Crusiers, in my opinion are the best class of ships in the game. No other class can do so much while risking so little. Look at all they can do: scout, picket, run interferance, flank, escort and chew thorugh fighters. They've got numbers on their side as well, allowing a well led squadron of ships to take on anything from vetts to jugs with acceptable losses. Properly outfitted, they can hold positions and become integral parts of a defensive lines. Sure, destroyers are flash, vetts have big beams, and jugs are just plain big, but would you send one of those into an unexplored system? **** no! You'll send the more versital, more expendable, and braver cruiser in first. Fighters chewing up your convoy? A fighter squadron would be helpful, but if you had a trio of crusiers covering you to begin with, do you think those fighters would have tried any ****? And how many times could a single, well placed beam, save an entire campaign? A lot, I'm sure.
The crusier class rules all others, and will remain the mainstay of the GTVA fleet for a very long time to come.