What kind of ships you have in your fleet?

[Jack_www]

I like to have carriers, to hold star fighters. I would also have a battleship like ships for bombarding planets and such. And I would have various escort ships for the Carriers and Battleship. Allthough right now My space fleet is very small, since I just started playing,(oonly turn 50 I think). Anyways just wondering what kind of ships you guys like to have in your fleets?

[Proteus_MST]

Mission Ships according to the Sopecific Mission of the Fleet (Mostly LR, Carrier or Missile).

At least one Recon Ship for the Picket Ring which Possesses the best Sensor Capabilities along with at least one ECCM and ECM - Pod.

If possible at least one PD-Ship almost exclusively fitted with Weapons on Light or PD-Mounts.

Normally I try to have all the Ships of the same size, depending on Technology.
I try to concentrate on Ships with Cruiser-Size or Battleship - Size.

[Arnelos]

Early game:

Core: Cruiser or Light Cruiser mission ships (either carriers, long-range beams, or missile ships, depending on which area has the best techs)
Escort: Point-Defense Frigates (since any world can build them)
Pickett: Corvette Scout(s)

Your core 1-2 worlds are building the Cruiser or Light Cruiser mission ships while every other planet you have is building the PD Frigates, the occassional scout, and all of the transports and troops needed to come in behind the fleet and invade colonies you establish space superiority over.

Mid-game:

Core: Battleship or Battlecruiser mission ships (mostly long-range beams, but supplemented by TFs of carriers or missile ships if I have the production capacity... affected by optimat tech, though... if carrier tech is awesome, I'll build carriers).
Escort: Point-Defense Destroyers or Light Cruisers (requires planets to build more improvements to shipyard capacity, but that's ok by mid-game)
Pickett: Frigate Scout(s)

A core of 3-5 worlds are typically building battleships as mission ships while most of the rest of my worlds are working up their shipyard capacity so they can build destroyer or light cruiser escorts (almost always point-defense craft). Remaining worlds are mostly building frigate scouts or frigate transports. Any magnate civs are building troops.

Late game:

Core: Dreadnaughts Typically long-range beams, but augmented by the occassional TF of carriers or missile ships (this all affected by technology... my strategy is affected by the fact that I prioritize energy research).
Escort: Battleships and Battlecruisers of short-range beams and point-defense craft.
Pickett: Frigate or Destroyer Scouts with as much detection equipment as I can load on them (the need to spot stealth forces is GREAT).

Core worlds with lots of production build the dreadnaughts. Many other worlds by this point can afford to build up to the ability to build lots of battleships or Battlecruisers as the escort rings. Any remaining worlds with less development (typically conquered ones) can build troops, troop ships, and scouts.

Also Late Game, my favorite TF type :

Core: Cloaking Battleships up to Cloaking Dreadnaughts. As many short-range beams as you can fit
Escort: Cloaking Cruisers or Battlecruisers also with short range beams, but with more point-defense if missiles and fighters are a worry (typically so...).
Picket: Typically at least one cloaking scout, typically at least Destroyer size (so that I can fit the cloaking device along with all of the detection equipment). Point-defense craft can go out here if there's a lot of short-range beams in the escort ring.

This is my favorite type of TF. The cloaked short-range beam TF These things, if used properly, can sneak up on the flank of an opponent and level all of those pesky planetary defenses while his fleet is busy being engaged by my long range beam TFs or harrassed by my Carrier TF's further away from the planet(s).