Constellation's Next Frontier

*** NEW (August 4) - TSAU BLUEPRINT NOW AVAILABLE ON NEXUS! ***

After convincing himself that you weren't just going to steal Constellation property and run, but actually planned to stick around for the long haul, Walter Stroud approached you with a proposal. "I've been trying to convince Barrett to upgrade from that ancient, cramped rust bucket he flies, but he just won't budge. You, on the other hand, seem more amenable to reason. I'd like to put you in contact with my new 'Premium Edition' team. Work with them. Create a ship that will better reflect upon Constellation as a forward-looking organization." He chuckled. "And it won't hurt if it showcases Stroud-Eklund's advanced design capabilities, as well." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Anyway, think of it as a new Frontier, in which Constellation's team can explore the next frontier." He thought for a moment. "Actually, Next Frontier's not a bad name for the ship."

The Next Frontier is the product of a great many design and redesign and re-redesign sessions on my part. I decided to learn how to use the Creation Kit so I could save it and reuse it myself in NG+ games, and having done so, figured I might as well upload it and see if it appeals to anyone else.

The ship has three levels, connected by a stairway instead of ladders. The lowest level consists of the cargo bay and engineering section, complete with walk-in reactor and grav hub modules. The mid level hosts general crew and passenger quarters, as well as the mess hall, infirmary and hydroponics bay. The upper level features control stations and the bridge, as well as the brig and armory, a social lounge, and quarters for most of the executive crew.

The captain, all Constellation members, the ship's doctor, and Cora each have individual quarters. Shared quarters house additional crew and passengers. All told, the Next Frontier can house two dozen individuals comfortably, and up to 32 if you're willing to squeeze folk into every last bunk.

The ship is Class C, so you'll need Piloting skill at level 4 in order to fly it. And it's a bit pricey, but, well, it offers a level of quality that money just can't buy - unless you're shopping at Stroud-Eklund.

The Next Frontier can be purchased from the Stroud-Eklund shipyard in the Narion system. I'd love for it to actually be available at the SPE showroom in New Atlantis, but alas, that doesn't seem possible.

REQUIRED MODS:

• Stroud Premium Edition - If you don't have it, you're missing most of the habs used in the ship.
• Ship Vendor Framework - Without it, the ship won't show up for sale.
• Place Doors Yourself (and the PDY patch for SPE) - I have no idea what sort of nightmarish maze the interior of the ship will become if you don't use it.
• Constellation Decoration - Without it, the ship won't have the cool Constellation logos on the exterior.
• SETI (Ship Exterior True Illumination) - Without it, the ship won't have any floodlights or navigation lights. Maybe you don't care, but I like them.

RELEASE HISTORY:

• 1.0 (June 14) - Initial release.
• 1.1 (June 15) - Rearranged habs on the upper deck to allow a straight-line path from the stairs to the bridge. Recolored the ship's exterior to give it a less chaotic, more dignified look. Added exterior Constellation logos and lights.
• 1.2 (August 4) - Replaced ESP file with ESM small master. Added optional TSAU blueprint file (available on Nexus) for those who prefer "Transfer Spaceships Across Universes" to "Ship Vendor Framework" for ship imports.