Starfleet: "Yeah, we're gonna need some heavy phaser turrets and maybe some torpedo launchers...." Earth government: "Wait a minute; do you really need such a heavily armed facility in orbit?" Starfleet: "Ugh! Fine. We won't arm it." V'Ger shows up Cetacean probe shows up Borg cube shows up Breen attack fleet shows up... Starfleet: "*Now* can we arm it?"
to be fair...most of those threats wouldn't care if ESD had phasers or not. The only will exception would have been the Breen...which make wonder did they install the phasers following that attack at least until the end of the Dominion war
Yeah, its ability to be a defense platform for Earth will be limited to basically being a launching platform for ships. Especially if the invading fleet is on the opposite side of the planet. Weapons would mainly be there to defend itself, rather than the planet. But, I mean, even in the old days, why wouldn't you at least give it that much? There were the Klingons, the Romulans, the Xindi, any number of classic badies wanting to take a bite out of them. I suppose Earth governments might be concerned about station weapons being commandeered by hostile forces and used against targets on the ground, which would be a fair concern. But you'd have the same problem with any given ship in orbit really.
Enemy ship: Oh no... They have a large orbital fortress... Guess we'll have to go around the planet and land troops there. As much as an armed ESD makes sense on paper, it has to be positioned above a target of importance. Otherwise no ship would approach it. It would become the most heavily armed orbital emplacement constructed. The mobile ship complement and safe refuge for repair makes it a target as long as ship's can reach it. If an attacking force can destroy the ship's it sends out then it can be planned around. Though lets be honest... The Klingons would try and blow it up for bragging rights.
@@Peregrine57 "Any given ship" is still just one ship. Yes, it might be able to destroy a city, but there will still be a bunch of other ships nearby trying to destroy IT if it goes rogue. But I agree with you that a base needs to be able to defend itself while launching assets to defend its planet. And a base in orbit is a heck of a lot more effective than trying to launch ships from the ground, where they'd have to climb out of Earth's gravity well to be effective. But at the same time, it'll be a priority target for invaders, so it will need a LOT of defensive capability.
Same here. I am glad STO has always tried to stay true to the actual canon timeline and the feel of trek from the TOS era all the way to their version future of trek. How they handled ESD just proves this.
I can understand spacedock not being armed at first, imagine someone hacking the weapons system and firing all those heavy cannons and torpedoes at unprotected earth cities. DS9 was heavily armed but was moved away from Bajor to cover the wormhole before being fortified and thus out of range of the planet. Fast forward to the Borg and Dominion invasions and some point defences needed to be fitted at the very least.
but DS9 was armed before that just not as much as later. sorry but an disarmed Spacedock is the dumbest thing ever and i refuse to believe the federation is that dumb
not to mention they could always install weapons which specifically do not have the range to hit the earth. this would allow the spacedock to be defended from all except long range artillery, without a threat to the planet.
Spacedock is only a few hundred miles above earth, more than close enough for even short range phaser to hit. Ships could easily stay out of range and pound the station anyway.
From its original appearances, Earth Space Dock has been an awe inspirating structure. ESD definitely represents many of the capabilities of Starfleet in the 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries. It would be cool to see the more civilian aspects of the station. Also, the fact that it takes a week to install all the weapon placements on ESD, let me guess, it conveniently is always completed on a Tuesday. Thankfully both it and Earth itself at least have powerful energy shields.
The actual reason for this must have been Harve Bennet contriving a suspenseful “stealing the Enterprise” sequence. Without a closed door to get through - meaning, if it was just a TMP-style dry dock structure - there’s no story….so there has to be a door; so there has to be “space dock” (even though we never saw it before).
There can still be suspense in a dry dock. Say the Enterprise is docked and it needs to release the tractor moorings, or say that there’s a tractor beam that needs to be disabled, so on and so forth. There can be a story without a space dock.
@@L1z43vr I agree completely! I’m just speculating that “spacedock” exists because of Harve Bennett trying to come up with a plot device involving the Enterprise barely managing to escape.
Different space dock. The fleet museum is the old ESB, this one in the video. It was replaced by an even bigger ESB. Captain Shaw vomits this exposition up at one point.
That can't happen mostly because the newer Star Trek series take place in the past and the storyline has stopped moving forward in the timeline of the story.
@@lashlarue59 Strange New Worlds take place after Season 2 of Discovery. They showed Spacedock under construction at the end of Season 1. It’s possible we may see it.
A beacon, orbiting over mankind's head and out into the stars. "This is Starfleet, nice to meet you." it seems almost to softly blink out into the dark.
I'd love to see Spacedock visually expanded over time, like a growing city. Past 2400 you could have a secondary dock ring around the civilian section connected by several spokes for example. That would vastly increase the enclosed hangar space (potentially all the way around, with decks above/below) and take over most transport related activities. The civilian ring proper could then expand its facilities into what used to be the old dock and logistics spaces.
The JJ Abrams movies gave us Starbase Yorktown, which absolutely dwarfed Spacedock. Wonder if the Prime timeline Federation ever built something similar? m.ua-cam.com/video/eZTnSxW4pOI/v-deo.html
They tried to do something similar to that when STO first released. Fans didn't like it, so they made Q Junior change it back to the Star Trek III design.
In the late 80's or early 90's, there was a "The Star Trek Compendium" printed that showed designs for one of the space docks based on TOS. It even had demonstration farming communities set up in it. Large buildings were inside...and there was a way to light the interior sections for simulated 24 hour cycles. Some of the docking areas could actually enclose up to three different ships for maintainece or fleet repairs.
Earth spacedock in Picard series is now an incredible fortress matching her dimensions. I thought DS9's defensive systems were pretty amazing to fend off a Klingon fleet attack and take heavy poundings from the Dominion invasion fleet, but with the massive modern weaponry of the Federation starships going for a holy war with the compromised crew, it was quite a sight to be seen. Also seems to be the hub for an impenetrable orbital shield grid for all of Earth itself, with the only way to take that shield grid out is to blow up the Spacedock. Would be great to have a series of Star Trek: Earth Spacedock with Admiral Sisko in command.
Glad we finally got to see (a) Spacedock duking it out with a fleet. Of course, the spacedock featured in this video was apparently replaced with the one seen fending off the fleet, and relocated to become the fleet museum.
Your videos just continually solidify why I love STO and why the game is so beautiful. I remember the first time played, I just flew around, loving the view of the different planets.
I dont think ESD in ST:O does any justice to how freaking huge ESD is supposed to be. They need to code a bunch of other floors and places to visit other than the main bit.
Cryptic has to balance actual use to "role play realism". Players wouldn't appreciate it if needed facilities weren't all on a single level, and making other, non-functional areas would be a waste of developer resources due to very few people visiting them. They already don't make bridges unless missions call for them. A good example is the Citadel map from the first Mass Effect. It's too big and has you running around between largely empty expanses.
It does, but ESD is so big it can be it's own game world. Plus people don't seem to visit the other areas of the station much as is, so it might be a waste.
Like others have said, time, resources, and player interactions determines a lot. Medical is only useful to those that play on hard difficulty so odds are it's rarely used. The tailor is only there because it has to be, after all it's not like you could just have the computer on your ship scan you and then use the replicator to make your clothes or anything. You don't even need to visit the people who give quests or to turn them in since you can do it all from the menu screens. To be all honest all we really need is the ship vender, equipment vender, and ship appearance venders and that's it.
I wish we could fly our own ships inside the ESD main hangar, assuming they're a ship that can physically fit inside it. I'd love to get some shots of my favorites in that interior, always loved the look of it.
This was always one of the things that never made any sense to me when i was dicking about in STO, you dock, by flying close, but then you just get warped in, you see the hanger bay, and yet, you dont see YOUR ship.
The disarming of stardock reminds me of the saying , " You can't truly call yourself "peaceful" Unless you are capable of great violence. If you are not capable of violence, You're not peaceful, You're harmless." One might say , "but stardock had a Fleet of ships protecting it" . To which I say , I'm sure the same premise made the servicemen at Pearl Harbor feel just as safe on December 7th !
@@AdamMGTF false ! For several months prior to the attack the Pacific Fleet command had been receiving reports about Japanese aggression and was given very ambiguous orders from their higher-ups back in Washington . Admiral Kimmel worked with what he had and sent out all his aircraft carriers to probe for the Japanese Navy in the meantime lieutenant-general Walter C short put all his bases on high alert "for sabotage", hence the reason why you see rows of American fighters and bombers lined up Prime for strafing and bombing runs . Taking this little bit into account you can hardly say that the Commanders Pearl Harbor on December 7th were surprised so much as they just didn't want to be the one being attacked !
Its like the whole claim of Starfleet isnt a military dispite having military ranks and command structure, military courts, military designated ship classes, and military weapons. The idea that fighting is all that the military does and taking away the weapons suddenly means Starfleet is peaceful really is just this weak attempt to make themselves seem more enlightened and smarter in the future, where as like you said it really just kind of makes them look weak, unprepared, and frankly arrogant to assume no threat will ever manage to reach the Sol System.
TBH I always kind of like d hanging out at ESD when I used to play Star Trek Online. My friends and I in the 1701 RTS fleet would do different animation glitches like that rifle reload and switch where your char would appear to be sliding on the floor on your butt. I once saw a player made his character look like a perfect Dr. Zoidberg running crazily through the corridors. And once a friend of mine appeared outside the interior when he zoned in, so of course he just put on his spacesuit and stood out there waving to people! LMAO Good times!
ESD was also in a fixed location over Earth, and not along the equator or at geostationary altitude, which means it had to have continuous propulsion to maintain its position. The Utopia Planetia shipyards are likewise fixed over Mars not on the equator.
And as a central location, the space dock can provide a quick and efficient place for starships to refuel and restock between missions (or other reasons) as well as rotate crew off and onto a starship. Everything and everyone necessary for that can be shipped to the space dock and be available at a moments notice. That is what all of the smaller bays and docking attach points are for.
🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely well done and very well executed and informatively explained in every detail way shape and form possibly provided to you on the ESD indeed!,👌.
Thank you, for this really interesting look at a great addition to the Star Trek experience! When I first saw this station in Star Trek III, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how beautiful it was! Again, thank you for this really great detailed video.
The internal docking section reminds me of the Bdol Zer command ship. With a central pillar and support docks on the pillar and inner wall. Though unlike ESD the inner section of the command ship has full breathable atmo and a natural weather system.
18 Starships docked internally, dozens more at the external docks and countless more in system for refits and resupply and somehow, SOMEHOW, the Enterprise is the *ONLY SHIP IN RANGE?!?*
@@keit99 Star Trek VI. In the scenes that take place in the office of the UFP President, you can see the Eiffel Tower outside the window in the background.
I joined STO after the ESD change so I didn't get a chance to explore what it used to look like. Kind of wish they included it as at least a Holodeck program.
That was really great. I love the concept of the scale of the facility. I feel like we just see so few sets when this is depicted. It’s pretty disappointing that all of the orbital material around earth isn’t depicted in every instance. Thanks!
I love the Spacedock's inner design, some times I just load STO and just hang out in the Spacedock and relax watching the NPCs or other players going around doing their thing.
I *don't know* what it is about the ESD but every time i see it my heart stops for a second to switch into "Chewy, we're home!"-mode. (Well. The Earth Space Dock and Starbases of it's type in general.) Maybe it's as simple as it being one of my earliest childhood memories. But maaaaan every time i see it pop up somewhere new i'm happy. Also design-wise. It's visual shorthand for "Prime Universe" and i kinda need that in my life.
I was always rather disappointed that earth didnt look more like a merger of a WH40k Paradise/Fortress world. Considering it is one of the core worlds, you would expect it to be clouded in orbital plattforms, defensive and otherwise
I think there's a lack of "realism", probably due to budget/production constraints in the various shows, where Earth's orbit looks totally empty when visited in the series'...it should be one of the worlds that FOR SURE has a ton of orbital bases, ship & shuttle traffic, and all manner of things happening at any one time.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs the last episode of Discovery showed an Earth busy with space traffic, cities on the moon, and more. Looked like something out of Star Wars. m.ua-cam.com/video/u2XEcw6-b64/v-deo.html
You can play a game called Elite Dangerous and see that, despite there being thousands of ships orbiting Earth at any time, you can't even see them unless you're within 500m or so of them. You even have to enter supercruise (equivalent to Star Trek impulse) just to get from one station or another. Which there's six giant space stations orbiting the planet. But you can't see them with the naked eye unless you're around 3000m away. Flying for just 5 minutes at sublight speed and the station becomes an indistinguishable dot that blends in with the stars. Basically, the space around Earth is so huge that you could have millions of ships and platforms and still not see then unless you were right next to them.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs agree. Also. From a cannon perspective. Starfleet/federation activity is spread out in the whole system. It's also supposed to be way less earth centric than we see on screen. Which again is a byproduct of cost and CGI limitations at the time the main 4/5 series were made.
I always thought it was “Starbase 1” in the sense of “Airforce 1” and that was where Starfleet Command hung out, and wherever they went: so would the Starbase 1 moniker.
Starfleet command isn't 1 person it's a command structure. Starbase 1 is just that. The first starbase. It's no more or less important than starbase 47. Remember air force 1 is very much an American thing. In theory countries of earth are irrelevant in starfleet and the customs of America wouldn't be any more relevant than those of Mongolia, Zimbabwe or the Philippines.
I hope in a future Star Trek Online update they give us access to the Corpse Disposal facility. (There's a sign on a door in the Infirmary that says it leads to there.)
Is this music from Startopia? Biodeck? Cool game either way. I like these STO videos, I had to drop out a while back but I like classic trek and seeing where it all went it great fun.
You'd need more than one to cover a planet effectively. or at the very least some battle platforms with a similar punch as part of a network of defense. Though of course if someone wants to Destroy Earth Entirely it's quite easy to do it with a big enough anti-matter bomb flying into it at warp speed easily atomising the entire planet with a and effet that is he combination of a Kinetic Lance and a nasty bomb. Heck I expect one simple hole punched all the way through that was large enough could cause immense harm all on it's own it would at the very least much the weather up and dump trillions of tones of ash into the sky and cause a Nuclear winter. with 23rd Century tech it's fixable - but it wouldn't be at all pleasant for the inhabitants.
I've always loved the design of Earth Space Dock. I remember first seeing it in TNG when the Enterprise-D arrives (I saw TNG before I even knew about TOS or the movies). I just remember being struck by how awe inspiring it was. I don't know if anything sums up the Federation better than ESD.
The ESD would make a fantastic setting for a new series. You can have Earth episodes, and a wide variety of different scenarios from spaceships to spacedock to civilian sector to Starfleet Command. The gambit is limitless. What a bustling space station setting tonhave a rich source for material.
Sounds like it would be ds9 2.0. not a bad thing but not likely to get signed off for TV. Everything now has to be out the box or a remake. Again not a bad thing. But seeing an earth based ds9 I doubt would get the money signs to light up in Paramount's board room.
YEP, THe ESD is a must destination and it just doesn't feel right returning to earth without it. Like.. Whoa ESD is gone... okay are we in the past or... where is the... Oh... right, just angle around the planet and.. there she is :) Home Sweet ESD :)
The Space Dock obviously needs jets like those on Spacial Katana, shown slicing megalithic juggernauts with red laser beams. Also, they show inserting bombs down a mining shaft to explode a death star. "Vorlon planet destroyer", something like that. My gene makes red laser seed, CAS9, the gene editor, is a relative.
Give ESD the same weapons upgrades that DS9 got just before the Dominion War. It would turn ESD into one hell of a Orbital Weapons Platform, far more powerful than DS9.
But esd is a dock. Ds9 is a deep space station. It's very possible that esd hasn't got the ability to power weapons. Or shields and has no armour. That would be consistent with it being. Well... A dock
This is absolutely my favorite space station in science fiction. I love it more than DS9. I feel like there should be more of them throughout the federation and I wonder if it was a victim of the burn.
Well it was called Deep Space 9, implying that there were at least 8 others commissioned previously (more afterwards), which could easily flesh out fan desire to see more unique earth-owned space stations.
@@notsyzagts7967 sorry, the antecedents made that confusing. I meant there should have been more ESD type stations throughout the federation. Especially at major worlds and manufacturing installations.
It must have thrusters, or something to reposition it’s orbit! Because orbits decay. So this is essentially a giant city in space cool. it must have used more than tubolifts more like a tram system or maybe internal transporters through some fibre cables
Stacking different areas is incredibly inefficient in such a large structure u less you are planning on teleporting everyone/ everything to all the areas they are needed.
At least most of the time the ship is supposed to be in deep space. But in something like the Generations movie when they're just flying around the solar system, it really is inexcusable, lol
Starfleet: "Yeah, we're gonna need some heavy phaser turrets and maybe some torpedo launchers...."
Earth government: "Wait a minute; do you really need such a heavily armed facility in orbit?"
Starfleet: "Ugh! Fine. We won't arm it."
V'Ger shows up
Cetacean probe shows up
Borg cube shows up
Breen attack fleet shows up...
Starfleet: "*Now* can we arm it?"
I know right lol With its power output and its Shields it would be the best defense that Starfleet has even built.
to be fair...most of those threats wouldn't care if ESD had phasers or not. The only will exception would have been the Breen...which make wonder did they install the phasers following that attack at least until the end of the Dominion war
Yeah, its ability to be a defense platform for Earth will be limited to basically being a launching platform for ships. Especially if the invading fleet is on the opposite side of the planet. Weapons would mainly be there to defend itself, rather than the planet. But, I mean, even in the old days, why wouldn't you at least give it that much? There were the Klingons, the Romulans, the Xindi, any number of classic badies wanting to take a bite out of them. I suppose Earth governments might be concerned about station weapons being commandeered by hostile forces and used against targets on the ground, which would be a fair concern. But you'd have the same problem with any given ship in orbit really.
Enemy ship: Oh no... They have a large orbital fortress... Guess we'll have to go around the planet and land troops there.
As much as an armed ESD makes sense on paper, it has to be positioned above a target of importance. Otherwise no ship would approach it. It would become the most heavily armed orbital emplacement constructed.
The mobile ship complement and safe refuge for repair makes it a target as long as ship's can reach it. If an attacking force can destroy the ship's it sends out then it can be planned around.
Though lets be honest... The Klingons would try and blow it up for bragging rights.
@@Peregrine57 "Any given ship" is still just one ship. Yes, it might be able to destroy a city, but there will still be a bunch of other ships nearby trying to destroy IT if it goes rogue.
But I agree with you that a base needs to be able to defend itself while launching assets to defend its planet. And a base in orbit is a heck of a lot more effective than trying to launch ships from the ground, where they'd have to climb out of Earth's gravity well to be effective. But at the same time, it'll be a priority target for invaders, so it will need a LOT of defensive capability.
As an avid STO player, it is very exciting to see ESD every time I do. I've played STO on and off for years, and I STILL never tire of seeing it.
Me too. Though I sometimes would like to see more of the solar system when "coming home"...
@@Timberwolf69 Same! I think it'd be cool to navigate through the Sol system. See Jupiter Station, or Utopia Planetia.
@@thedayidied 'Tour of the Galaxy'. pffft. lemme tour the solar system, thanks.
Same here.
I am glad STO has always tried to stay true to the actual canon timeline and the feel of trek from the TOS era all the way to their version future of trek.
How they handled ESD just proves this.
I noticed it's had some upgrades since I last played STO about 6-8 years ago. Can you actually fly into spacedock now?
I can understand spacedock not being armed at first, imagine someone hacking the weapons system and firing all those heavy cannons and torpedoes at unprotected earth cities. DS9 was heavily armed but was moved away from Bajor to cover the wormhole before being fortified and thus out of range of the planet.
Fast forward to the Borg and Dominion invasions and some point defences needed to be fitted at the very least.
but DS9 was armed before that just not as much as later. sorry but an disarmed Spacedock is the dumbest thing ever and i refuse to believe the federation is that dumb
That ugly station was moved back in place afterwards.
not to mention they could always install weapons which specifically do not have the range to hit the earth. this would allow the spacedock to be defended from all except long range artillery, without a threat to the planet.
Spacedock is only a few hundred miles above earth, more than close enough for even short range phaser to hit. Ships could easily stay out of range and pound the station anyway.
You've got a fleet of starships in orbit, which could all target the planet, so it's absurd to draw the line at the base.
I always wanted to see what the Borg cube would have done to Space Dock in First Contact.
Probably nothing. Not a threat.
well you kinda finally got to see that if you watched Picard
@@treemaniscool it was good too, I want to know when spacedock was moved to be the star fleet museum and replaced though.
It wasn’t moved. There’s more than one.
I still remember the feeling of awe I experienced as a kid seeing the ESD on the big screen in STIII:TSFS. It was a sight to behold.
From its original appearances, Earth Space Dock has been an awe inspirating structure. ESD definitely represents many of the capabilities of Starfleet in the 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries. It would be cool to see the more civilian aspects of the station.
Also, the fact that it takes a week to install all the weapon placements on ESD, let me guess, it conveniently is always completed on a Tuesday. Thankfully both it and Earth itself at least have powerful energy shields.
DS9/Lower Decks style show set almost entirely on ESD and various unseen Fed locations... * dreamy sigh *
The actual reason for this must have been Harve Bennet contriving a suspenseful “stealing the Enterprise” sequence. Without a closed door to get through - meaning, if it was just a TMP-style dry dock structure - there’s no story….so there has to be a door; so there has to be “space dock” (even though we never saw it before).
There can still be suspense in a dry dock. Say the Enterprise is docked and it needs to release the tractor moorings, or say that there’s a tractor beam that needs to be disabled, so on and so forth. There can be a story without a space dock.
@@L1z43vr I agree completely! I’m just speculating that “spacedock” exists because of Harve Bennett trying to come up with a plot device involving the Enterprise barely managing to escape.
Came here the end of Picard Season 3. Holy shit Space Dock is an absolute monster.
Different space dock. The fleet museum is the old ESB, this one in the video. It was replaced by an even bigger ESB. Captain Shaw vomits this exposition up at one point.
I wish the newer Star Trek shows featured more of ESD. Even if it’s just in the background.
What’s ESD?
@FN-1701AgentGodzillaRangerPrime Ω it came to me. I had a brain fart. Thanks for being kind.
That can't happen mostly because the newer Star Trek series take place in the past and the storyline has stopped moving forward in the timeline of the story.
@@lashlarue59 Strange New Worlds take place after Season 2 of Discovery. They showed Spacedock under construction at the end of Season 1. It’s possible we may see it.
The moronic _NuTrek_ shows aren’t Star Trek at all so it doesn’t really matter.
A beacon, orbiting over mankind's head and out into the stars. "This is Starfleet, nice to meet you." it seems almost to softly blink out into the dark.
I'd love to see Spacedock visually expanded over time, like a growing city. Past 2400 you could have a secondary dock ring around the civilian section connected by several spokes for example. That would vastly increase the enclosed hangar space (potentially all the way around, with decks above/below) and take over most transport related activities. The civilian ring proper could then expand its facilities into what used to be the old dock and logistics spaces.
The JJ Abrams movies gave us Starbase Yorktown, which absolutely dwarfed Spacedock. Wonder if the Prime timeline Federation ever built something similar? m.ua-cam.com/video/eZTnSxW4pOI/v-deo.html
They tried to do something similar to that when STO first released. Fans didn't like it, so they made Q Junior change it back to the Star Trek III design.
Your wish has come true! Picard season 3 features an expanded Spacedock with additional sections, which actually looks really good!
I think the designers for picard season 3 may have stolen your idea 😂
@@gabrieldarcy1744 Hey, I don't complain if my wishes get magically granted.
In the late 80's or early 90's, there was a "The Star Trek Compendium" printed that showed designs for one of the space docks based on TOS. It even had demonstration farming communities set up in it. Large buildings were inside...and there was a way to light the interior sections for simulated 24 hour cycles. Some of the docking areas could actually enclose up to three different ships for maintainece or fleet repairs.
Earth spacedock in Picard series is now an incredible fortress matching her dimensions. I thought DS9's defensive systems were pretty amazing to fend off a Klingon fleet attack and take heavy poundings from the Dominion invasion fleet, but with the massive modern weaponry of the Federation starships going for a holy war with the compromised crew, it was quite a sight to be seen. Also seems to be the hub for an impenetrable orbital shield grid for all of Earth itself, with the only way to take that shield grid out is to blow up the Spacedock. Would be great to have a series of Star Trek: Earth Spacedock with Admiral Sisko in command.
Glad we finally got to see (a) Spacedock duking it out with a fleet. Of course, the spacedock featured in this video was apparently replaced with the one seen fending off the fleet, and relocated to become the fleet museum.
Your videos just continually solidify why I love STO and why the game is so beautiful. I remember the first time played, I just flew around, loving the view of the different planets.
Living on space dock would be so cool! Like i could get a job at a bar or store or something and just have a blast.
Thank you for another great video. Your research and time devotion to making these is obvious and well appreciated. Keep up the great work!
I dont think ESD in ST:O does any justice to how freaking huge ESD is supposed to be. They need to code a bunch of other floors and places to visit other than the main bit.
Cryptic has to balance actual use to "role play realism". Players wouldn't appreciate it if needed facilities weren't all on a single level, and making other, non-functional areas would be a waste of developer resources due to very few people visiting them. They already don't make bridges unless missions call for them.
A good example is the Citadel map from the first Mass Effect. It's too big and has you running around between largely empty expanses.
It does, but ESD is so big it can be it's own game world. Plus people don't seem to visit the other areas of the station much as is, so it might be a waste.
Like others have said, time, resources, and player interactions determines a lot.
Medical is only useful to those that play on hard difficulty so odds are it's rarely used.
The tailor is only there because it has to be, after all it's not like you could just have the computer on your ship scan you and then use the replicator to make your clothes or anything.
You don't even need to visit the people who give quests or to turn them in since you can do it all from the menu screens.
To be all honest all we really need is the ship vender, equipment vender, and ship appearance venders and that's it.
I wish we could fly our own ships inside the ESD main hangar, assuming they're a ship that can physically fit inside it. I'd love to get some shots of my favorites in that interior, always loved the look of it.
This was always one of the things that never made any sense to me when i was dicking about in STO, you dock, by flying close, but then you just get warped in, you see the hanger bay, and yet, you dont see YOUR ship.
I love you so much for doing this! I hope you can do more about stations.
The disarming of stardock reminds me of the saying ,
" You can't truly call yourself "peaceful" Unless you are capable of great violence. If you are not capable of violence, You're not peaceful, You're harmless."
One might say , "but stardock had a Fleet of ships protecting it" .
To which I say , I'm sure the same premise made the servicemen at Pearl Harbor feel just as safe on December 7th !
Irony... They did feel safe on December 7th. Hence the suprise part.
@@AdamMGTF false ! For several months prior to the attack the Pacific Fleet command had been receiving reports about Japanese aggression and was given very ambiguous orders from their higher-ups back in Washington .
Admiral Kimmel worked with what he had and sent out all his aircraft carriers to probe for the Japanese Navy in the meantime lieutenant-general Walter C short put all his bases on high alert "for sabotage", hence the reason why you see rows of American fighters and bombers lined up Prime for strafing and bombing runs .
Taking this little bit into account you can hardly say that the Commanders Pearl Harbor on December 7th were surprised so much as they just didn't want to be the one being attacked !
@@bellvnv2000 I didn't say anything about the commanders..mor did the original post. It was about the servicemen. The rank and file
Its like the whole claim of Starfleet isnt a military dispite having military ranks and command structure, military courts, military designated ship classes, and military weapons. The idea that fighting is all that the military does and taking away the weapons suddenly means Starfleet is peaceful really is just this weak attempt to make themselves seem more enlightened and smarter in the future, where as like you said it really just kind of makes them look weak, unprepared, and frankly arrogant to assume no threat will ever manage to reach the Sol System.
Exadtly.
Gene Roddenverry was a freaking idiot for making the Federation criminally pacifistic
These videos are wonderful,
a terrific diversion from everyday troubles
and enjoyably well done
Thanks Rick
TBH I always kind of like d hanging out at ESD when I used to play Star Trek Online. My friends and I in the 1701 RTS fleet would do different animation glitches like that rifle reload and switch where your char would appear to be sliding on the floor on your butt. I once saw a player made his character look like a perfect Dr. Zoidberg running crazily through the corridors. And once a friend of mine appeared outside the interior when he zoned in, so of course he just put on his spacesuit and stood out there waving to people! LMAO Good times!
Two years ago I purchased a Eaglemoss model of ESD. This has so much more information, thank you!!!
ESD was also in a fixed location over Earth, and not along the equator or at geostationary altitude, which means it had to have continuous propulsion to maintain its position. The Utopia Planetia shipyards are likewise fixed over Mars not on the equator.
I actually searched for a video on this just last month. Thanks, it was really good.
That was a great video. My Eaglemoss model is one of my favorite ones. It's a great design.
And as a central location, the space dock can provide a quick and efficient place for starships to refuel and restock between missions (or other reasons) as well as rotate crew off and onto a starship. Everything and everyone necessary for that can be shipped to the space dock and be available at a moments notice. That is what all of the smaller bays and docking attach points are for.
🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely well done and very well executed and informatively explained in every detail way shape and form possibly provided to you on the ESD indeed!,👌.
Anyone else here after the Picard finale?
yep, time for a new Spacedock tho she held her own...
The Spacedock Truly Looks Like a Palace in Space! I Would Love to Live There!
Hi Rick! Always love your Trek work, always a joy to see it
Who cares about ste? It never happened in tos canon trek, no ship or events ever happened from that terrible canon destroying show.
Thank you, for this really interesting look at a great addition to the Star Trek experience! When I first saw this station in Star Trek III, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how beautiful it was!
Again, thank you for this really great detailed video.
The internal docking section reminds me of the Bdol Zer command ship. With a central pillar and support docks on the pillar and inner wall. Though unlike ESD the inner section of the command ship has full breathable atmo and a natural weather system.
Does everything remind you of something from Macross?
I think you are addicted to that show, lol
@@valor1omega Macross is love. Macross is life.
(Though we don't talk about 7 or Delta.)
Earth Spacedock was always the most iconic building as it spanned decades (centuries?) and different films and TV shows in universe.
Spacedock is a fascinating object in Star Trek history of the early 21st century. Fascinating information from your time.
Dang sir, your attention to details are... Impressive.. well done!
18 Starships docked internally, dozens more at the external docks and countless more in system for refits and resupply and somehow, SOMEHOW, the Enterprise is the *ONLY SHIP IN RANGE?!?*
^^^THIS!!!^^^
The rest of the ships will only be within range on any given Tuesday...
Another great production! Love to see one on Utopia Planetia or Star Fleet HQ. Keep up the great content!
The brings back memories of playing star fleet academy so strongly.
I would love to see something like Earth Space Dock for real.
I find it interesting how ESD is over Europe in STO since Paris is supposed to be where the Federation "Capitol" is.
Makes sense.
Is it over Europe in the movies/TV? It seems they always show America whenever they show earth 😂
Wait Paris? When Do they say that?
@@keit99 Star Trek VI. In the scenes that take place in the office of the UFP President, you can see the Eiffel Tower outside the window in the background.
@@goldenknight578 ah I need to rewatch six again.
Space stations are very cool. I wish there were more of an emphasis on them than planets.
I joined STO after the ESD change so I didn't get a chance to explore what it used to look like. Kind of wish they included it as at least a Holodeck program.
The dyson sphere story gives you a glimpse of what it used to be like.
That was really great. I love the concept of the scale of the facility. I feel like we just see so few sets when this is depicted. It’s pretty disappointing that all of the orbital material around earth isn’t depicted in every instance. Thanks!
I love the Spacedock's inner design, some times I just load STO and just hang out in the Spacedock and relax watching the NPCs or other players going around doing their thing.
This is awesome! 🙏🏻
I *don't know* what it is about the ESD but every time i see it my heart stops for a second to switch into "Chewy, we're home!"-mode. (Well. The Earth Space Dock and Starbases of it's type in general.) Maybe it's as simple as it being one of my earliest childhood memories. But maaaaan every time i see it pop up somewhere new i'm happy.
Also design-wise. It's visual shorthand for "Prime Universe" and i kinda need that in my life.
I was always rather disappointed that earth didnt look more like a merger of a WH40k Paradise/Fortress world. Considering it is one of the core worlds, you would expect it to be clouded in orbital plattforms, defensive and otherwise
I think there's a lack of "realism", probably due to budget/production constraints in the various shows, where Earth's orbit looks totally empty when visited in the series'...it should be one of the worlds that FOR SURE has a ton of orbital bases, ship & shuttle traffic, and all manner of things happening at any one time.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs the last episode of Discovery showed an Earth busy with space traffic, cities on the moon, and more. Looked like something out of Star Wars. m.ua-cam.com/video/u2XEcw6-b64/v-deo.html
You can play a game called Elite Dangerous and see that, despite there being thousands of ships orbiting Earth at any time, you can't even see them unless you're within 500m or so of them. You even have to enter supercruise (equivalent to Star Trek impulse) just to get from one station or another. Which there's six giant space stations orbiting the planet. But you can't see them with the naked eye unless you're around 3000m away. Flying for just 5 minutes at sublight speed and the station becomes an indistinguishable dot that blends in with the stars. Basically, the space around Earth is so huge that you could have millions of ships and platforms and still not see then unless you were right next to them.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs agree.
Also. From a cannon perspective. Starfleet/federation activity is spread out in the whole system. It's also supposed to be way less earth centric than we see on screen. Which again is a byproduct of cost and CGI limitations at the time the main 4/5 series were made.
Imagine the Borg coming across it and assimilating it. All future Borg ships would be flying mushrooms...
I'd give anything...ANYTHING...to live in this space station.
Probably what people 300 years ago would say about your home town ;)
I always thought it was “Starbase 1” in the sense of “Airforce 1” and that was where Starfleet Command hung out, and wherever they went: so would the Starbase 1 moniker.
Starfleet command isn't 1 person it's a command structure.
Starbase 1 is just that. The first starbase. It's no more or less important than starbase 47.
Remember air force 1 is very much an American thing. In theory countries of earth are irrelevant in starfleet and the customs of America wouldn't be any more relevant than those of Mongolia, Zimbabwe or the Philippines.
the often busy skies above Earth... when the Enterprise wasn't the only ship in the sector
I hope in a future Star Trek Online update they give us access to the Corpse Disposal facility. (There's a sign on a door in the Infirmary that says it leads to there.)
It's just a room with a big phaser array set to "disintegrate" in the ceiling.
@@Corbomite_Meatballs Aww, that's no fun. I was hoping it'd be the intake hopper for the replicators in Club 47.
Nice addition to the tech analysis... That station tends to be forgotten, poor thing 😅🖖🖖🖖🤓
Great vid !!!
👏 Impressive video! I'd say a Star Trek TV series on this would be interesting, but we've already had one in DS9... 😏
Right off the bat, a view of Terra from the space station.
I enjoyed this video.
Is this music from Startopia? Biodeck? Cool game either way. I like these STO videos, I had to drop out a while back but I like classic trek and seeing where it all went it great fun.
You'd think after the Breen attack on Earth they would of armed the Space Dock.
You'd need more than one to cover a planet effectively. or at the very least some battle platforms with a similar punch as part of a network of defense.
Though of course if someone wants to Destroy Earth Entirely it's quite easy to do it with a big enough anti-matter bomb flying into it at warp speed easily atomising the entire planet with a and effet that is he combination of a Kinetic Lance and a nasty bomb. Heck I expect one simple hole punched all the way through that was large enough could cause immense harm all on it's own it would at the very least much the weather up and dump trillions of tones of ash into the sky and cause a Nuclear winter. with 23rd Century tech it's fixable - but it wouldn't be at all pleasant for the inhabitants.
@@90lancaster Yup it only took 24 Romulan and Cardassian ships to liquidfy a planets surface
Cool stuff. Thank you, Rick.
Very well put, thank you!
I've always loved the design of Earth Space Dock. I remember first seeing it in TNG when the Enterprise-D arrives (I saw TNG before I even knew about TOS or the movies). I just remember being struck by how awe inspiring it was. I don't know if anything sums up the Federation better than ESD.
Will we ever get to this level of technology
The ESD would make a fantastic setting for a new series. You can have Earth episodes, and a wide variety of different scenarios from spaceships to spacedock to civilian sector to Starfleet Command. The gambit is limitless. What a bustling space station setting tonhave a rich source for material.
Sounds like it would be ds9 2.0. not a bad thing but not likely to get signed off for TV. Everything now has to be out the box or a remake. Again not a bad thing. But seeing an earth based ds9 I doubt would get the money signs to light up in Paramount's board room.
One can't help look at the International Space Station and wish we'd get our skates on.
I always liked the design of the station
I'm pretty sure the ESD was armed during the Dominion War (And 2nd Borg incursion). It helped to defend Earth from the Breen attack.
Something this massive would have a noticeable gravitational effect.
8:25
"Notify the closest starship. We're not equipped for a rescue mission."
"We're the only ones in the sector..."
Must be really something to be stationed there. Then have dinner and watch the starships dock.
YEP, THe ESD is a must destination and it just doesn't feel right returning to earth without it. Like.. Whoa ESD is gone... okay are we in the past or... where is the... Oh... right, just angle around the planet and.. there she is :) Home Sweet ESD :)
The B5 standard on its head 😉👍
Can they re-arm Spacedock before Tuesday? I hear Starfleet has a rough time with Tuesdays...
😅
6:50 Deck 47 - the Bar - not drowning, fan dancing ...
Wait. Earth eventually secedes from the Federation? How does that work? That's like London seceding from the UK.
I only watched it once ( which was enough) it’s from Discovery and part of that seasons plot line (season 3)
WOW, very impressive. One question, 'where did the Federation get water from?'
@certifiably ingame, well in Picard we see it has been changed,the original ESD is now a museum for museum's ship and there is a new esd in play
The Space Dock obviously needs jets like those on Spacial Katana, shown slicing megalithic juggernauts with red laser beams. Also, they show inserting bombs down a mining shaft to explode a death star. "Vorlon planet destroyer", something like that. My gene makes red laser seed, CAS9, the gene editor, is a relative.
You sure did your research! 😀
I think I could command the ESD. 😉thanks for the video.
Hopefully Star Trek online will get a updated Version of Earth spacedock since Star Trek Picard ended
9:20 lol even the Galactica stopped by for food and gas
You can see the ISS from earth, so you'd most certainly be able to see this 5km long station. Must be quite the sight.
Gotta love the pathfinder flying y
9:32 wait what? You can't just gloss over that fact and not say anything else!
Give ESD the same weapons upgrades that DS9 got just before the Dominion War. It would turn ESD into one hell of a Orbital Weapons Platform, far more powerful than DS9.
But esd is a dock. Ds9 is a deep space station.
It's very possible that esd hasn't got the ability to power weapons. Or shields and has no armour.
That would be consistent with it being. Well... A dock
7:58 Jump point forming!
This is absolutely my favorite space station in science fiction. I love it more than DS9. I feel like there should be more of them throughout the federation and I wonder if it was a victim of the burn.
Well it was called Deep Space 9, implying that there were at least 8 others commissioned previously (more afterwards), which could easily flesh out fan desire to see more unique earth-owned space stations.
@@notsyzagts7967 sorry, the antecedents made that confusing. I meant there should have been more ESD type stations throughout the federation. Especially at major worlds and manufacturing installations.
1:00 - After seeing what happened to utopia planitia I can't help but feel like that was a good call...
It must have thrusters, or something to reposition it’s orbit! Because orbits decay.
So this is essentially a giant city in space cool. it must have used more than tubolifts more like a tram system or maybe internal transporters through some fibre cables
time for a update i guess
due to the ESD being turned into a museum and replaced wiht the new one in Picard
Now you gotta do a video on starbase1
In STO which has been wrecked more, ESD or DS9?
Cheers rich
"I'm Captain Kirk and this is my favorite nightclub on the Earth Spacedock."
Stacking different areas is incredibly inefficient in such a large structure u less you are planning on teleporting everyone/ everything to all the areas they are needed.
8:00 if that is true then why in every movie "The Enterprise is the ONLY ship in the area." LOL
At least most of the time the ship is supposed to be in deep space. But in something like the Generations movie when they're just flying around the solar system, it really is inexcusable, lol
It's always reminded me of Bespin Cloud City.
That one space door might be too small for larger ships. But the station has no docking ring.