Agreed with McNeo here. Better decrease the cargo volume of the liners and give them 3-4 effective-maybe level 8 gunboat we may say- turrets that could fend off moderate threatening attacks. But I also believe that we need to encourage people hiring escorts for defending their convoys. The more escort contracts, the more RP and purpose fullfilling for mercenaries..
On the uncharted lagoons of anguish, I sail with a canoe made of my sins.