The good people over at Cryptic, the developers of Star Trek Online, have unveiled the newest goodie for fans of the franchise: the new Oslo class heavy escort. The developers have posted a lot of information about the ship, and it’s quite a bit to dig through.
We’ve culled through all the data, and provided a nice synopsis of everything the Oslo has to offer. Here’s the dealio:
- It’s a “heavy escort”, designed primarily for combat missions.
- It has a new, modular design. This means that components can be easily and rapidly swapped out for rapid combat repairs.
- The modular design also means that the ship can be configured especially for specific missions.
- It’s made to be quick and maneuverable for rapid strikes.
- It’s got a very potent set of phasers and photon torpedoes both fore and aft. It’s made for “rapid-fire, hard hitting assaults”.
- It can be fitted with plasma weapons (wtf?) though their not “standard Starfleet issue”.
- It has second rate scientific, medical, sensory, and laboratory facilities.
- It’s clear the Oslo is not designed for sustained defense.
It’s mentioned in the descriptors that the Oslo is closely related to the Akira class ships, a known ship type in the Star Trek universe. It’s also mentioned that the Olso is related to the Zephyr, though the only ship with that name we could find is an extremely primitive Star Trek vessel.
Hit the jump for the full text and specs. It’s unclear at this point if the Oslo is a mid-level or an endgame ship; a lot more about the game in general is going to have to be revealed before that kind of determination can be made. However, this looks like a nice addition to the game overall, and should be a fun ship to play.
Class Specifications
Defensive Systems:
Heavy Escort; Commissioned 2393 Beginning in the early 2390s, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers championed a plan that called for modular ship designs, with components that could easily be switched out or replaced. Modular construction had been a part of Starfleet design philosophy for decades, but was greatly expanded after the Dominion War. Heavy losses in remote sectors of space made it clear to Starfleet that the traditional procedures of returning to a starbase or massive shipyard for repairs or upgrades was not feasible during times of conflict or for ships on deep space missions. The modular design allows ship’s crews to be able to make more repairs in the field and enables salvaged components to be reused on a variety of ships. An added benefit of modular construction is that starships can be modified for specific missions or to accommodate crew needs. One of the ships to be designed in this manner was the new Oslo class. The design is based on the Norway class from the 2370s, but the Oslo is constructed to allow it to exchange many components with its sister ships, the Akira and the Zephyr. Because the Oslo is a heavy escort that will often be on the frontlines of battle, this ease of repair and retrofitting makes it possible for engineering teams to use the components they have on hand to get the ship back in fighting condition quickly after a conflict, limiting the delays caused by returning to a friendly spacedock. Improvements in the Oslo include an improved power transfer grid that is shielded from surges normally caused by overloads or damage to the ship’s plasma conduits. Bio-neural circuitry enhances computer performance, but the Oslo’s designers have improved upon the bio-neural gel packs in use since the 2370s by adding filters which shield the technology from infectious agents. While Starfleet attempts to use diplomacy before taking aggressive action, ships such as the Oslo are designed to have strong defenses. The Oslo features rodinium-alloy hull plating and improved shield generators that can withstand phaser fire, torpedoes, disruptors and even plasma weapons. It retains the Norway class’s distinctive phaser array on the dorsal bow, and adds five Type XII phaser arrays and two torpedo launchers that can fire photon or quantum torpedoes. The Oslo can be retrofitted to carry plasma weapons, although they are not standard Starfleet issue on this class of starship. The Oslo is favored by captains who prefer fast, maneuverable ships that can end a battle quickly. It does not have the armor plating and redundant shielding of starships designed for withstanding sustained attacks, but its state-of-the-art weaponry allows the Oslo to disable its foes with rapid-fire, hard-hitting assaults. The Oslo has limited room on board for medical or scientific research facilities, and it will often work in concert with other ships that have improved sensor arrays and laboratories. Being able to coordinate with an engineering vessel will keep the Oslo fighting for longer than it could without such support, making it an ideal vessel for battle groups and fleet actions. |
Velocity:
Offensive Systems:
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I have to be honest; I’m unsure what they mean when they say the Oslo will be on the “front lines of battle”.
I’m curious as to what the rest of you think….Is it a first-rate fighter, or just some PR fodder, and a stepping stone to something better?