Capships, increasingly slower fighters? Or strategic weapons?

[Dusty Lens]

The recent conversation on factionalized capships sparked a rare show on my behalf: That of the consummate fighter jock lobbying on behalf of capships.

At the moment there's a system in place best described as one of diminishing returns. Battleships can dish out some punishment, but are exceptionally less effective than their lesser cousin the gunboat in resilience, firepower and maneuverability.

That's basically it. Some capships vary in balance and size, such as the BHG Gunship versus the Corsair handbag, or the Kusari Destroyer versus, well, anything. Or some battleships being a might sexier than others. But long story short there's not much to it. They just get bigger, slower, tougher.

Long story even shorter, there's no "rock, paper, cup of tea" type balance. It's simply a game of rock rock rock.

So how to alleviate this? Make cruisers artillary boats? How to safeguard Battleships from being impudently raped by three gunboats? What should gunboats be doing with their time?

In other words, how do you make some ships mean something without making them overwhelming?

I've ideas, naturally. But they'll also be all wrong, naturally, so let's hear Chopper and Mjolner talk at each other while the rest of us throw in horrible ideas in between!