To me, lack of detail is associated with poor balancing.
The best possible balance is achieved when you can specify clearly and precisely what things do, and where players can and do win with widely differing choices.
Now, a lack of detail in items that you can't reproduce yet is quite reasonable.
However anything you do produce should have all the statistics you care to know about it. We aren't producing stone spears here, and if the factory can't tell me
and guarantee to fine tolerances all the details, they won't be around very long.
Anything from fines and the loss of the build contract, to a "visit" from the elite stormtroopers, depending on your current government type.
Granted, giving me all the details without a summary is also a bad idea. Give me the range, damage, etc and any variance on each instead of making me keep a calculator beside my mouse
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In the big picture, lack of knowledge is fleeting. If you try to hide the details, players will slowly figure it out, and there will be a huge experience penalty to new players, regardless of their
skill.
To level the playing field, either give everybody full information, or destroy the information advantage of the old hands by randomizing the tech tree and component values/strengths
