simply put: each engine has a constant power drain, and cruise power drain.
If the cruise power drain was equal to the regeneration rate, the current stored power level - your "energy bar" - would "freeze".
That means when a heavy battleship tries to kill your light cruiser / gunboat with mortars and a salvo of primaries, then cruises to get to point blank to murder you with mortars...
It would have much less power to work with. This would not change top cruising speed or anything else.
Or when a gunboat unloads missiles at you and cruises to catch up, it can't murder you with emp/razor combo or a missile salvo up close again.
What makes me suggest this:
the HUGE amount of capital ships (mostly of a certain faction that I will not name here, but there are others)...
that keep breaking the rule 5.6, making all capital ship balance go right out the window.
Reports don't help, because you're already screwed and an epic battle ruined.
