[Baron Grazic]

Welcome to the forums.
Personally I would have done the same thing as you, gone for Armor & Shield skipping weapons.
Could it be that you are not using Weapon Mounts?
The difference between a standard weapon and a Heavy weapon on a Dreadnaught can be a lot.
When creating your ships, look at the 'Weapon Mount' button on the top right.

Edit - Dam - IF beat me.

[ March 01, 2004, 01:14: Message edited by: Baron Grazic ]