No where in the original concept was this ship marketed as a "capital ship killer"... In fact on the contrary: It's just a heavy fighter on par with a Vanguard, but with a really large gun instead of more smaller guns (and indeed an Ares and Vanguard has roughly the same dps). The advantage of a single gun is that it's more effective against heavier armor (nothing exclusive to capital ships, e.g. an A2/M2 is supposed to be heavily armored too): No where in the original concept was the Ares mentioned as having a specific role "to kill capital ships". While it's obvious, that a slow firing size 7 cannon/gatling is more effective against larger targets, nowhere does it preclude the possibility to hit smaller targets. But obviously it will be more difficult as smaller targets are (should be) more manoeuvrable and difficult to hit. This is the way it should be if you want do deliver skill-based combat as promised: Artificially making ships not be able to hit other ships and we and entering roleplaying game territory. Not a skill based game. Sure it makes sense that different ships have different purposes and thus strengths and weaknesses. Whatever the player choose to do with those ships, and how the player uses the strengths should be left entirely up to the player (sandbox). If a player wants to hunt light fighters with an Idris railgun, they shouldn't be prevented from doing so. And, yes, of course, you should make it damn hard by letting the light fighter dodge easily (balance). This is my issue with the whole Ares debate: It's CIG trying to impose artificial restrictions upon what players can, and can't do (not sandbox). "You shouldn't be able to hit a light fighter with a size 7 cannon, because it's not it's role". Wut!?! Why? How about instead tuning light fighters so they are manoeuvrable enough not to be hit if flown competently. Then we can have skill based combat, where if some player is dumb enough to try to contest a light fighter player of their same skill level with a heavy hitting size 7 gun can face the consequences of their decision. Telling players what they can, and can't do with specific ships is not the way forward.