Massively

One of the persistent questions regarding the upcoming Star Trek Online has been the way in which ships will be handled. We've been keeping close tabs on the subject ever since a developer chat first disclosed some of the information regarding the ship system. The addition of the Federation ships of the line listing seemed to indicate that more was close on the horizon, and sure enough, a new article on the site goes into further detail regarding what the different classes of ships will be tasked with doing as they traverse the stars.

Different ship classes will be available to players once they attain the rank of Lieutenant Commander, when they may choose between Escorts, Cruisers, and Science vessels. Cruisers most closely resemble the flagships of the show, being staffed with the largest amount of crew, as well as being large and full of power for multiple subsystems. Escorts, meanwhile, are the gunships of the game, able to pack on the suitably ominous-sounding cannons and sporting quick movements. Science vessels lack the combat capability of either, but have other useful tricks, such as being able to easily detect cloaked vessels. They also possess a more robust ability to alter their shield or weapon frequency, as well as enhancing their fellow ships while crippling their enemies.

There are a lot more details on the official site, which mentions that there will be no small amount of differentiation between the various ships in each category. Star Trek has always featured ships that were as much a part of the show's character as the cast members, and it's good to see Star Trek Online carrying on the tradition.