Cryptic, developers of 2010's Star Trek Online, have provided a unique look at the construction of the latest ship to be added to the game's Federation fleet, the Avenger-Class Battle Cruiser. Unlike the majority of cruisers that are designed to display the essence of a defensive fortress, the Avenger-Class is built more like a gunship.

The Avenger-Class Battle Cruiser thus contains elements incorporated from, "the Akira (the protected bridge) and the Odyssey (split neck and saucer/hull integration) to make the Avenger look like an iteration of Starfleet design, and not something completely new." "It has visible, modeled hard points for all of its weapons. The windows are inset to give them a more protected, armored look. The deflector dish is rectangular, which gives it a stronger feel. The neck is thicker, which makes the ship look a little chunkier and more ready for combat," the STO developers explained in the latest Legacy of Romulus Dev Blog, "the Avenger’s style is also influenced by its capabilities. The ship has a special console (the Variable Auto-Targeting Armament), which is a very versatile torpedo weapon. So we made the ship’s torpedo bays larger and more visible."

More statistics, capabilities, and special abilities of the Avenger-Class Battle Cruiser will be posted in the next Star Trek Online developer's blog. You can check out screenshots of the new ship below.