I'd just like to say to any newcomers to the game - think long and hard before starting to use "modified" ships, i.e. ships with more equipment on them than was intended when the game was designed. Once you start down this road it's really hard to go back. If you want to do this, hey, it's your call, I'm not saying it's wrong or anything, but in my opinion it kind of goes against the principles of the game.
Critical Mass is designed to be played within a certain set of parameters, and bloody good fun it is too, but personally I can't see the point of changing these parameters as this doesn't make it Critical Mass anymore. I know that opinion is divided on this - there are people who like to get the walk-through of a new game after having played it for five minutes, and there are those who prefer to slog their way through it the hard way.
Absolutely no disrespect to DpM intended (keep producing those ships mate, and welcome to the forum! I LOVE the names, and it's nice to see a fellow Brit on here

) but for new starters I would just say give the game a chance as-is before moving the goalposts. If you win every single mission every single time with mega-ultra-ships, I think it kinda takes the fun out of it.
Dinosaurs aren't extinct, they're just hiding behind things.
Kangaroos are just mice standing much closer to you.