Editing Starfleet (section)

==Player Characters==
:''Main article: [[Player character]]''
Upon starting a new Starfleet character, players must choose a career (analogous to a 'class' from other [[MMORPG]]s) and a species (or race). The career determines the character's native abilities, and the race determines the character's innate traits, and in certain cases, special abilities. In ground combat, the career choice and racial traits drastically affect the gameplay and strategies used by the player.

When the player completes the tutorial (or skips it), a Starfleet Light Cruiser is assigned to them, which acts as the player's avatar in space and [[sector space]], and is the primary method of combat and interaction in space. The character's career affects the type of gameplay strategies used by the player, as well as the customizable Bridge Officer abilities and ship consoles.

===Classes===
:''Main article: [[Career path]]''
In [[Star Trek Online]], players may choose which career they wish their character to adopt. Players are able to choose from the following three career paths:

{| style = "margin:0 auto; width=320px;"
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Tactical Officer Candidate icon.png|link=Tactical|86x86px]]
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Engineering Officer Candidate icon.png|link=Engineering|89x89px]]
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Science Officer Candidate icon.png|link=Science|89x89px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Tactical]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Engineering]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Science]]
|}

Each profession has its own advantages in the gameplay of Star Trek Online, but does not restrict what [[playable starship]]s are available, nor the main [[skill]] progression beyond a handful of unique abilities and traits.

===Races===
:''See also: {{MAlpha|Federation members}} on Memory Alpha.''
Starfleet characters have a diverse range of [[Player race|playable races]] to choose from including long standing Federation members such as Andorians and Vulcans, to Starfleet allies such as the Ferengi and Talaxians. Most races are free to play, while some are paid for.

Each race offers unique traits and abilities which can aid a certain type of play. Once the race is chosen, it cannot be changed so it is advisable to choose carefully.

The Federation includes hundreds of members, with non-playable species in-game including the [[Aenar]], [[Deltan]]s, [[Denobulan]]s, [[Ithenite]]s, [[Risian]]s, [[Violacean]]s and [[Zambean]]s. Dozens of other non-Federation species have been seen to serve in Starfleet including [[Capellan]]s, [[Ktarian]], [[Xenexian]]s and [[Photonic]] lifeforms to name a few.

{{FederationRaces}}

===Starships===
:''See main article: [[Federation playable starship|Federation playable starships]]''
There are three main types of playable Starfleet vessel, each with numerous sub-types for different ranks and styles of play, and each of those sub-types with a number of cosmetic variants. The types of vessel are generally biased towards a specific class, but players of any class can captain any type of vessel.

{| style = "margin:0 auto; width=320px;"
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Galaxy class.png|146x146px|link=Federation Cruiser]]
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Fed Ship Akira.png|150x150px|link=Federation Escort]]
| style="padding:0 3em;" | [[File:Intrepid Class.png|150x150px|link=Federation Science Vessel]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Federation Cruiser|Cruiser]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Federation Escort|Escort]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Federation Science Vessel|Science Vessel]]
|}{{clear}}