Hello Everyone from Jacksonville, Fla.
Having played some of both versions, I have some thoughts on the Starmada Compendium game and the "X" version. Now that I again play the earlier version of the game, I do miss being able to write about my designs, and such. My friends here in Fla. & I may be among the few using the 'compendium rules. I must confess, that I enjoy those compendium weapons such as the Antimatter Beams, Disrupters, & others a lot. The unpredictability of these weapons' results is a lot of fun! And allowing only laser cannons and a few other weapons shoot at fighters makes them less vulnerable to AA fire. Also, I do like the way that Long Range Sensors lets you shoot out to 24 Inches. It makes the battlefield larger, and also does not interfere with the {2+/3+/4+} to hit numbers, nor those that vary this: {strike missiles, scatter guns, energy lances, etc}. I am also enjoying the combination of Armored Batteries, Armor plating & Reinforced hull. All of my 'compendium ships have all three of these.
Here is a possible home rule change for the compendium: In order to more simulate the damage chart of the newer "X" game in compendium games, we can make each weapon-hit, on a roll of 4 or 5, hit a different battery: For example, if the first weapon lost was in battery 3, the next needs to be in battery 2 or 1, then the next in 1 or 2, the fourth back in battery 3, etc. Overall, I find the 'compendium game easier & less cumbersome to play. These games seem to be quicker to play because of the smoother game mechanics. For example, in Starmada "X", you have to roll a dice for every hit if you have reinforced shields, reinforced hull, and armored batteries hoping for a 5 or 6. In the earlier game, you just mark one slash on the hull point, shield, &/or weapon, then finish it into an "x" after the second hit on that system. Bad dice rolls in the "X" version can make the extra cost for either of the 3 just wasted points. On compendium ships, having only every other hit cause damage, makes these special equipments reliable and useful. Finally, combining engines&hulls on compendium ships keeps a slow large ship from becoming engineless when it still has over half its hull and weapons left because they are combined, and because Armor plating and Reinforced hull protect both..
If there was ever a "Next (?)Edition" [!] {gasp} <game designers groan> of the game, perhaps a combination of the best of both game versions could bring the smoothness of play the compendium has, as well as some of its fun weapons, with the greater detail that the "X" version has. Or perhaps their could be a slightly more expensive form of Armored Batteries, Armored Hull and Reinforced Shields added to the "X" version that may cost more, but instead of only working on a roll of 5 or 6, they stop every other hit and there is No need to roll for every hit.
If I am rambling or babbling, my apologies, {100% Blond here<LOL>} 0nce again, please do not take any of this as criticism directed at the makers of this awesome game. You are Very Creative and have provided me with many hours of much fun 
Steven Gilchrist; Jacksonville, Fla, USA
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The space side of things...and some campaign-like scenario battles.