In BoTF you had the following ship types, which were unique to their form and identity in the game, and how they behave (of course there were different sub-types, such as 'Raiders' and 'Escorts', but these were all beneath the umbrella of the Destroyer category)

• COLONY SHIP
• TROOP TRANSPORT
• SCIENCE SHIP/SCOUT
• DESTROYER/FAST ATTACK
• CRUISER/WARSHIP
• STRIKE CRUISER
• COMMAND SHIP
• OUTPOST
• STARBASE

This is the proposal now for the available types in BotF2

• COLONY SHIP
• CONSTRUCTION SHIP
• TRANSPORT
• HOSPITAL SHIP
• SURVEYOR/SCIENCE
• SCOUT
• DESTROYER/FAST ATTACK
• CRUISER/WARSHIP
• COMMAND SHIP
• DEPOT/OUTPOST
• STARBASE
• SPACEDOCK

The role of a Surveyor is that of a science/research vessel. Its whose primary deployment is the exploration and charting of new and unknown territories and star systems. Although other ship types such as various Cruisers and Explorers (the Galaxy Class being a prime example) can carry out these duties, a Surveyor is designed specially for planetary and stellar surveying, armed with only standard weaponry.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Gaining Research points through scanning and studying objects (see below for more)
• Is a prerequisite for the terraforming of worlds in tandem with Colony ships and Transports.

It will be this type of ship whose primary responsibility it is to establish and build space stations and various other space-borne installations - starbases, science stations, and possibly Surplus depots etc. Can be used in conjunction with Transports for more rapid assembly.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• The construction of space-borne installations and facilities.

This designation is attributed to some of the smaller cruisers whose task it is to scout and patrol the borders and sensitive regions for fleet movements and the military activity of rival powers. Such an example would be the Neutral Zones, DMZ's, and the general outlying perimeters of local space. Scouts can be specifically deployed to these regions from nearby Outposts and Starbases - and operate best alone. Scouts are so designated because their power consumption is not geared to weapons or shields (it is not a strong combat performer), but to Scan Power most critically, as well as Range and Fuel Economy. These are the Scouts main strengths, and sets it apart from other fleet deployment as a unique, but important component. Moving ahead of the fleet for early warning the Scout is master, and when regrouping with the fleet for combat scenarios they have the extra capability of discerning ship strengths and Orders (like the Surveyor in Botf 1).

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Scan Power (in which field the Scout is expert) is not Sensor Range. Range signifies the outer limits a scan can reach, ie. how far the sensors can see; whilst Scan Power signifies the accuracy and resolution of such scans - which is the premium ability of a Scout, enabling them to cut through the effects of sensor jammers and identify the precise make up and location of enemy fleets.
• Scouts are expensive and quite high in maintenance. They are not designed for combat, for they do not have great weapons or shields, but they do have excellent manoeuvrability in combat, and are best suited to an Evade order. On Scouting missions they operate best roaming alone in their stealth operations on the frontiers.
• The other key attribute of a Scout is its Raiding ability, which is the highest in the game, exceeding that of Destroyers. Able to scan and monitor enemy shipping lanes, it can quickly seize trade-route trafficking and their credits, effectively halting productivity in a system.
• Scouts will have their own separate Orders list in combat, much like the old Strike Cruiser, which will give you another assault and attack option.

These vessels are considered starships in themselves, and have specific mission parameters. They are commonly deployed behind the front lines of various conflicts, wars and disaster zones. They often have simple, yet functional designs, with medium armaments and crews ranging from 100 to 250, a large proportion of which are Doctors, Nurses, triage medics and many other medical technicians and specialists, which would either be called upon for relief efforts during wartime, or any number of medical emergencies and sudden outbreaks in the innermost systems and right out to the most distant colonies.

Each empire has the ability to control 'Population Health' - aided by health centres and clinics that can be built in any (Native Member) system. These only come into action in times of crisis - when the system is attacked, incurring casualties, or when there is a global pandemic random event, or natural disaster. The Health Centres are able to control some of the damage to population figures by retaining the health levels system-wide. A standard Federation medical centre has a bonus of +25% Population Health. This means that if a system came under attack (say pop. 800), and the attacking force could unleash damage to reduce the population by a half in a single turn (400 pop), the Health Centre can ensure that instead of 400 remaining, 600 will in fact survive the assault (+25% of the original 800). Now Hospital ships have a default Population Health bonus that hovers around the 20% mark. They have the ability to supply and furnish Health Centres with personnel and equipment, and in such a crisis as the one just cited, in a system that has a Health centre in place, a potential of +45% population control can be in effect.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Offers up to 20% Pop. Health per system - meaning that 1 Hospital Ship in a single system or 50 makes no difference, the 20% remains the same.
• All ships (except Colony ships) have some level of Population Health capability - but it works the same as Hospital ships in respects to numbers. 1 Cruiser or 50 Cruisers have the same percentage output in a single system (this has to be in effect really, because if the percentages were accumulative, it would be possible in some systems to prevent any population loss at all). Note that after a few turns of persistent bombardment, a degradation of the medical infrastructure on the surface will be observed, therefore reducing further Health Care effectiveness - ie hospital and health facilities destroyed, doctors killed etc.
• With random event disasters, such as seismic activities and asteroid strikes etc, a warning will be given some turns before, stating that a potential disaster has been detected (Only if you have a scanner in the system! The more advanced the scanner the earlier the warning) This gives you time to race to the location (if you're in time) with a hospital ship and relief force to anticipate it.
• In systems where there is a Hospital ship as well as a mixture of starship types and a disaster strikes, command of the operation is passed over to the Hospital ship, and its Population Health bonus is activated. The percentage bonuses of the other ship types become redundant.

Note: with the last comment above, the bonus received will always be the bonus of the single best ship in the system - which invariably is a Hospital ship, assuming one is actually in the system.

These are the common frequenters of the shipping lanes throughout regional as well as frontier space, moving both personnel, and supplies. They have a diverse and versatile designation, with swappable load-pods, as they are designed to operate as Freighter, Cargo ship, Utility Vessel and Troop Carrier alike. They also carry huge Replicator foundries for the rapid production of building materials and supplies for large-scale building projects - assisting Construction Ships and speeding up the process.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• To make exploration and expansion a little more thought-provoking and meticulous, I suggest that a taskforce of four vessels are required for terraforming and colonization. Four ships= 1). Colony Ship, for the personnel and the colonists themselves. 2) A Surveyor / Science vessel to carry out the planetary survey and terraforming. 3). A Construction Ship for the shipping of additional structures/equipment. 4). A Transport to deliver hardware, food and general goods necessary to get the colony on its feet.
• To deliver armed ground troops for Invasion.
• A secondary (optional) addition to Construction ships, for the delivery of materials and engineers etc for the rapid construction of bases and stations.
• Note - All Klingon Transports are armed, but only Transport III's of the other empires are combat-capable.

In Naval tradition, a Frigate used to be a class of ship that was smaller than a 3 decked ship, but still capable of considerable firepower. From this we can determine Starfleet's angle of assigning this designation to what in essence are 'Destroyer-types', (smaller than the capital cruisers) but with a large arsenal for defensive purposes. Another old Naval term, the 'Destroyer', is here used by Starfleet as not precisely a warship, but a vessel capable of launching a heavy assault in combat situations. Normally Destroyers, being larger than Frigates, would be used for common exploration duty amongst other things. But during combat encounters with multi-ship taskforces, they would come into their own. Destroyer units would be assigned to launch 'fast attacks', flanking the larger Cruisers and laying down cover fire.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Fleet support - the workhorse of the fleet. Destroyers will in essence out-perform Frigates, which are smaller, and cheaper.
• Ships of this type are relatively cost-effective, very fast and manoeuvrable in combat (ideal for Harrying manoeuvres).
• These are the best ships for Intercept missions - whereby a taskforce can pre-emptively intercept enemy intruders from surrounding sectors (effectiveness is reliant on crew experience, like Raid)
• Heavy Destroyers are even more advanced and more heavily defended than regular Frigates and Destroyers, and they have enhanced Intercept capabilities. But they are generally available later in the game than standard Destroyers and have higher build and maintenance costs. They are essentially the ultimate evolution of the Destroyer type.

Cruisers are primarily built for high speed with great cruising range. But the precise capabilities vary, for example, some Starfleet cruisers can have mission specs that allow for enhanced exploration, research or reconnaissance capabilities.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• They are the backbone of the fleet. They are between Destroyers and Explorers in capabilities and strengths. Most of an empire's fleet will consist of cruisers in varying forms.
• Cruisers are multi-role vessels, with good range. They perform well in all areas, even Science and Medical, yet they do not excel in any one particular area.

A Heavy Cruiser is so named due to its size and armament. This again goes back to Naval designations, with 'Heavy Cruisers' having 'heavy' guns.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Their roles are the the same as that of the Heavy Cruisers of BoTF1 - basically advanced and powerful warships. They are superior to the regular Cruisers beneath them. (basically they are Cruisers just with more of the bad-ass ray guns stuck on 'em).
• The Prometheus Tactical Cruiser is technically classed as a heavy cruiser type, but is mega-powerful (and expensive)

Explorers are the biggest, strongest and most advanced starships in the fleet. These huge, all-powerful, all-purpose starships are designed for long-range missions of exploration and defence. Indeed, so much so, that these super-cruisers were built to accommodate entire families. One could even look upon an Explorer as a floating city-ship. As well as the exploration mission, these ships are also the most heavily armed, they could even be viewed as being Dreadnoughts (advanced Battleships, although these being the now politically incorrect terms). Having to delegate potentially difficult and hazardous missions the most advanced tactical and defensive countermeasures have been employed on these vessels. And during times of war, the Explorers would be on the front line. Also, they usually have the most experienced crews, with excellent captains with proven tack-records, thus they excel in the command and strategic management of fleet operations.

Purpose / Special Abilities:

• Explorers are in the Command Cruisers category from BoTF1, and as such provide the spearhead leadership of a fleet strike against enemy forces (this can be attained by adjusting the fleet strength with a modifier to boost general endurance and perhaps weapons accuracy in an exchange).
• Explorers have the best Science Ability rating after specialist Surveyors. However, due to their larger crews and generally newer technology, the physical science capability of Explorers may in practice exceed that of Surveyors.
• The presence of an Explorer in virtually any scenario guarantees increased stability, control and accuracy over accompanying fleet deployments. Also experience ratings come into play.
• It will probably be implemented that Explorers participating in a bombardment / invasion will increase the effectiveness and accuracy in targeting the specific (pre-set) surface structures.