Arkon, you missed the 'James T. Kirk' option... reprogram the simulation!
We've had many discussions of game balance on these Boards, and the change in the relative power of weapons from SE III to SE IV has been mentioned many times as a problem. You could increase the strength of armor (though you still are right that you ought to have more than one piece of armor on a ship), or you could decrease the power of weapons.
Now, if you're playing a PBW game with the stock files then you're stuck with those options already listed...
[ January 21, 2003, 02:28: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]