Thinking About the Cardassian Union

[Terra_Inc]

Well, the thread title says it all. I've been thinking about one of my favorite ST races lately, especially the differences between TNG cardies, DS9 cardies and the stuff done for A2. There are a few quite intersting things, and I'd like to hear (or read) your opinion of them. These are only speculations and I doubt that there is enough canon evidence to answer them.

First, it's the color of the Galor's (and Keldon's) Weapons Array. Most of the designs for A2 feature a red array, just like in DS9 and VOY. However, the original Galor from TNG had a yellow array as well as a different main weapon. Is that just the usual inconsistency? Or were these different ship (sub-)classes?

Then, the Cardassian Station. For A2 we've seen the usual yellow-orange designs and those more similar to DS9. Both possibilities are confirmed by on-screen depictions, namely the Monac shipyards and DS9 itself. Which design is more common?

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

First, it's the color of the Galor's (and Keldon's) Weapons Array. Most of the designs for A2 feature a red array, just like in DS9 and VOY. However, the original Galor from TNG had a yellow array as well as a different main weapon. Is that just the usual inconsistency? Or were these different ship (sub-)classes?

Of course there are only a few "canon" things about shipclasses. Such things are less interesting or relevant when writing a story or screenplay.

But let's get to military speculations
Actually, A2 Cardassian warships have a blue weapons array, by the way-

Indeed the warships seen in DS9 could have been a new sub-class, but it is also possible, that they were just refitted with new weapons technology. A cruiser surely costs some money (and if you dont have monetary-based economy) resources. It is way cheaper to refit....
Remember, the Klingon K'T'Inga has had a very long history of service with the Klingons, same could apply to Cardassian warships.

Additionally, in TNG it was mentioned th at the Galor class alone has three known subtypes.

Then, the Cardassian Station. For A2 we've seen the usual yellow-orange designs and those more similar to DS9. Both possibilities are confirmed by on-screen depictions, namely the Monac shipyards and DS9 itself. Which design is more common?

During the run of DS9 somewhere someone said, that there have been three of those stations, with one being destroyed, one under Federation control and I guess the third one will be in active service somewhere in the Cardassian Union. However, only Terok Nor and Empok Nor were seen on-screen.

The ST Bridge Commander game features several smaller space stations that are based on the Terok Nor-type. I prefer them over the A2 stock starbase....

 

[Terra_Inc]

Actually, A2 Cardassian warships have a blue weapons array, by the way-

Of course, forgot them. So we have 3 types of Cardassian warships.
Let me try to make a list...

Yellow array: fires a red pulse disruptor.
Red array: fires a spiral wave disruptor (I think that's what they're called in the DS9TM, which isn't exactly the most reliable source).
Blue array: fires a boooring beam phaser.

During the run of DS9 somewhere someone said, that there have been three of those stations, with one being destroyed, one under Federation control and I guess the third one will be in active service somewhere in the Cardassian Union. However, only Terok Nor and Empok Nor were seen on-screen.

The ST Bridge Commander game features several smaller space stations that are based on the Terok Nor-type. I prefer them over the A2 stock starbase....

They do look good. Dan made a whole race with stations like that.

 

[CptBenSisko]

**moved from Terra Inc's weapon thread did wanna spam it..this is a better place


According to DITL..the Keldon is a 'Heavy Cruiser - Type2'...so there must be a Type 1 floating around somewhere...the Galor Class is a 'Destroyer - Type 3' so again there must be a Type 1 and a Type 2 around....the Type -2 might be an earlier version with a weaker weapons complement but be physically identical..and the Type 1 might be a hull thats different in appearance..but still built off of the same spaceframe... the Type 2 might use Plasma banks...such as the weapon 'Galor Plasma Bank Overload' in vanilla A2..but by DS9 Emissary they started retrofitting the High Power Phaser bank..and perfected it by DS9 'Defiant'. In Emissary the Cardassians fired a very skinny phaser beam at the station, but by 'Defiant', the Defiant is fighting the Keldons and the beam it fires is much wider, as they are in Sacrifice of Angels..

And the Spiral Wave Disruptors i think come from those little white squares we see on the Galors..as they fire several spiral type weapons at the Federation Fighters in 'Sacrifice of Angels'

edit: I remember reading somewhere that Dan1025 or someone else...not sure who, was building an early version of the Galor to fill in the gaps from early 24th century to the mid to late 24th century when we see the Galor in TNG

 

[Majestic]

I have always called the Galor a cruiser as it was mentioned on screen somewhere I just can't remember where.

Also in COE, I have done a complete station set based mostly around the Monak Shipyard type of stations. Achilles made the station and I editted it and re-textured it and I slightly altered Aad's rebuilt stock station and turned it into a outpost.

But going back to the Galor, there are three known types, the ones in TNG were the Galor Type III as mentioned by I think Riker or Worf in one of the Cardassian episodes. I think it was "Ro Laren".

 

[Terra_Inc]

But going back to the Galor, there are three known types, the ones in TNG were the Galor Type III as mentioned by I think Riker or Worf in one of the Cardassian episodes. I think it was "Ro Laren".

Yeah, that's the episode. Quite interesting how they changed stuff...

 

[Majestic]

Indeed that is also why I always use the Galor and keldon as heavy cruisers in my install. I feel they are too big and powerful to be destroyers and too weak to be battleships. I have always put them on par with the Klingon Vorcha and Federation Akira/Ambassador.

Yellow array: fires a red pulse disruptor.
Red array: fires a spiral wave disruptor (I think that's what they're called in the DS9TM, which isn't exactly the most reliable source).
Blue array: fires a boooring beam phaser.

Interesting I never noticed that the A2 ones had blue weapon arrays. Also I think they are also called compressor beams as I have heard that and the spiral wave disruptor before.

 

[Knight]

Were the ones in A2 not a combination of red and blue? like, predominantly red with a blue 'grid' marking over it? (very similar to the galaxy deflector actually colour-wise)

I did actually have the model kit for the Galor back in the day (aaah airfix. the smell of plastic fixing glue and model paints... i digress) and the paint instructions for that called for a blue grid over a red base. Absolute :x to do without making a mess of it too!

 

[Terra_Inc]

Were the ones in A2 not a combination of red and blue? like, predominantly red with a blue 'grid' marking over it? (very similar to the galaxy deflector actually colour-wise)

All of the stock models had a completely blue weapons array.
Here's a pic of the stock galor...

Spoiler: Stock Galor

(Yeah, they used to call that "quality"... )

 

[Knight]

aah, see i always took that dark colour behind the light blue as being red. probably because of that frakkin model kit

 

[Terra_Inc]

aah, see i always took that dark colour behind the light blue as being red. probably because of that frakkin model kit

Believe me, I'd love to have a "frakkin" model kit af such an awesome ship like the Galor.

So, I think we can come to the conclusion that the red array is canon for most of the time after the beginning of DS9, with the yellow array being canon before DS9 and the blue array being documented, but non-canon.

 

[Majestic]

Here's a pic of the stock galor...

(Yeah, they used to call that "quality"... )

To be totally honest the Cardassian models were some of the best in-game. What let them down were the sub-standard textures. Most of the models in my COE Cardassian side are just revamped stock models. For exmple the Vasad, Janissary and Kulinor are mostly stock models with some parts from Achilles Galor and Keldon put in.

But yes, looking at it as it is now, it doesn't look all that good does it?

Believe me, I'd love to have a "frakkin" model kit af such an awesome ship like the Galor.

I have a non built and unpainted model kit of the Galor down in my shed. I bought it years ago along with DS9 but never got around to assembling it. I bet it would fetch a high price on ebay or something now if I decided to build it. Which I wouldn't.

 

[Knight]

Believe me, I'd love to have a "frakkin" model kit af such an awesome ship like the Galor.

So, I think we can come to the conclusion that the red array is canon for most of the time after the beginning of DS9, with the yellow array being canon before DS9 and the blue array being documented, but non-canon.

it did look pretty cool all painted up and assembled. Some tricky bits to paint (the array in particular, and the other lights to get them to look right... sometimes i think some sort of lighting rig inside might have worked better), which made it an absolute frakker of a job lol. worth it in the end though. Still have it somewhere.