If you're anything like me, organization is a big deal. When it comes to ship building, I spare no expense. I don't mind if my ships come out looking like crap, so long as I know what kind of ship it is going to be. (You may notice quite soon that I put way too much thought into things)

Depending on your style, ships can be classified in a few different ways:

• System Upgrade Slots
  
• Size (Volume or Length)
  
• Firepower (Omicron)
  
• Functionality (Performance)
  
• Crew Size

Although, many other ways can be used and all can be used in a very complicated fashion, this guide will merely give broad examples. That way, there can always be exceptions to various classes (subclassification works wonders).

This is by no means a permanent set of names. Each ship type labeled is merely meant as a basis type, and can always be changed for personal preference.

Going from (generally) smallest to largest:


Being as it is the starting vehicle, it can still be quite useful when replicating and setting out to do menial tasks such as mining. Although, the starter is quite small, larger sizes are not unheard of, and in some cases, better to use.

Starter Drone

Functions: Basic tasks such as mining and basic replacement of fighters.


A broad term, referring to any ship capable of holding weaponry and used primarily for combat. However, it will be labelled as a fairly small vessel, smaller than a corvette. They usually don't pose much of a threat unless in large numbers and normally do not have a shield due to their small size. Altogether, they are pretty much an oversized fighter.

Stinger-Class Gunship

Functions: Basic defense


The staple of the universe of Avorion! You cannot enter a system without running into two or three of them, no matter where you are. Fast and agile, they can pretty much do a little bit of everything. Carry some cargo, be a gun platform, do some mining. Whatever you need can be found in a corvette. In a combat situation, they are usually used as fast-attack vehicles, similar to gunships, but more durable and expensive.

Functions: Private shuttle, cargo transportation, defense, mining, logistics


Larger than a corvette, they usually will lead multiple corvette class ships into battle. They normally engage as defensive fleet ships, to protect corvettes and other smaller ships from threats that would be otherwise too much for a smaller ship to handle.

Functions: Fleet defense, lead ship


Rare ship types, only found closer to the center of the galaxy. Usually doubling or even tripling the size of a frigate, they are normally the lead ship of most advanced AI civilization's fleets. When things get tough, a destroyer can clean up the mess.

Herculean-Class Patrol Destroyer
Functions: Attack ship, lead ship


Cheaper and slightly smaller, cruisers act as battleships. They can fill a multitude of combat roles, both defensively and offensively. The most common usage of cruisers is as fire support ships and lead command ships. Some AI civilizations have them, however they are much rarer than destroyers but much more powerful.

Functions: Flag ship, fire support


Broadly defined, a battleship is a superior combat ship used to ultimately annihlate any and all enemies. Although, I have never seen a battleship in game myself, they may be defined as cruisers or dreadnaughts. They should, however, be larger than cruisers themselves, and have overall more firepower. They do have much of the same uses as Cruisers, though. One of the best ships for destroying stations without a swarm of smaller ships.

Functions: Flag ship, well-rounded in combat


In real life, these would just be the same as an aircraft carrier. Conventionally larger than most other ships (as to make room for plenty of spacecraft), they can also take on smaller sizes if you so desire. However, you will be risking less room for spacecraft.

Functions: Fighter transportation, command vessel


NOT IMPLEMENTED IN CURRENT VERSION

However, not available so far, you still have the ability to plan ahead for these types of ships. Once a ship is brought to a weaker state, these ships can swoop in and send its armies to take over the ship for your own fleet. What you do with it after that is entirely up to you. Size of these ships is entirely oblivious to me. Just be sure to have enough space for your attacking brigade.

Functions: Ship capturing


The pride of any fleet, or the entire Empire, for that matter. A Capital Ship should lead one's fleet through whatever enemies that stand in the way while also protecting the Empire you've developed. It shouldn't have any problem defeating stations, let alone ships. Protection of the Nation is your highest priority. Spare no expense for these huge symbols of conquest and economic prosperity.

Nomad-Class Capital Habitat Ship

Functions: Flag ship, total destruction of all foes, or possibly just a docile giant

Corvettes, Frigates and other military ships aren't the only one's flying around the galaxy. There's plenty of other ship types which carry little to no weapons at all and do not focus on combat. (Recommend other ship classes in the comments below!)

A small list of civilian class ships are as follows:


Works in the same concept as an Icebreaker. They are fairly large and used to move and/or remove asteroids. Smaller versions are less useful, as asteroids are rather heavy. Mining asteroids with minerals isn't a priority for these ships.

Functions: Moving large debris/asteroids


A civilian ship used by most private citizens, corporate execs, and taxi services. Although, being in space is much more dangerous than a planet-borne taxi, these ships are usually never equipped with weaponry, and if in need of defense, they are followed by gunships or corvettes.

Functions: Personal transportation, taxi


A very broad class used to define any ships used purely to transport material goods. They can range in size, but larger size usually means more space for goods. Weaponry isn't a priority, but is advised when going into areas with larger risks.

Functions: Transporting goods


Although used in some "police" styled roles, cutters are also excellent smuggling vehicles. What they lack for in cargo space, they make up for in speed. As a law enforcement vehicle, they are used as patrol vessels or to catch said smugglers.

Functions: Fast transportation


These are usually heavy ships designed to mine and carry large amounts of minerals (However, you currently do not have to worry about holding minerals in cargo spaces).

Functions: Mining


A rather weird and small.... thing usually found at the end of space stations. You can build your own at various sizes for storage of anything, even less than legal goods. Best to leave a ship to guard it and maybe a small shield generator, lest you lose what you've put in it.

Functions: Storing goods

Being the easiest to define a ship's class, this will be the first! It also goes along with volume (since you can only get more slots with volume), so there will be minor differences. Also, ships can be well over the maximum amount of slots, but to keep things easier to build around, everything will be within the slot maximum

• Drone: 0-1 slots
  
• Gunship: 1-3 slots
  
• Corvette: 3-5 slots
  
• Frigate: 5-7 slots
  
• Destroyer: 7-9 slots
  
• Cruiser: 9-11 slots
  
• Battleship: 11-14 slots
  
• Fighter Carrier: 7-15 slots
  
• Boarding Vessel: No Defined Size
  
• Cutter: 3-7 slots
  
• Capital Ship: 15 and beyond

Although length and volume both have similar properties in a ship, they can also differ greatly. Which is why they should be considered differently when classifying. (i.e. One corvette in one civilization can be much longer than a corvette somewhere else with the same volume.)

Starting with volume, it should look somewhat the same as how you'd use slots for classifying:

(1m = 1 million meters)

Drone: 0.01-0.10m³
Gunship: 0.05-0.20m³
Corvette: 0.20-3m³
Frigate: 3-5m³
Destroyer: 5-20m³
Cruiser: 20-40m³
Battleship: 30-60m³
Fighter Carrier: 50-100m³
Cutter: 1-4m³
Capital Ship: 100-omfgitshuge m³

(Thanks to Helrym for slot to m³ translation)

Rough sizing chart, from drone to Capital Ship, minus carrier and cutter

The size of your crew is an extremely important factor when building ships. Too small crew means ship function will be faulty and too large crew can lead to morale drops and crew leaving. Too large ships can also lead to a money pit in which you can't pay off your crew and make money at the same time. Your crew is your life on your ship.

Drone: 1-5 members (To be honest, it shouldn't have a crew, but for the sake of this game as of now, it will.)
Gunship: 5-10 members
Corvette: 10-50 members
Frigate: 50-100 members
Destroyer: 100-250 members
Cruiser: 250-500 members
Battleship: 500-1000 members
Fighter Carrier: 250-1000 members
Cutter: 10-75 members
Capital Ship: 1000-2000 members

(Thanks to Unlucky for the help)

This area is just a means as to help you define your abnormal (but functioning) ships and will most likely never be truly finished as ship subclassification can range infinitely. Comment whatever player defined subclasses you think would fit in.

• Mining Drone
  A basic replica of the starting drone
  
• Attack Drone
  Equipped with weaponry
  
• Engineering Drone
  Equipped with repair turrets

• Attack Gunship
  Basic gunship class
  
• Monitor
  An obsolete class in real life, however can still apply. Defined as having unproportionately large guns.

• Fast-Attack Corvette
  Used for attacking ships and maintaining a fast speed
  
• Logistics Corvette
  Used for detecting radar pings using Deep Radar

• Fire Support Frigate
  Armed for fleet defense

• Lead Destroyer
  Commands a fleet (Not really implimented as AI)

• Battlecruiser
  Versatile in combat use

• Dreadnaught
  Obsolete in real life. A more buff and heavier battleship, usually having a small number of very large guns.

• Command Logistics Vessel
  Equipped with all the necessary radar, weaponry, and fighters for a Fleet Commander. Never directly engages in combat

• More Pictures