I am really fond of carriers. I love my Atrox. I think more carriers and flight deck ships are good in this game.

Ships with a hangar bay or two are usually balanced somehow against other ships - they have less turn rate, or fewer weapon slots, or something like that. My beloved Atrox has 6 weapon slotes, where other ships of her size have 8.

Buit the Armitage is basically a C-store escort with a special console and a hangar bay on top of that... unless I did miss something, it looks like the addition of the hangar bay did not cost anything else in the design. So I am curious: What was the reasoning behind this?

I'd really love to know. Thanks!

I'm not a dev, but I can give you a reason:

$25.

Over and over again.

The Dev's already made their design comments in this Dev Blog...
http://www.startrekonline.com/node/3241

I believe that we are seeing tier 5.5 ships coming now. i expect pretty much all new ships to have a slight edge on the older ships.

thats probably why they have mentioned making a better version of the sovereign for example.

Self respect

I've wondered this about the Jem'Hadar ship, at least in comparison to other escorts. What does it lose against others, really?

Rarity. Have the choice of spending over 100 million of EC on it or could waste over $100 for the exclusive right to own one of these ships.

Well, that's okay for me, but then, I'd like to know explicitly. ^^

[quote] Certainly, not any of its turn rate.

I've heard it it's bigger than the Tier 3 Akira (despite being able to use those costumes). So maybe it has to pay more rent? It is more likely to get stuck if you take it into The Vault or in Capture & Hold?