[MarkSheppard]

The main idea is that the layouts be shaped like the ships, but also that your designs not be limited by a lack of slots.

That makes little sense. In SEIV you could just keep adding things to your ships as long as you had tonnage free; ignoring the fact that ships had internal volume to worry about too.

And if they're shaped like the ships, why is the number and of slots the same for every deck? these aren't cookie cutter ships with slab sides; there are supposed to be angles, etc , decks that get smaller as you go up or down.