the box thinking.
"That might be the most important thing to understand about Humans. It's the unknown that defines our existence. We are constantly searching, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions." - Sisko to the Wormhole Alien
The Sovereign class in its limited numbers did play a important part in the Dominion War, by freeing up large numbers of other ships so they could take part in what was a meat grinder War of Attrition.
The Sovereign class is a classic example of a great starship. Combination of explorer and combat ready vessel. She is one of my favorite class of ships. Along with the Excelsior class. Thank you for your video. Live long and prosper 🖖🏾
The Sovereign always did feel like an evolution of the Intrepid for me. The Intrepid is the high speed Science vessel that can hold its own in most situations. The Sovereign is the large capitol ship designed in a era where the threats to the Federation needed to see that Star Fleet was capable of defending their own, but still capable of displaying the elegance a first contact ship needs to not appear hostile.
until you scan it and see that its armed to the teeth. I actually find the Intrepid-Class a way better choice for a first contact situation. Both its smaller size and weapon loadout will be less intimidating to any unknown Species you encounter than a Sovereign or Galaxy-class. Their size alone will scare most worlds who do not build ships as big them selves. At the same time the Intrepid being powerful and quick enough to survive an unforeseen attack and make a quick escape. Also being more comfortable like the true workhorses oberth/ Nova/ defiant/ Excelsior classes we also see interior wise which suggest a secondary purpose as diplomatic and or Command vessel in mind as it was designed. We also see an interesting bridge layout which gives a second person like an diplomat the same status as the captain without having to say it explicitly by simply using no center captains chair but two equal chairs instead. Lastly it is even able to land and by that basically providing one of these movie like alien ship landing on planet while staying peaceful and providing a more controllable (at least seemingly) situation for species like Earth in First contact who would have almost no control over a ship in orbit what so ever but on the ground had more options to fight back which could comfort such a species.
Yeah, the Sovereign is like a hand in a steel gauntlet under white silk glove. It reaches out in peace and friendship, but it can also firmly hold a sword, if the need arises
The Sovereign class is hands down the sexiest ship in Star Trek.....not just Star Fleet vessel, but any ship in Star Trek. They couldn't have done a better job designing this vessel if they tried. The Enterprise-E will always be one of my top 5 favorite sci-fi ships of all time.
I love this ship. This is for me the best and most beautiful starship to bare the name Enterprise.
Majestic, Graceful and Powerful.
One of my favorite classes of Starfleet ship, it's too bad we never got to see more of it onscreen. And a fine addition to SF ships that carried the name 'Enterprise'. Its first reveal in first contact is one my favorites in trek.
Well, we saw several Sovereigns in Picard. They appear to have entirely replaced the Excelsior and Galaxy-class as Starfleet's frontline starship.
@@Cailus3542
Thank God too, because the Galaxies were glass cannons.
They could dish out a ton of punishment quickly when needed (especially the Dominion War Refit models) but they were woefully under shielded and under armored.
The Excelsior class, despite being 70 years older, was a much better basis for a combat vessel. Which we saw in DS9 when a 2370s refit Excelsior fought the Defiant to a standstill.
Wow, this is an epic tribute to the Sovereign class. I've been watching Star Trek for ages but the Sovereign was the first design that I instantly fell in love with. She's just an utterly beautiful. Slim, fast and ready to fight if needed.
In ways that the Star Trek franchise has only managed to pay lip service to, the Templin Institute truly brings the disparate stories of many different series and films together, in a single lovingly crafted work, illustrating to us the bigger picture of a single “alternate world”.
I love this video, for its commentary is a labour of love ❤️
Star fleet has been a vital part of the Federation both for scientific exploration which forever change the Galaxy, and survival for the ideals that formed the Federation itself. The Sovereign is/was the pinnacle of the Federation technological advances that perfect for hundreds of years, and the Sovereign was vital for the ending of plot that could have plunged both the Federation and the Romulus Star Empire into a destructive war.
*Sniff* I had a tear in my eye drinking my Earl Grey in the morning and being notified/watching this release. Beauty shots of the Sovereign Class was creatively done, second to my favorite to the Prometheus Class -_^ and I loved the point of the no neck designs that Starfleet is slowly incorporating into their starships. In addition, what made me love about Star Trek was the concept of a brighter future for humanity and the concept of an alliance of alien races working together to make a living in the vast expanse of space. Diplomacy First then if all else fails, than combat.
People / Characters depict Starfleet as using diplomacy as a front with starships armed with a lot of guns if the other side does not comply. I view it as humanity/starfleet learning their lessons from being too Naive. Especially, after the Borg and Dominion encounters. Q stated, "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed....it's not safe out here. It's wondrous; with treasures to satiate desires subtle and gross....It's not for the timid." I will never forget how impactful this quote was back when I first watched "Q Who" on my cube TV.
Such a statement is a real life lesson that shaped me into what I am today. Gotta be prepared for what is out there in the unknown. Do your best to make contingency plans and be flexible to adapt to any situation should it come so suddenly. Sorry for long talk ^_^;
Okay, I always cry when The Templin Institute makes a video related to StarTrek, simply wonderful, it brings everything that Star Trek represents and demonstrates, in a sense of hope for a better future. Really, thank you Marc and the rest of the team for making "Work of Art" on youtube.
Press F to salute the Sovereign class exploratory cruiser.
(Pressing F)
This is truly a well done video. I want to see more Federation starships on Arsenal soon, like the Constitution class and the Defiant class.
F
F
Sovereign is one of the few fed designs I don't mock. It's a good balance of shield, physical protection, firepower, mobility and speed, and crew numbers. It's also one of the few ships I've seen in the movies or shows firing more than one kind of weapon at a time, at more than one target at a time. The way it's designed makes it feel like they finally decided to emphasize that it's an armored vessel; the hull plates look very thick and tough, compared to earlier ships who's hulls were just a few centimeters thick and would easily fail if the shields dropped. Also, it has very visible escape pod portions which to me, is always a good thing.
If it were up to me to give it a proper designation... I'd probably say it's kind of a fast response battlecruiser, with command function options. Something between a heavy cruiser, a battle cruiser, and a battleship. Not that feds would admit to making actual BATTLEships.
Another Sci fi warship like that is the BC 304 of Stargate SG1
Starfleet learnt a tough lesson about having physical armour as backup in case shields can be bypassed.
Both from early encounters with the Dominion, and especially by the embarrassing loss of the Enterprise-D to a single out of date Bird of Prey that had their shield frequencies.
@@casbot71 can you really draw a lesson from a specific ship loss when you're already building sovereign class ships in your shipyards?
getting a bloody nose and a broken jaw at Wolf 359 has that effect on a fleet that has become complacent with no real rivals and their biggest rival is now an ally. About the designations, I always found it funny how the Federation never labels their ships a warship. The Federation starships can tear dedicated warships to shreds and carry enough armament to render planets inhabitable, but they are not warships...
@@angelrivera2339 I'd say getting the crap beat out of them during the Dominion war lead to better designs like this. When their only real threat was the Borg, they just kept trying to out-tech them. But the Dominion just kinda removed the whole tech defense by stripping away their shields, shutting down engines, and actually doing physical-impact attacks when needed, which sent Star Fleet reeling.
They'd depended on just having the strongest shields ONLY for the longest time. Armor a ship? Why? Secondary and tertiary shields going right down to ship skin? Why? But between the Borg and Dominion, they learned from seeing the Klingons and Cardassians, and even the Breen, that if you wanted tough ships...you made them TOUGH. Which included things like ablative and reactive armor and other built-in defenses. And to increase the mobility of ships, since their old fleet flag style ships had the dodge mobility of a wandering asteroid.
I always wonder if Star Fleet ever tried ECM against other races. Like, not cloaking, but deliberate disruption of targetting sensors, so that shipboard energy weapons had a hard time locking on, and torpedoes would miss unless they had a really robust targetting computer suite. Or if all that was in the background and was just never mentioned.
One of, if not the most beautiful designs to come out of canon.
The sovereign class is such a pretty ship. If I were a Star Fleet Captain Id want one of these.
"The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity." - Jean-Luc Picard
Lame
“Beauty w/o excess”…
Dr.Lea Brohms: “I don’t think 1 dolphin enclosure is enough…”
This quote is the pivotal wisdom how Star Trek humanity advance beyond the primitive standards.
A true interstellar civilization that don't dwells to wealth but knowledge and the thrill to go beyond.
Too bad he sounded really smug when he said it.
I remember in old defunct Trek RPG books, the Sovereign was designated as a "Heavy Explorer". Apparently it's supposed to be able to work with barely any need of resupply and support from Starbases.
Also considered a Dreadnought in combat times.
Absolutely fabulous design. I still remember smiling like a kid when it graced the screen in First Contact
As a huge DS9 fan I’d love to see a video on the defiance class starship or something focusing on Commander Sisko
Sovereign and Akira classes are the awesome culmination of Starship design from hard experience with lots of enemy encounters.
I sure do like both the Sovereign and Akira classes!! Good video - Well done!!
It's quite interesting to see how the soverign plays in STO. It neatly fits into being a good tactical ship, and a general all rounder when it comes to operations and such. There are better ships out there definetly, but it's a good ship for newer players to command to learn the ropes.
the legendary miracle worker sovereign is pretty hard to beat when equipped right, though equally hard to obtain anymore. battleships in 1 - 2 passes, escorts in 1 - 2 volleys, and not some mathed-out dps build either, just random stuff i like.
I'm not a fan of Star Trek ship designs, but my one major exception is the Sovereign class. That thing is beautiful.
I have much respect for the narrator in this video. He delivers the facts while doing so in a manner which sounds scientific in nature with the subject material being science fiction. As a long time Trek enthusiast, I thank you for the attention to detail presented in this video. Live long and prosper!
I don’t know how you did it but.. I find this video very beautiful, magical and full of all the excitement and wonder that the TOS gave me, thank you.
My headcanon is that the Sovereign-class didn't appear much in the Dominion War because the Jem'Hadar blew up many of the key Starfleet shipyards (as mentioned by Vreenak in DS9 "In The Pale Moonlight") and delayed their entering mass production until after the war.
Canonical speaking, the Sovereign class was held back for two reasons;
1) To avoid the disgrace of having the pride of Starfleet destroyed in combat, Sovereigns are awesome but we're as vulnerable to Jem'Hadar kamikaze runs as any other ship.
2) To free up ships for the war effort and keep neutral/snall powers feeling safe in a "no worries we have our best ships here helping you out" kind of way.
WOW! this is my favorite video you have made! I feel it was just well scripted narrated, and the back ground music all worked really well.
Wow. Just...wow. I've enjoyed the narratives of this channel for a long time. But....that introduction (as well as the rest) was truly a pleasure to hear. May you all keep on creating such wondrous and well-written narratives going forward! Kudos to you all
My all time favorite class of ship from Star Trek.
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. After all Number One, we're only mortal." - Jean-Luc Picard
Gay
Time is a fire in which we burn . ( doctor soren )
"Speak for yourself, sir, I plan to live forever," - Commander Riker
@@RealengoPrimordialDemonAdvertising? Sad!
@AngelofDeath1431 nope, I thought the whole thing was weak and dumb. Sorry if you thought I was making a invitation, the whole movie was lame and a complete disappointment.
On the use of the Sovereign-class in the Dominion War - or lack of use perhaps - I took that as Starfleet keeping its ‘biggest stick’ in reserve. Similar to keeping the Enterprise out of the 2250s Federation-Klingon War, perhaps.
Plus it’d confuse the hell out of Dominion intelligence: why weren’t the Federation putting their most capable starships to use on the frontlines? What were they holding them back for?
And ultimately it allowed Enterprise-E and her sisters to take on the kinds of ‘firefighting’ diplomatic or military missions that’d require multiple less capable starships; allowing more of the latter to take positions in Starfleet’s numbered combat fleets.
My favorite startrek ship class.
It is strikingly "startrek" .
It is imposing without feeling bulky or being bloated artistic without being complicated it is simple yet refined without the needless and excessive "additions" or "details" you see in startrek online ships.
I loved startrek so much.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS VIDEO!
I love the Sovereign Class! It's such a beautiful design and my personal favorite incarnation of the Enterprise.
I still want a post dominion era show about the crew of a sovereign class ship, there’s still so much story they can get out of that era. What’s going on with Cardassia and the Breen after the war? And maybe they could explore the gamma quadrant some more
I think they stopped because you'll need to do a time jump and the 30th plus centuries get pretty crazy from what we saw. They time travel and all kinds of stuff. If they stay in the current Era maybe a cartoon would do or a recast of characters simply because everybody is old now.
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Lower Decks set after the Dominion War and Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant? 2nd season even gave us Tom Paris in one episode.
@CLIFF Have you not heard of Lower Decks & Picard & Prodigy? They’re already covering the Post-Dominion War eras. All we need now is a Sovereign-class & its crew, and we can just continue on as usual.
I’m writing a fan fiction series under those parameters but no Cadassians yet or the Gamma Quadrant. It’s set 7 years after the war.
Didn't watch Star Trek but played STA3 for sins of a solar empire. Found the sovereign as a late game capital ship and thought "ok." Did not expect it to be an exploratory cruiser in lore.
She is but mote tactical then Galaxy. They are two sides of the same coin
@@paulrasmussen8953 There is a change to the attitude of Starfleet. Look at Picard. They have ships like Akira, Sovereign, The new Sagan Class. A heavily refitted Excelsior Class. Plus the attack fleet we saw at the end on season one. You can still do the science and exploration stuff, and still have a fleet that can fight. These are all post Dominion War thinking.
My favorite Star Trek design by far. A worthy successor to the Galaxy class that improves upon it in every way.
Sovereign: Speak softly and carry a starbase-grade phaser array.
or
Sovereign: Because _sometimes_ you just have to park a megaton of duranium-plated fuck you above their capital to get the point across.
The music blends well with one of the most successful civilizations of fiction!
If I had a choice of vessels to command in this genre, it
would be the Defiant class and the Sovereign.......
The Sovereign Class in particular Enterprise E will always be my favorite vessel design from Starfleet and also the bridge design being my favorite. I would agree that Majestic sums up the Sovereign class in one word. Well done Templin Institute!
I just love the Bridge commander game so much... Its simply unrivaled game in this regard... Someone should make new one.
That isn’t multiplayer crap.
Three great uploads in three days, this is fantastic. Hope you're not overworking yourselves.
I like the Sovereign Class it looks like a ship of exploration but could kick your ass if you piss it off.
Loved this story on the sovereign class starships
As the Excelsior did for the TOS-early TNG era before it, I imagine the Sovereign becoming a lasting, generation-defining class.
Maybe it's because it was one of the first ships I ever saw on a screen (or at least in any capacity I ended up remembering) but this is among my favorite ship designs, if not the outright favorite.
To quote Lore Reloaded I believe: "When Starfleet extends its Pimp Hand"
A description for the Sovereign Class I fully support!
The Pinnacle of Starfleet Ship Design!
This is the most aesthetical ship in all of Trek, change my mind
i love the way you cover this stuff. star trek is one of human mythology's "best destinies"😉
I heard some consider the Sovereign class a Fast Battleship, rather than just a cruiser
I don't think the term "fast battleship" belongs on a Starfleet vessel.
@@TemplinInstitute "Faster Battle Cruiser?"
@@TemplinInstitute dont trip, there was a time the Federation had Battleships/dreadnoughts
Federation-class, anyone?
Did you hear it from a certain Mr Drach?
@@JoshuaC923 nah, it was another channel
There is just one thing... The Sovereign class wasn't created as an explorer, she was a Warship, created as part of the Anti-Borg program. The Sovereign was created to the defend the Federation against the eldritch horrors of the outer darkness
I’d say she was a warship first and an exploratory cruiser second.
The exact opposite of the Galaxy class.
I always thought the sovereign class was a flat and powerful vessel, it was the very first Uss Enterprise to not have that weakness in its neck
The Excelsior class also had a pretty girthy neck, I'd say.
I do like the fused hull design though, I agree.
Although I guess a counter point would be that, when shielding is much more effective than armor (as had been the case in the preceding vessels), thin connective parts of the hull don't really present that much of a disadvantage.
Meaning, if your shields are down, having a thick neck isn't going to help much.
@@delphicdescant there's also a theory that starships (even without shields) are basically a collection of energy fields, and the hull merely serves as the conduit for these fields. So a part that looks thin might not necessarily be weaker than a thicker section (which taken to the logical limit become the 32nd century detached nacelles). So imo deriding Federation designs for their weaknesses according to current engineering principles is a bit presumptuous because they may not actually be weaknesses according to Federation science and engineering.
@@keyboardt8276 Yes absolutely. Agreed.
Ah, the Sovereign-class. Rivaled only in beauty by the later Odyssey-class.
You have to do one for the Defiant!!!
Your writers are always incredible. They sew stories like a designer dress. But this prose was so eloquent and enlightened. It is a masterpiece!
-You can't label a warship as an exploratory vessel.
-We'll write it off.
-Write it off what?
-Umm...
-You don't know what a write off is.
5:49 ..... 40. 39 destroyed, one crippled.
Still the most beautiful ship Starfleet's ever produced.
Every Federation starship exhibits these ideals...
Counterpoint: The Defiant.
Seeing SNW clips in the video now is just *chefs kiss
I'm pretty sure this is their Templin debut.
Nothing gets me excited here as Star Trek and WH 40k! Thank you
This is my favorite Starfleet ship!
I watched First Contact in theaters when it came out and I caught my breath when I saw the E for the first time.
Beautifully written. Great use of music.
My favorite Enterprise, along with the original Enterprise and the Enterprise D.
When even the most in denile Scifi military in the the Scifi multiverse has had enough of someone's BS... An said someone has REALLY pissed them off too.
Except of course when plot was involved.... Cuz apparently it never occurred to Starfleet to sick their MOST powerful BATTLESHIPS on an enemy in the middle of a war.
"They are nothing less than works of art" truer words were never spoken.
Such a beautiful ship.
Ah my primary ship in Star Trek Online, such a beauty. Thank you for this Templin. (I use Legendary Sovereign Miracle Worker Assault Cruiser)
My favourite will always be Vesta class
Would love to see a Vesta class and Odyssey class make an appearance in the last season of Picard. Hoping!
However impressive it may be the Defiant, after being basically rebuilt from the ground up including the addition of plot armour by a space wizard from Ireland, would still best it in combat.
nah
Have I told you guys I absolutely love your content?
I really do, you really do the work that needs to be done, cheers.
"I believe I speak for the rest of the crew when I say this but-
*to hell with our orders"*
Where to begin? Nothing but love for that video and your creation of it! Thank you!
Also; I’d want to live on a Galaxy class but I’d want the Federation boundaries defended by Sovereigns.
Do the Defiant class!!!
The thing I've always - *always* - hated about Federation starships are the engines. When they stick out like that it's a giant "shoot me here" sign for anybody they're fighting in a space battle. This is why the Defiant's design is my favorite. It is way more practical.
@@exilestudios9546 ok but it still looks dumb as hell otherwise lol
Except it created its own problems. Such as increased radiation exposure on the crew and more likely to accidentally tear the ship apart during high warps. The Defiant is a great short-range frigate, but a lousy long-range ship due to its engine placement.
Well they did serve in several engagements in the war .in the final months enterprise was at earth during the Breen attack for example or batazed liberation and esri dax served on the uss destiny ( sovereign class) which was damaged in a battle with the dominion. I believe, ark royal was another ( fifth fleet flagship)
I think the uss Bismarck got even destroyed by Breen ships if I'm correct?
@@philippmaurer5722 oh you might be correct. I forgot about that .
The Sovereign Class is THE GOAT!
Make it so
I've always thought of it being a replacement for the excelsior class
I’d say she’s a return to the Excelsior layout and design goals.
The Excelsior was designed towards to the end of the Federation/Klingon Cold War. She was designed as a warship first and foremost but still capable of performing the long duration exploration missions the Constitution class was famous for.
After the Praxis incident the Federation and Klingon Empire were no longer in cold hostility. And thanks to the aftermath of Praxis the Federation was now the dominant power in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.
They got lazy and naive. They were entering a golden age of peace. The Ambassador and Galaxy classes represent that train of thought, as both were designed for exploration and science first with combat capability being a secondary concern.
The Sovereign represents a return to the thinking behind the Excelsior. Design her as a warship up front, but have her be capable of secondary science and exploration missions.
Exploratory Cruiser? With the amount of armaments she carries post refit, I believe the title of Assault Cruiser is more accurate, not to mention nothing was mentioned about aboard laboratories.
The Sovereign did carry on board labs- it had many internal modular bays that could be swapped out during refits for various mission profiles including science, but it didn't have everything at once like the Galaxy class.
As for type, the Sovereign's internal designation was a "Command Cruiser". But keep in mid the same name scheme labeled the Defiant class as a "light tactical escort" haha.
Have you ever thought about doing a video about the legacy of ships that bear the name Enterprise?
Love the sovereign and galaxy class
I really didn't appreciate how good your videos really look until I threw this one up on the big screen. The voice audio seem to hit the bass a bit much though, that or UA-cam's immutable equaliser profile muddies the bass.
Sovereign Class: Gunboat Diplomacy at its height.
歴代のENTERPRISEの中ではこのSovereign Classが一番カッコいいなぁ