system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Star Trek] Why is each federation vessel seemingly unique in their appearance?
gpt
Starship technology advances rapidly. Basic design (like the forward decks with two warp nacelles) stays the same, but new ideas are constantly field tested and iterated on. Feedback comes in from missions, and further refinements are made. Experimental ideas are proposed and prototypes are built and launched. Fortunately, the Federation has no shortage of competent engineers to maintain each of their ships, and many of the individual components are mass-produced so that engineers aren't completely lost on every new ship.