[Design Mode]

I'd like to add to this the ability to work on rootless pieces to make into clipboard templates rather than having to build a sprue off an existing ship then build whatever cool looking structure and copying and saving that piece so I can paste it onto whatever ships I want to build.

[Tech Level 52 Turrets]

And here I am, having built a research station in the center to see what kind of crazy random turrets I could get 😄

[Newly created ships should have the option to spawn with pre-placed equipment (turrets and such)]

I think the best way to implement this would be to be able to designate Turret Blocks as Armed/Unarmed/Defensive and have the ability to autoequip by loading the highest-DPS turrets that will fit on the block (which controls for the # of slots limits of each)  Unarmed blocks could then be subdivided into salvage vs mining.  This would allow me to use up the miscellaneous guns I have rather than having to construct exactly identical turrets for every ship.

It would also allow early/midgame players to easily upgrade as they pick up new turrets, by just swapping to the highest DPS stuff, until they get to a point where they want to specialize on specific weapons.

[Minefields]

Actually I was going to make a suggestion of adding "limpet" mines as a variation on the torpedo launcher.  Using the same torpedo storage but facing "backwards" to leave mines attracted to pursuing ships.  Force cannons could then push away mines, finally giving me a reason to use them on ships 😄