Just random

[Meste17]

Hmmm.....I wonder just how the Enterprise would've turned out if she was a medium cruiser/destroyer or a light cruiser?

That being said, I would see the following lineage of ships:

Destroyers:
Intrepid Class, 2152 - 2158, remained in service until 2188, strength: 23, type: Warship
Miranda Class (basic), 2243 - 2269, class remains in service, strength: 120, type: Destroyer
Saladin Class, 2245 - 2260, remained in service until 2320, strength: 98, type: Destroyer
Miranda Class (refit), 2270 - 2285, class remains in service, strength: 262, type: Destroyer
Freedom Class, 2335 - 2350, class remains in service, strength: 423, type: Destroyer
Norway Class, 2360 - 2370, class remains in service, strength: 303, type: Destroyer (science/diplomacy enhanced)
Griffin Class, 2374, class remains in service, strength: 265, type: Destroyer

Light Cruisers:
Wambundu Class, 2332 - 2360, class remains in service, strength: 400, type: Light Cruiser
Wellington Class, 2340 - 2360, class remains in service, strength: 477, type: Light Cruiser
Steamrunner Class, 2342 - 2363, class remains in service, strength: 513, type: Light Cruiser
Saber Class, 2343 - 2368, class remains in service, strength: 217, type: Scout
Challenger Class, 2350 - 2355, class remains in service, strength: 254, type: Light Cruiser
Intrepid Class, 2371 - present, strength: 591, type: Light Explorer / Scout
Luna Class, 2378 - present, strength: 983, type: Light Explorer

[Teaos]

To be fair, some of Enterprises have almost been light cruisers.

[McAvoy]

Not really. Depends how you term light cruiser. Remember that light cruiser in the way people use it was from WW2. They are nothing but a 6" gun armed cruiser but more of them than the smartly sized 8" armed cruiser. Not much of a difference but however the Ww1 version is something different. They are very small cruisers but widely varying in size. They are any cruiser in between an armored cruiser and a destroyer. Though technically the so called heavy cruisers were called light cruisers until the 6" armed light cruisers I mentioned earlier.

I suppose you could call the E-nil and maybe nice refit as light cruisers with the understanding that there is nothing bigger with the exception of battleships. However the NC class could easily be a heavy cruiser as she is more powerful than what Earth did prior. Then once we get to the E-B and further I would argue they the most powerful ships of the time.

[Teaos]

When you look at the E-C and almost the E-D, the amount of space given over to weapons puts it in the same league as ships with only 6 inch guns.

I think when classifying spaceships light, medium and heavy, you need to look more at the amount of space given over to weapons systems.

[McAvoy]

No that doesn't work. Because you can arm a ship like a battleship but have massive space and you wouldn't classify it as a cruiser because of that space. It would be a battleship. Same goes for the other classifications. Starfleet isn'ta ccompletely military organization so most of their ships will have extra space for luxuries and exploring.

A light vs. Medium vs. Heavy cruiser type would honestly be about size.

[Meste17]

So with that in mind, I have something of a....rough outline thought up.
Destroyer lineage:
Intrepid Class, 2155 - 2185 possibly
Miranda Class (basic) successor, 2243 - 2269, refit in 2271
Miranda Class (refit) successor, 2271 - unknown, lost in 2283.
Freedom Class successor, 2342 - 2352
Norway Class, 2363 - 2369.4
Griffin Class successor, 2374, starship remains in service

OR

Intrepid Class, 2155 - 2185 possibly
Miranda Class (basic) successor, 2243 - 2269, refit in 2271
Miranda Class (refit) successor, 2271 - unknown, lost in 2363
Norway Class successor, 2363 - 2369.4
Griffin Class successor, 2374, starship remains in service

Light Cruiser lineage:
Wambundu Class, 2339 - unknown
Wellington Class successor, unknown launch date - unknown launch date
Steamrunner Class successor, 2342 - 2363, class remains in service,
Saber Class successor, 2343 - 2368, class remains in service,
Challenger Class successor, 2370 - 2376.4
Intrepid Class successor, 2377 - 2401
Luna Class successor, 2401 - present

[McAvoy]

Or the name could bounce all over the place. There are a few names that do that.

[Captain Seafort]

When you look at the E-C and almost the E-D, the amount of space given over to weapons puts it in the same league as ships with only 6 inch guns.

No that doesn't work. Because you can arm a ship like a battleship but have massive space and you wouldn't classify it as a cruiser because of that space. It would be a battleship. Same goes for the other classifications. Starfleet isn'ta ccompletely military organization so most of their ships will have extra space for luxuries and exploring.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again: the best analogy for Starfleet's ships is the AMC.

[Tholian_Avenger]

the best analogy for Starfleet's ships is the AMC.

What is the "AMC"?

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

What is the "AMC"?

Air Mobility Command?

[McAvoy]

the best analogy for Starfleet's ships is the AMC.

What is the "AMC"?

Armed merchant cruisers.

Merchant ships armed with a handful of guns to either defined it self from other AMC or Commerce Raiders. It was rare to have a raider to be as heavily armed as a cruiser but there was a fear.