Thank you. First time post, but I've been lurking for awhile. I do like the BCC community and star trek ships, but I don't really model Star Trek/BC stuff so I've seldom found a reason to post. Decided to break the ice just today.
I actually have voted to you both already. I'm glad you actually spoke up about which design was yours, WileyCoyote, because I was wondering about that. Both of your submissions actually thread over very similar themes and design aesthetics and considering the design styles which appear to have prevalence over the BCC community I can kind of relate to your preferences.
Both are ships I certainly could live with myself (rather than start tearing at my hair in frustration) if they won the contest. I definitely hope they'll end up in the upper 25 winners.
I'll offer criticism; I hope you won't mind:
Farshot's Independence-class has a certain broadness and 'brutishness' on the top view that seems to evoke the mechanical/warship traits in my mind - some of it feels unappealing to me, because I'd rather it be smoother like Wiley's, but it fits with the plated style seen in STO (Cochrane, Quasar, Noble classes). I kind of like the way the bottom of the engineering hull fits into the shuttle - it's smooth and yet not so minimalistic as the Star Cruiser configuration. I like the presence of the navigational deflector and feel the quantum torpedo turret's position is stronger than the one on Wiley's. I also approve of the double shuttlebays, but I feel the dorsal side of the secondary hull has this almost hunchbacked quality to it which is less appealing (I think the same thing of the Vesta-class, and it doesn't stop me from liking the Vesta too). I don't like it's implied massive size because it's not my personal preference.
Wiley's own creation appeals to me due to its more fluid and organic lines (and it goes well with the style shared with the Aurora and Discovery classes). Looking at it, I'm also strongly reminded of DJ Curtis' Enterprise-G (Farshot's is a bit more like Curtis' Ent-F). Two shuttlebays are present, the torpedo turret has a bit less presence than I'd like. The engineering hull actually hasn't entirely flattened as much as Farshot's and Curtis' Ent-F... which I approve of because it makes the ship's bottom look more slender and elegant. I approve of the two shuttlebays, but wish there had been a secondary navigational deflector. I could definitely see it fly alongside the Vesta-class and look timeline accurate.
The thing I bemoan from both designs is that despite their many appealing aesthetics, they feel a little too safe. I was kind of hoping to see a more flagrant design difference (Ent-A vs. Ent-D? not sure, I might just be fickle here). They also both seem to prioritize design aesthetics beyond the Enterprise-E, but less on making the Enterprise-F the Enterprise for Star Trek Online (taking account of modularity, dual beam and cannon placements, hardpoints, impulse trails, etc...)
