That's an idea also present in Highliner where only big ships can go long distances, and smaller ones have a short range of operations. The exception is the Scout, but that's its' function anyways. It's easily overcomed with a support ship, nothing to worry about.
I'm a kind of fan of wars (as long as it doesn't happen in my time), and everytime I studied it an underlining concern of all armies going to war outside their backyard was supplies. It's called Logistics, the art and science of supplying armies. That is what defeated Napoleon against Russia, or the nazis against the same country. It was just too much ground to cover and the russians kept retreating and destroying anything that could be used by the enemy: the "scorched earth" tactic. In the end the invading army would have nowhere to get supplies from and would die out. Many other countries have used or succumbed to this in History.
SE4 doesn't allows to go grabbing supplies from defeated ships, the only way is to drop troops on a planet with a ressuply depot. Yet the lack of logistics was bugging me, it was just too unrealistic in my eyes. Thus the change.
This is a small excerpt for those who like the science of war:
Assurred of regular supply, Roman troops could more easily survive being under siege, or reduce enemy fortifications themselves without worrying about starving. Well supplied Roman armies could march hither and yon for months at a time while their ill-organized foes would see their troops getting hungry, and shortly thereafterwards deciding to go home (with or without permission). Few of the armies Rome faced over the centuries had efficient logistics and were thus under a lot more time pressure to reach a decision before their troops starved or, more likely, quit the field.