Can a station have both rotating and counter-rotating segments?
I think that might be a possible solution to the "just running down weak spots one after another"-issue. After all, just looking at the station I want to kill it, and got some ideas on how to do it. Shoot off the tips, then start focussing on the weak sides etc. - maybe the engine can be made to give us actually "existing" modules rotating in the counter-direction, also armed to the teeth. Maybe at a two different "ring"-sizes. That way weak spots would only pop up from time to time at different angles, favouring more of a hit and run game than a sit there and grind it down slowly-one. Would also exponentially increase the firepower and durability of the stations, as shields rotating away from the enemy regenerate/vent while others get into the fray, without increasing size. More focus on mobility for attacking fleets, instead of firepower in order to keep hitting the same target, more focus on alpha strike potential and coordinated bombing-runs than staying power - makes little sense to try and directly outgun a starbase that can effectively grow in size indefinitely without worries about inertia and mobility. Might be a great space-age solution instead of walls and mountains to funnel enemies into the right spots...
Also, I think modules should not detonate particularly violently. As the station's "core" is the most well protected area, it would make sense that internal infrastructure would place explody parts like missile storage and reactors close to the center instead of fitting each module with their own nuke. Due to the concentrated ring-shape the connections would not be weak spots until most of the external defenses were shot off anyway. Unless, maybe, it's a civillian station, where safety goes first and dangerous stuff is placed further away from the internal shelters. (Considering ressource scarcity in the sector, it would however be reasonable to assume that nobody would fire at the center much as they would not want to blow up the loot...)
A different approach would be to have the modules detach and "blow off" when critically damaged, only detonating when pushed away from the station to a relatively safe distance. Little harm for the station, but fun for those that just scored a minor victory in the skirmish... "sir, we have taken out their fighter-bays. Also, they are now flying in our direction and their battleship-size reactor is overloading...".
Think the whole explody-parts issue might come up with counter-rotating modules present...