Instead of small and large ports, why not just have a # of weapon slots availiable. Then have diff weapons take up more or less slots? ie: a large weapon takes 2 slots and a small weapon takes 1. This would lead to greater flexibility in the weapons outfitting on different ships...

not bad but i think the weapons port size has to do with the placement of the weapons on the hull as well. A modification to this idea might be the purchase of a "conversion kit" that would allow you to mount a small weapon in a large slot. this would allow new players the opportunity to buy a couple of inexpensive small weapons and mount them on a ship that has 1 large and 1 small port.

I dont think it would make sense to be able to go from small to large however.