The Imperial Navy Ship Database: TrekWars: The Furry Conflict

The Imperial Navy Ship Database - July 14th, 2003
Interview with David Anderson, webmaster

By Julius Harper (Marc Xavier)

The Furry Conflict interviews David Anderson, the creative mind and webmaster behind the Imperial Navy Ship Database, quite possibly the most complete Star Wars ship reference library on the Internet today. A quick and candid dialogue reveals a little bit about the origins of INSD, it's history and the thoughts of it's creator about the original Star Wars trilogy. From the massive Executor-class "Super Star Destroyers" to Sienar Fleet System's Toscan Fighter, INSD provides a wealth of information and indices culled from the X-wing video game series (INSD currently uses X-wing Alliance stats). If you're a fan of video games, Star Wars, or both, INSD is definitely worth a visit.

The Imperial Navy Ship Database is a large collection of statistical information on starships from the Evil Empire of Star Wars, but also features information on the Imperial Navy's uniform styling as well as information on "Serving the Empire."

The ship indices give information and reports on everything from starfighters to command ships, mostly based on information culled from LucasArts video games; INSD is currently orking off of the scale found in the game X-wing: Alliance. But INSD isn't limited only to ships and data found in PC games; the site also features ships from the Star Wars Kenner Action Figures series and the Marvel Comics. With such ships, which usually don't come with concrete numbers, INSD makes reasonable estimations based on other vessels of similar size or class.

All the effort put into the database is paying off for David Anderson, owner and manager of the Imperial Navy Ship Database, and most of the feedback email he receives about is positive. And with accolades from websites like TheForce.net, he must be doing something right.

Anderson first became a fan of Star Wars as a child, fascinated by the "Blasters and Spaceships" of the original Lucas movie trilogy. But it wasn't until he started playing TIE Fighter that he began taking an interest in the Empire and their awesome arsenal of space ships. The journey to the dark side had begun.

First hosted (for free) at xoom.com in 1998, the Imperial Navy Ship Database has had to travel a long and sometimes perilous road to stay online, as David Explains:

"It was first hosted for free at xoom.com, I think it was in 1998. Then after I ran out of free server space I moved the site to another place ... then soon afterwards that place got a server wipe ... then moved to another server and another."

Eventually, INSD was actually saved by a fan, someone who had visited the database and offered to host it on his own site for free:

"I ended up with a good hosting at WOTF.NET. It was owned by a private person who had seen my site and wanted to help me out as I had no reliable host. I was there for a long time, but sadly he eventually had to bring down his server permanently."

Even through the hard times, another webmaster who had come to know and appreciate Anderson's database helped lobby for INSD's cause. But INSD actually was forced to retire from the internet for awhile. That didn't last long, however, as INSD returned, setting up shop at the home it has today, insd.swcombine.com.

All in all, David Anderson remains a fan of Star Wars, and his work on the Imperial Navy Ship Database-through the hard times and good times-has only enhanced his fascination with Lucas' universe and, of course, the Empire.

***

The interview with David Anderson is below.

David Andersen and the INSD

A candid Q & A with the face behind the Imperial Navy Ship Database, host to what is quite possibly the most complete Star Wars ship reference library on the Internet.

Q: Good evening Mr. Andersen, how has life been treating you as of late?
A: Hmm pretty well ... Thank you.

Q: What first got you into Star Wars?
A: Well I saw the old SW films when I was a kid and I was fascinated buy them. I wasn't much into the Character names and the Universe's technical aspect as I am now, but I guess all the Blasters and Spaceships was the things that fascinated me. I had all of the 3 films on 30 minute audio cassette versions for kids ... with a picture book to go along with them.

Q: When did you first found the Imperial Navy Ship Database? Where was it hosted? Did it have the same name?
A: The Imperial Navy Ship Database has always had that name. It was first hosted for free at xoom.com, I think it was in 1998. Then after I ran out of free server space I moved the site to another place ... then soon afterwards that place got a server wipe ... then moved to another server and another. I have a very limited personal income so I have not got the funds to pay for a web-host. I ended up with a good hosting at WOTF.NET. It was owned by a private person who had seen my website and wanted to help me out as I had no reliable host. I was there for a long time, but sadly he eventually had to bring down his server permanently. Now I have found another great host at www.swcombine.com. Its an Internet gaming group of people who has constructed their own Internet based sim game and many uses my Imperial website as a reference place for imperial info.

Q: What first gave you the inspiration to start such an extensive website? What was your original motivation?
A: Well ... It was actually the TIE Fighter game that dragged me towards the "Dark" side =) I got hooked on that game and got an interest in the Empire and their awesome space Ships. I wanted to make a website that cataloged all of these ships. Eventually I added many Expanded Universe ships and also many sections with information on ranks, troops and other thing.

Q: How long have you been administrating the Imperial Navy Ship Database?
A: Since 1998 ... I think! And I have always worked alone on the site. I have not got any co-administrators.

Q: What are some of the sources of information that you use on your site?
A: I always try to stick to the Star Wars material and information from the "official" sources. Like starwars.com and Lucas arts games. The X-wing series games has provided me with lots of information ... even though the information and stats on the spaceships in these games seems to change whenever a newer game comes out. I am currently using XWA stats now. Besides PC games I also use role-playing game source books for Crew, Cargo Capacity and Consumables information. Some Imperial ships are neither to be found in PC games, movies, source books or any official websites. Like the ships from Kenner Action Figures and Ships from the Marvel Comics. I try to search the Internet to find as much information about those ships as possible before I include them in the database. Sometimes the Star Wars Internet community has already agreed on most ship specifications, but if some are missing I try to compare the specific ship with other ships of same class or size and thereby getting a reasonable good and realistic ship specification.

Q: Honestly. Which Star Wars movie is your favorite? And what do you think of the New Trilogy versus the Old Trilogy?
A: Well my favorite movie is of course Star Wars: A New Hope. And I also think many starwars fans who has grown up with the old movies has the same favorite. I was a bit disappointed when I saw Episode I ... It just didn't feel like the Star Wars I knew. But I must say that Episode II was great. Maybe because of the big battles. I'm really looking forward to Episode III. And I also hope to se Victory Class Star Destroyers and Dreadnoughts in it .... that would be great!

Q: Do you find you like Star Wars more or less since you began the project?
A: I am deeply into Star Wars! And the work on the Imperial Navy Ship Database has only enhanced my fascination of that Universe.

Q: Do you receive quite a lot of fan mail concerning your achievement? How about nitpicks, do you get a lot of those?
A: I almost always get very positive responses to my site. And many people send me pictures and information about reference books and Internet sites. Sometimes they ask questions about the Empire and the Empires Military. I of course try to answer them all to the best of my ability. I get very few mails from people that has spotted errors or misleading information at my site ... I always look very deep into the possible mistakes and errors. If I can't find the error I take the discussion up and we always tend to come to an agreement in the final end

Q: What are your thoughts on Star Wars Galaxies? I understand you've purchased it, how is the game going?
A: SWG is one of the best Internet games I have ever played. And the game is still an "infant" ... it will grow better by time. I am getting very hooked on it. But I must say that I am a member of a great player association called "Northstar Alliance" and that enhances the gaming experience allot. We are currently working on building our own city on Naboo.
Thanks for the interview Marc.

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