Please link my PMC account or this page if you use this project in any public post, whether it be a server, blog, map, etc.

Programs used:
Minecraft (for building)
Mcedit (for building)
Blender (for renders)
Paint.net (for pictures)

The Balkon line of warships date back to the earliest years of the Cremevlian War, originating as converted freighters produced by the Zelosian Empire. Over the centuries numerous Balkon designs were put into production and fielded against the enemy. The most notable Balkon warship was the Balkon-class frigate produced in the year 960 BCT. The ship was a massive step up in scale and power compared to previous designs, such as the Balkon-class patrol frigate. The Balkon frigate retained the signature aesthetic of the class, with sloping forward armor, a raised command bridge, and three powerful engines at the back. The new ship was particularly evocative of the aforementioned patrol frigate, with a long body and an aft ventral bay. Indeed, most warship historians would agree that the Balkon frigate was a direct evolution of the patrol frigate, although Zenlian Drives either hasn't retained or isn't sharing historical records.

The Balkon frigate is an exemplary warship, able to take a beating and dish one out in return. The ship is packed with firepower, mostly concentrated in broadside arcs befitting the ship's status as a frigate. The design has sixteen Conamot IG4 broadside cannons for close range devastation, backed up by two four-turret batteries of dual laser cannons and several ion cannons along a dorsal ridge. The frigate also blisters with defensive weaponry, including twenty-six light laser cannons, ten anti-fighter turrets, and thirty-six point defense cannons. To round off its weapon complement, the Balkon-class frigate carries eighty submatter torpedoes in four torpedo bays, which are linked in pairs to launch tubes in the middle of the ship. Linked launch sequences allow the frigate to double its rate of fire in battle, making the Balkon frigate a moderately powerful artillery platform. The ship isn't lacking in shields or armor - both are sufficient to withstand many volleys of comparably powerful fire, and the frigate has a robust internal structure allowing it to survive heavy damage before being disabled. The vessel can field four fighters in its ventral bay, although the space isn't well optimized for launching strike craft.

Despite its powerful weaponry and defenses, the Balkon frigate is not without flaws. The ship only has a single reactor, with no auxiliary - at the time, redundancy in power generation was not as common of a practice on Zelosian ships. In addition, the fuel cells were placed directly next to the reactor, meaning both could be destroyed simultaneously. Exhaust vents for the reactor were similarly grouped together with these systems, creating a large weak point at the dorsal aft of the vessel. The entire area was additionally vulnerable through the hangar, separated by only a single thick bulkhead - there were numerous reported cases of a Balkon frigate being crippled by a concentrated barrage through a breached hangar at the aft wall. Despite these issues, the ship was extremely successful and was mass produced for many different factions. The Balkon frigate is one of Zenlian Drives' longest running warships, remaining in active production for more than a millennia. It was eventually retired for the Balkon-class heavy frigate, a ship which fixed the aging design's many problems and modernized the technology.