Final version of new rules

[Wobbly]

What you're not getting is that a liner is a civilian ship and cap is a military ship which may not need escort based on its firepower. Also a liner should be made to RP standards, transport weapons with MAYBE a few GB weapons and a heavier shield and armor. But make it so that it needs an escort to bring down fighters.

Or bombers for that matter, a bomber should always be able to beat a liner no questions asked...

What your not getting that you are assaigning arbitray weaknesses to the liner that have nothing to do with the freelancer universe.

Yes it is a civilian ship, so is the eagle, arguably the best fighter in the unmodded game. The game designers gave the lux liner stats that make it a formidable cap ship, and nothing posted so far makes that decision seem wrong.

The escort thing is a red herring, all NPC's are escorted except (iirc) the repair ship.

The lux liner would be designed to survive, being a huge ship that means cap ship weaps and shields. There is no way Spa and Cruise is going to build a huge ship and fill it with passengers only to let a single bomber take it out easily. Spa and Cruise are not Moe, Larry and Curly.