Why not treat Fighters, Drones and Marines (Fighter-like objects) as weapon systems with customizable stats like other weapons? That way you can adjust the stats to reflect your own milieu.

Fighter-like objects are rated for Speed, Hits to-kill (HTK), Range, To-hit, ROF, PEN, and DMG. All Fighter-like objects have the special ability of Halves Shields.

Speed is the number of hexes that the Fighter-like objects can travel each turn, (6, 8, 10, 12, 14)
HTK is the number of damage points each of the Fighter-like objects in the group can take. (1, 2, 3)
    HTK Modifier: 1 = 1.0, 2 = 1.4, 3 = 2.0
Range is the distance from their target that the Fighter-like objects may fire from. (1, 2, 3)
    Range Modifier: 1 = 1.0, 2 = 1.3, 3 = 1.7
    Marines can never have more than Range 1.
To-Hit is the die roll needed to hit the Fighter-like object's target (3+, 4+, 5+)
To-Hit Modifier: 3+ = 0.67, 4+ = 0.5, 5+ =0.33
ROF is the number of times each member of a Fighter-like object group may attempt to hit. (1, 2, 3)
PEN is the number of shield rolls that each hit makes (1, 2, 3)
DMG is the number of damage rolls that each successful PEN roll makes on its target. (1, 2, 3)

The ORat and DRat calculation for a group of Fighter-like objects is:
Base Number x Speed x HTK Mod x Range Mod x To-Hit Mod x (ROF + 1) x PEN x DMG

Base Numbers:
Fighter = 7.5
Drones = 3
Marines = 6

Fighters:
A standard fighter is speed 10, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 5+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 7.5 x 10 x 1 x 1 x 0.33 x (1 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 50

A fast fighter is speed 12, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 5+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 7.5 x 12 x 1 x 1 x 0.33 x (1 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 60
This is in line with the customized fighter rules in Starmada F.2.4

An assault fighter is speed 10, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 5+, ROF 2, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 7.5 x 10 x 1 x 1 x 0.33 x (2 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 75
This is very close to the customized fighter rules in Starmada F.2.1

So you could customize a flight to be speed 14, HTK 2, Range 1, To-hit 3+, ROF 2, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 7.5 x 14 x 1.4 x 1 x 0.67 x (2 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 294
That is one expensive but powerful fighter group.

Drones:
A standard Drone is speed 10, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 4+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 3 x 10 x 1 x 1 x 0.5 x (1 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 30

A fast Drone is speed 12, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 4+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 3 x 12 x 1 x 1 x 0.5 x (1 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 36

An assault Drone is speed 10, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 4+, ROF 2, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 3 x 10 x 1 x 1 x 0.5 x (2 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 45

You could customize a flight to be speed 14, HTK 2, Range 1, To-hit 3+, ROF 2, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 3 x 14 x 1.4 x 1 x 0.67 x (2 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 117.6
Again, an expensive but powerful Drone group.

Marines:
A standard Marine is speed 10, HTK 1, Range 1, To-hit 5+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 6 x 10 x 1 x 1 x 0.33 x (1 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 40

If you want real fast Marines that hit well, speed 14, HTK 2, Range 1, To-hit 3+, ROF 2, PEN 1, DMG 1, Halves Shields
Or 6 x 14 x 1.4 x 1 x 0.67 x (2 + 1) x 1 x 1 = 235.2

I just wanted a look at the biggest ship that I could design. conventionaly armed, no fighters. The RNG 33 spinal mount is cool.

Juggernaut Class Leviathan of the Brobdingnagian Vacuum Command   ( 12,596 )
Mass: 1,165 KmT, Crew: 2,193, TL:   E:3  W:3  S:3  Q:3
Hull: 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields:  5 4 3 2 1
[α] Singularity Missile [6/12/18, 3+ 1/3/3, Extra Hull Damage, Ignores Shields, Range-Based DMG]
AB, AB, AB
[β] Laser [4/8/12, 4+ 2/1/1, No Range Modifiers]
AB, AB, AB, AB, AB, AB, AB, AB, AB, AB
[γ] Defense Auto-cannon [1/2/3, 3+3/1/1, Doubled Range Modifiers, Range-Based ROF]
ACE, ACE, BDF, BDF, EF
Hyperdrive [O], Armor Plating, Armored Gun Batteries, Electronic Warfare System [O], Decoy [O], Ionic Shielding, Overthrusters [O], Point-Defense System [O], Redundant Shielding, Spinal Mount (11/22/33) [O], Long Range Sensors [O], Security Team [OOOOOOOOOO]
1[Hα], 2[Eβ], 3[Hγ], 4[S], 5[H], 6[Q]

VBAM Stats
Cost: 36, Maint: 11/2, DV: 81, AS: 50, AF: 12, CR: 11, CC: 4, Base: 0, Spd: 6, Warp: Y, Notes: Atmospheric
Starmada Imperial Stars Edition v1.7

Thanks for the speedy clarification Dan. Any thoughs on including customized drones, similar to the customized fighters, into the next iteration of Starmada? I could see all of the special equipment that is treated like fighters benifiting from those types of rules. It would be cool to board an opponent with my fast marine boarding parties that were armored against enemy interception.

I have a quick question on drones also. I am at work and unable to reference my rulebook but, do drones continue to fly around the board until they hit their target or are they limited by some kind of endurance?

Here is an uber-low tech design. No hyperdrive even, this is just a system defense boat.

"Best we can do" Class Patrol Ship of the Fledgling Start-up Navy   ( 23 )
Mass: 21.7 KmT, Crew: 93, TL:   E:-3  W:-3  S:-3  Q:-3
Hull: 2 1
Engines: 4 3 2 1
Shields:  0
[α] Primitive Laser [2/4/6, 3+ 2/1/1, Doubled Range Modifiers, Must Re-Roll To-Hit Dice]
ABCD, ABCD, ACE, BDF
Armor Plating
1[HE], 2[Eα], 3[Hα], 4[Eα], 5[Hα], 6[E]

VBAM Stats
Cost: 3, Maint: 1/3, DV: 2, AS: 3, AF: 1, CR: 3, CC: 2, Base: 0, Spd: 4, Warp: N, Notes: Atmospheric Gunship
Starmada Imperial Stars Edition v1.7

And here is a quick, run away design. Obviously, this ship doesn't want to fight, let alone take any damage.

Onion Class Cruiser of the Paranoid Spacegoing Fleet   ( 405 )
Mass: 134 KmT, Crew: 270, TL:   E:0  W:0  S:0  Q:0
Hull: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Shields:  5 4 3 2 1
[a] Over the Shoulder Bolder Thrower [6/12/18, 3+ 1/1/1, No Range Modifiers, Halves Shields]
EF, EF
Armor Plating, Point-Defense System [O], Decoy [OO], Electronic Countermeasures [O]
1[HS], 2[EQ], 3[Ha], 4[E], 5[H], 6[S]
Starmada Imperial Stars Edition v1.65

I completed my tenth game last night between two fleets, one equipped with Inverted Range-Based DMG/PEN/ROF weapons and one equipped with plain vanilla weapons. Other than the weapons SU mods, the ships were identical. Each fleet had three ships.

The two designs were as follows:

Inverted Weapon Class Cruiser of the Conjectural Navy   ( ? )
Mass: 90.7 KmT, Crew: 315, TL:   E:0  W:0  D:0  Q:0
Hull: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 5 4 3 2 1
Defenses: K: 1 | E: 1 | B: 1
[α] Inverted Laser [6/12/18, 3+ 1/1/1, Energy, Inverted Range-Based DMG]
AB
Warp Drive [O]
1[Hα], 2[E], 3[H], 4[D], 5[H], 6[Q]

VBAM Stats
Cost: 7, Maint: 4/2, DV: 6, AS: 4, AF: 0, CR: 6, CC: 3, Base: 0, Spd: 5, Warp: Y, Notes:
Starmada Imperial Stars Edition v1.065

Vanilla Bean Class Cruiser of the Conjectural Navy   ( 69 )
Mass: 90.7 KmT, Crew: 345, TL:   E:0  W:0  D:0  Q:0
Hull: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 5 4 3 2 1
Defenses: K: 1 | E: 1 | B: 1
[α] Vanilla Laser [6/12/18, 3+ 1/1/1, Energy]
AB, AB, AB
Warp Drive [O]
1[Hα], 2[E], 3[H], 4[D], 5[H], 6[Q]

VBAM Stats
Cost: 7, Maint: 4/2, DV: 6, AS: 4, AF: 0, CR: 6, CC: 3, Base: 0, Spd: 5, Warp: Y, Notes:
Starmada Imperial Stars Edition v1.065

The Vanilla Bean cruisers won eight of the ten battles. During one battle, the Vanilla Bean cruisers were afflicted by horrible die rolling and in one battle they were just plain out maneuvered (congrats to Rob). They had equivalent firepower at long range, 50% more firepower at medium and three times the firepower at short range. To top it off they were marginally more survivable, needing more hits to kill due to their multiple weapons. This leads me to believe that an SU Mod of 3.0 is too high for the Inverted Range-Based DMG/PEN/ROF weapons. I agree that 2.1 is too low but I haven't played enough with that SU mod to tell for sure. After these battles, my gut is saying the appropriate mod is around 2.4 ish.

But CR is based on the mass of the weapons as derived in the ORat. So 3 x Vanilla weapons is equal in ORat (and CR) to 1 x Inverted Range-Based DMG/PEN/ROF weapon when the SU mod is 3.0. The vanilla weapons will be equal at the long range band and then totally more powerful as the range drops so why would anyone ever mount the Inverted Range-Based DMG/PEN/ROF weapons?

The big concern with the Inverted Range-Based DMG/PEN/ROF is if they have the ability to keep the range open. This would require a high speed and favorable arcs, both of which will quickly drive up the SU needed and the CR of the mounting vessel.

Opps, you are correct. Scratch the ECM part. See what happens when you post too late at night.

How about rules for differentiating between civilian and military hulled ships? I've played a couple of scenarios where a big lumbering 10 Hull freighter with decent shields and basically a pop-gun holds off a small fast raider because the raider has only a few hull. Even a massive 20 Hull freighter should fear a true warship, no matter what its size.

In our local campaign, we have ruled that civilian ships are cheaper to build but if you take a hull hit, you lose two hull boxes. This is to reflect not only the fact that they're not designed for battle, shouldn't be there and have less redundancy etc.. I would have no idea how to figure a point value for that one though.

With an SU mod of 3.0, this weapon ability would suck. It would do the same damage at Long range and a lot less at Medium and Short AND have fewer hits to kill because of its mass.

You can make this case with any weapon ability. If you are lucky enough to select a weapon combo your opponent hasen't prepared for of course you are going to beat him.

What I can do is game this out several times with equal sized ships with equivalent defenses and speeds. I'll try SU mods of 2.0 2.5 and 3.0 to see which is closest. Ohh, an excuse to play lots of Starmada!