When I bought Starmada, I was pleased to see a simple, elegant and customizable systeM. But the move rules were a bit cumbersome, even after many plays.
SFO fixes in part that, although I didn't like the representation of the ship, much too blank.
So I mixed both and here is the result (HLR: Hex Less Rules):

1-      Each player rolls 1D6 for the initiative. Add +1 if at least one ship has a Combat Information Center (as can be seen in the shipyard starmada excel sheet). The winner is the player obtaining the greatest score. Reroll if equal.

2-      Roll to determine if cloaked ships are detected (as usual).

3-      Alternatively, each player moves one of its ships (2 it its fleet includes at least twice many ships, three if thrice, etc.). If only one fleet has a CIC, it can keep one ship to move it at the end of that phase. Undetected cloaked ships are always moved last (after that last ship). No writing orders, the ship's move is determined during its move.

4-      Ships can be moved straight ahead (HLR: with the possibility to orient the direction of the ship up to 30° without changing the direction of the ship), with up to one turn (made at anytime) equal to (HLR: up to) 60°, and use one special action (see below). Some special actions may prohibit the move and/or the turn.

5-      Fighters are moved using the inverse initiative order (winner first). Fighters attacks after their move is completed (as usual), but before attacking, a fighter unit may be attacked by any anti-fighter weapon or anti-fighter batteries carried by its target. Fighter attacks are made as usual.

6-      Resolve attacks as usual, using the inverse initiative order.

7-      Apply damage, resolve boarding, black hole drift, regeneration, damage control, fighter launch, hyperspace, as usual.

Special actions: A ship may always use a special action during its move, among the following:

-          U-Turn: No move or other turns (overthruster equipped ship may move using half their engine value, FRU)

-          Screen: A ship A moves next to (in the same hex) as a friendly ship B, and design an enemy ship. This enemy ship may not fire at the ship B as long as the ship A is not destroyed. This actions lasts up till the end of the turn.

-          Jink: A fire from or to this ship incurs a -1 DRM fire. The jinking ship may not move more than half its engine value (normal engine value if overthrusters). If the jinking ship has an engine value of 8 or more, it can double the DRM, but may not move more than the quarter of its engine value (half is equipped with overthrusters).

-          Pivot: A ship may add a second (HLR: up to) 60° turn but may not move more than half its engine value (normal value if overthrusters).

-          Emergency repairs: Reroll failed damage control dice.

-          Maximum power: Increase the engine value up to 50% (FRU), but the ship may not do any turn (no more than one turn if overthrusters).

-          Silent run: The ship may not fire but any fire against that ship suffers a -1 DRM. This actions lasts up till the end of the turn.

-          Activate cloaking: As usual, the cloaked ship may not fire (even if detected) or be fired. This actions lasts until the cloaking is disactivated.

-          Desactivate cloaking: As usual.

-          Barrel roll: Fire angles are inversed (A<->B, C<->D, E<->F, H<->I, J<->K). G and L are not modified.

Critical hits: (Here is a variation of the critical hit rules from the Annex) For each Hull hit, roll 1D6 on the following table:

1-      50 cargo

2-      3 AFB

3-      1 Transporter or tractor beam

4-      1 fighter or 2 mine factors

5-      2 marines

6-      Secondary

For each secondary, roll 2D6 on the following table:

2- Cloaking device

3- Stealth

4- Countermeasures

5- Fire control

6 – Point defence

7 – NE

8 – Hyperdrive

9 – Overthrusters

10 – Launch tubes

11 – Armor plating

12 – Regeneration

A critical hit that destroyed nothing is voided.

Otherwise, ships sheets are done exactly as usual. But I'd like to suggest you some things:
- facets should be removed as they make the ships especially vulnerable to later turns in a dense environment. In fact, they are much less interesting than normal armor or shield.
- Repeating: It can becomes too powerful with the right combination. I propose to add a cumulative -1 for each consecutive reroll.
- Continuous damage: Not only you can mop up a ship with some luck, but you are ensured to hit the hull with as many hit (for example, you hit three times ie the ship suffers 3 hull hits and an unknown quantity of other damages). I propose, for all rerolls, to ignore 1-3-5 rolls.
- Anti-fighter and anti-fighter batteries, see above in the rules.

I also have some suggestions about the power of SFU weapons (r"educing their effectivness) and other equipments. For example, I would treat the ESG as an AFB, ROF 2, ACC 3+, IMP 1 DMG 1 Area effect (stats are just suggestions, it can be adjusted). Maybe it should have an effect on hellbore but I found the current effect much too powerful (it seems to negates the weapon).
But that's another matter...

Marc