There have been many questions about the ships that will be available in the new space MMO Star Trek Online. Actually, it is a question that I have been asking for weeks. Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment. The main reason that every trekkie wants to play STO is because we get to be Captain of our own vessel. So what are the vessels we can play as?
The Vessels are divided into three “classes”. There are Escorts (which are geared for DPS), Cruisers (geared for tanking), and Science (geared for support/crowd control). Each of these classes has tiers according to your rank. There are five tiers and ten grades in each tier making for 50 “levels” in the game that can be attained. The tier that you are determines what class of ship you can have.
Escorts
Escorts are smaller, faster, and more heavily armed than any other class of ships available in the game. At the Lieutenant Commander tier, escort ships such as the Sabre class, have four weapons slots (3 foreward, 1 aft). They also have room to hold four active bridge officers (one science, one engineering, and two tactical) and contain four consoles of that same configuration.
At the Commander tier, the escort class vessels, like the Akira or Norway class, have an extra forward weapon slot for a total of five weapon slots. This continues all the way up to the Admiral tier.
Escorts receive a bonus to speed, weapon power, maneuverability, and damage. In addition, they are the only type of ships that can load cannons, which are similar to phasers except that their coverage arc is severely limited compared to that of a phaser array. For example, if a phaser was loaded in a forward slot, it could hit any target in a 270 degree radius. Cannons would only be able to hit something directly in front of the ship. Cannons can do far greater damage than phasers.
Science Ships
This type of vessel is the weakest in terms of fire power. They are only imbued with three weapon slots (two forward and one aft) throughout every tier of their advancement. However, they are given other items that allow them to hold their own. Instead of an extra tactical officer, they have an extra science officer.
Science ships have more advanced shielding than cruisers or escorts which means that while they can’t deal a lot of damage, a science ship can stay in the fight longer. Vessels in this class have more advanced sensors which provides two benefits: it can detect cloaked ships and its weapons can target subsystems on enemy vessels. This provides two tactical advantages that every other class does not have.
Science ships get a bonus to Auxiliary power. They receive better tractor/repulsor beams and other fun little gizmos. It is rumored that they can transfer energy and shield power to allied ships along with other buffs and rebuffs.
Cruisers
Cruiser-type ships, such as the Galaxy or Sovereign class, have the biggest warp cores and the biggest crews. While escorts might have anywhere from 40 to 100 crewmembers, it is not unusual for large cruisers to have around 1000. They are given an extra engineering bridge officer and console. However, unlike other types of vessels, cruisers at the admirals rank get six bridge officers (two for each type).
This type of ship can take a ton of damage. Because they have a huge crew compliment, they are able to make repairs much more quickly than other types of vessels. However, with these advantages come some drawbacks. The cruiser, at its highest tier, has 4 weapon slots (2 forward and 2 aft). This class of vessel is also the slowest and least maneuverable of all the types.
Their large warp cores give the captain plenty of power to play with, making this class the best for captains wishing to take a lot of damage without dying.
In conclusion, the type of ship you want determines the type of play you like. All of them have their perks and disadvantages. If you are a run and gun type, the escorts might be your type of ship. If you like to be well-balanced in your skills, cruisers might be your kind of vessel. Science ships are for players looking to take a more strategic approach to combat.
