Having used these ships for an a few tens of hours, and finally now getting into a proper fight with a deserter bounty for an MSV Captain I can safely say that the ships and weapons on display are equal parts fantastic to use and absolutely harrowing to fight.
It was definitely one of the most difficult, drawn out fights I've had since I picked the game up for .96
I am loving the AI tactics of these fleets, the design and colours of the ships and weapons, and the fantastic amount of personality their systems and backstory has!
Absolutely wonderful work all around, my highest compliments to the chef.