Are their any plans to add purchasable ship classes to the Lieutenant Commander Levels on the Federation side of the game? I ask as I'm finding that those levels are getting a little on the boring side when it comes to ship combat as their is no real variation. Don't get me wrong, I love the game and think that every decision made is the correct one and I often find myself shouting at my monitor when I read those who cannot separate the game from life when the server crashes. (In other words get a life guys, its for fun and technical things do happen and we need to give the guys at cryptic a chance to correct them).

In what way do you want them purchasable?
ECs or ATs?
Because ECs at that level would certainly be the only thing I can imagine to be even remotely worthwile considering how quickly I got out of LtC.
It would certainly be fun to have a few additional ships at that level, but the question is: which ones?
Older ships than those seen at that level would probably go to Lt. Level and anything bigger (which is practically everything except for the Defiant) would probably be available at Commander...

The Constellation was discussed (after I first mentioned it) in the Ship Poll thread as a possible LtC ship.

the problem with adding CStore ships below Admiral level is that you'll eventually pass that level, making the ship you just paid real money for obsolete.

I could see the Oberth and possible the Ambassador class vessels being added for Lt. Commander side.

Oberth...not sure since she predates the Nova by about a century, is a lot smaller and was basically nuked away in every episode or movie she ever appeared...sounds more like an Lt. ship.
Constellation would be fine and would actually make tons more sense than the Constitution.
Ambassador would better be suited one or two tiers up given how large and powerful it's supposed to be (at least as powerful as the newer but slightly smaller Nebula)

A ship I could imagine as a decent Science ship at LtC level would be the Soyuz.

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Soyuz_class

She's based on the Miranda, is actually larger and all those addotions are supposed to be sensor arrays

So she'd make a nice Science ship in my opinion.

To be honest I have no preferance over what the class is. I just think some variation would be nice.

Someone said about getting through the LtCmdr levels really fast and not seeing the point in buying another ship at that level. If the NX Class is any indication then it would be popular. I'm sure whatever they decide, if this was to happen, would be perfect.