While the gameplay impact is debatable, lore-wise it makes perfect sense. Less automated systems means higher crew. Heavier armor and more hull structures (storing physical ammo which energy weapons don't use, housing additional crew, etc) means less fuel efficiency.
Yeah I mean it is true, but it is stated numerous times everywhere in the game that lowtech ships should be cheaper and more accesible than high tech ones. They should have a lower logistic profile, thats why lots of people use them.
And if you think about it, ehich one should be more expensive to maintain: a top of the line cutting edge technology using rare materials and few people know how it works, or a tried an trusted basic ship which have spare parts in abundance and its workings are common knowledge? Right know the maintanece of a Legion is about 20% more than a goddamn Paragon (see table in the linked mod).
Of course lore wise the solution could be that for hightech ships you need a better trained crew costing more money but who the hell wants this kind of *** in the gamplay.
Lowtech ships cost more to maintain than hightech, generaly worse in combat, (beacuse for ai only speed and range counts, it cannot armor or hull tank if its life depended on it), cannot retreat as easily beacuse they are slower. Thus, they blow up more commonly, this is acknowledged by implementation of the rugged construction. On the top of ths you have to spend even more money on replacement crew (even worse if you buy it beforehand becuse then you have to give them salary all the way, and if by some mirracle your ship didnt get killed then you are practically throwing money out of the airlock).
So im only asking for something that reduces crew losses for lowtech ships, at least for those that have the rugged construction.
There is a nice mod called Low Maintanence, that is aiming to solve this problem, I absolutely recommend it to every lowtech enjoyer.
https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=21715.0