[tesco samoa]

Jon you need to take into conderation what the role of the ship will be.

Also what role it will have within a fleet.

I tend to make missle ships light on the armor and with no shields.

But a close assult ship that needs to take be able to take a pounding needs armour and/or shields.

When you start to factor in fleet tatics with different class ships the Armour and Shields issue must be addressed.

A classic armour design ship is the base ship with 1 computer 1 aux bridge 2 marine units 2 defence marine units, 2 engines, 1 weapon that has greatest damage for a fire rate of one and the rest of the ship is armour. As a variation to this class replace 5 armour with point defence
Tatic of the ship is point blank Secondary tatic is ram.

Now think of 10 of these supported by battleship - missle class ships...

There a wall.

Planetary assult ships need shields to surive.

etc...