Besides the weapons, consoles, BOs, turn rates, and Hull Capacites, what are the differences between ship classes.
I know that Escorts get a bonus to wepon energy, Crusiers get a bonus to all energy and Science Vessels get the ability to target subsystems. Is there anything else that is not explicit?
Slight differences in weapon locations and configurations. For instance, the Escort has 3 forward gun locations and 1 rear while the Cruiser has 2 forward and 2 rear.
Whether you are a dealer of damage, or someone who prefers to stand back and help in more subtle ways will depend largely on your choice of vessel and how you choose to configure it. While the configuration will be a personal choice, and almost unique compared to other players, your selection of vessel type is subject to 3 choices.
Cruisers
Cruisers are the workhorses of fleets far and wide, and as such they are capable of filling a multitude of roles depending on their configuration. The Cruiser favours Engineering tasks with the bridge officer stations reflecting this, and is well suited for those Captains who have an in-depth understanding of Engineering functions and duties.
Despite their slow maneuvreability, Cruisers have Advanced Warp cores, and with the extra power produced are capable of withstanding large amounts of damage, extending their shields to nearby damaged vessels, and equiping multiple phaser arrays to in their bow and aft equipment bays. These vessels also have large cargo holds making them ideal for moving equipment or personnel on long journeys.
Science Vessel
The Science vessel is perhaps the most versatile and useful ship found on the front lines of combat, and can be configured to support other vessels in a variety of different ways. The Science vessel shines when it comes to scientific research and application with the majority of the Bridge Officer stations focussed to Science personnel. Captains with a deep understanding of Scientific research and theory will find themselves and their vessels sought on the battlefield for the multitude of tasks they are able to perform.
Although Science vessels are not the most powerful, indeed some may see them as the most vunerable, they are not unarmed and can still be formidable vessels.
Escort
At the forefront of the smallest skirmishes and the largest battles, you will find Escort vessels. These smaller, more nimble craft are vastly more manuevreable and are built for for one purpose and one purpose only. With the ability to equip cannons, these ships are designed to damage and destroy enemy vessels quickly and efficiently, and it is at this single role that they excel.
The Escort is a Tactical vessel, and any Captain with a thorough understanding of tactical warfare will be able to maximise the effectiveness of their vessel at the forefront of battle. With a small crew compliment typical for vessels of this size and role, the Escort class vessels are unable to man full medical facilities onboard, but with extensive armour and weaponry, coupled with its speed and agility, this is of minimal concern for astute Captains.
Comments
I can't think of anything else.
To summarize, "Besides basically everything..." ...
Whether you are a dealer of damage, or someone who prefers to stand back and help in more subtle ways will depend largely on your choice of vessel and how you choose to configure it. While the configuration will be a personal choice, and almost unique compared to other players, your selection of vessel type is subject to 3 choices.
Cruisers
Cruisers are the workhorses of fleets far and wide, and as such they are capable of filling a multitude of roles depending on their configuration. The Cruiser favours Engineering tasks with the bridge officer stations reflecting this, and is well suited for those Captains who have an in-depth understanding of Engineering functions and duties.
Despite their slow maneuvreability, Cruisers have Advanced Warp cores, and with the extra power produced are capable of withstanding large amounts of damage, extending their shields to nearby damaged vessels, and equiping multiple phaser arrays to in their bow and aft equipment bays. These vessels also have large cargo holds making them ideal for moving equipment or personnel on long journeys.
Science Vessel
The Science vessel is perhaps the most versatile and useful ship found on the front lines of combat, and can be configured to support other vessels in a variety of different ways. The Science vessel shines when it comes to scientific research and application with the majority of the Bridge Officer stations focussed to Science personnel. Captains with a deep understanding of Scientific research and theory will find themselves and their vessels sought on the battlefield for the multitude of tasks they are able to perform.
Although Science vessels are not the most powerful, indeed some may see them as the most vunerable, they are not unarmed and can still be formidable vessels.
Escort
At the forefront of the smallest skirmishes and the largest battles, you will find Escort vessels. These smaller, more nimble craft are vastly more manuevreable and are built for for one purpose and one purpose only. With the ability to equip cannons, these ships are designed to damage and destroy enemy vessels quickly and efficiently, and it is at this single role that they excel.
The Escort is a Tactical vessel, and any Captain with a thorough understanding of tactical warfare will be able to maximise the effectiveness of their vessel at the forefront of battle. With a small crew compliment typical for vessels of this size and role, the Escort class vessels are unable to man full medical facilities onboard, but with extensive armour and weaponry, coupled with its speed and agility, this is of minimal concern for astute Captains.
Do Science Vessels get a shield buff so the same shield on a Science Vessel is better than on a Cruiser or Escort?
Are there any other little things like this that you would have to use the ship to know?
Yes all escorts get +10 weapons, and all cruisers +3 everything.