I feel that some of my supposedely durable ships get destroyed way too easily. I think that, as a replacement for a weapon slot on ships, extra armor should be added. The Armor types could be resistant to energy weapons, giving you another couple seconds before they breach through the armor and hit your hull. Others could completely deflect SOME small ballistic weapons, barely scratching the ship on those spots the plates are equipped. There could also be a type of hybrid plate that could be a little of both.
Of course, while it's not needed, it'd be nice to have.