Ship classes

Star fighters

Small highly maneuverable ships with little (extended) life support systems. Usually have small cones of fire as they use their mobility to track their targets.

Shield sections: 1 (Although exceptions with 2 exist)

Interceptors

Missile tubes: 0
Crew: 1 - 2

Energy steal fighter (leach / vampire)
Stealth
Scout
Examples: MT52 Hornet, MU52 Hornet, MP52 Hornet (player), Fighter, Player Fighter (player), Strikeship, Striker (player), Adv. Striker

Bomber

Missile tubes: 1 - 3
Crew: 1 - 3

Examples: WX-Lindworm, ZX-Lindworm (player)

Tubes in front, ZX: small turret phaser to back and sides.

Gunship

Missile tubes: 1
Crew: 1 - 3

Examples: Adder MK4, MK5 and MK6

Tubes and beams in front. MK6 adds beam to back

Frigates

Shield sections: 2+
Crew: 3 - 20

Cruiser

Versitile combat oriented ship that favours a balanced approach

Roles:

Anti star fighter / Bomber interception (Lots of pew pew lasers with large arcs)
Rounded
Light artillery, heavy artillery
Strike craft (fast in, fast out)
Tackler ship (fast, indended to cripple the enemy)
Sniper / Long range support
Gunship

Examples:
Phobos T3, Phobos M3, Phobos MP3 (player), Karnack, Cruiser, Blockade Runner
Anti-fighter: Nirvana R5, Nirvana R5A
Light artillery: Piranha F12, Piranha F12.M, Piranha F8, Piranha (player)
Heavy artillery: Storm
Sniper: Ranus U, Hathcock (player)
Strike craft: Stalker Q7 and R7
Gunship: Gunship, Adv. Gunship

Light transport

Small transport ships used for low volume / high value cargo. Fairly popular with smugglers.

Troop transport
Light assault (Less transport room, more armor and laser pew pew)

Examples: Flavia, Flavia Falcon, Flavia P.Falcon (player), Repulse (player, better armor)

Support

Mine layer
Mine sweeper (small but -very strong- front shield)
Scientific vessel
Deep sapce Reconnaissance
Light Repair ship
Resupply ships

Examples: Tug, Nautilus (player, mine layer)

Corvette

Shield sections: 4+

Destroyer

Heavily armed ships, little to no transport or science capabilities (think attack submarine)

Blockade runner
Seraphin class Destroyer -> Broad sides?
Heavy artillery (carpet bombing)
Mobile comand center (Electronic warfare)
Carrier (light)
Support fire (Disallow maneuvrability)
Capital ship killers
Heavy assault

Examples:
Destroyer: Atlantis X23, Atlantis (player), Starhammer II
Carrier: Jump Carrier, Benedict (player), Kiriya (player)

Freighters

Personnel, Goods, Garbage, Equipment, Fuel

Support

Drone carrier

Dreadnaught

Shield sections: 6+
Crew: 250+

Heavy carrier
Flying fortress
Resupply station + Hq with wings strapped to it.
ships with no propulsion (can only rotate). Jumps in to deal out the pain. Will probably have long range weapons.
Examples: Dreadnought, Battlestation, Ender (player), Odin