But I have to give props to the Vasari. They are using 10000 year old ships, and they still kick ass. Way to go.
In that case, the TEC deserves a kudos too. Their ships use effectively 1000 year old technology, since they hadn't even had an armed conflict(apart from pirate nuisance) until the Vasari arrived 10 years ago.
And yet, a ship like the Kodiak - a mining barge with a crap-load of armor and a cannon bolted on - is almost as strong as the Destra - the fruit of 1000 years of research and development by a society whose ultimate goal was to exact vengeance on the people who exiled their ancestors.(whew, what a mouthful)
How is this so? Three reasons:
1. It's just a game.
2. It's a plot device used for balancing the factions.
3. The Trade Order folks seem to be practical people. They find that their factories can easily manufacture large flat slabs of alloy with minimal wastage. So they take an existing mining ship and bolt on layers of flat, cheap, slab-sided armor, and use a big but simple "Bang! Yer dead!" gun that shoots bullets also made of cheap metal.
While the Advent laboriously forge on trying to develop stronger energy-shield generators and plasma weapons, and psionic abilities, and all the other blah blah blah. Then they design their ships with style as a criteria, thinking that the enemy won't shoot them because they're so pretty.
Net result: The TEC could do in 10 years where it took the Advent 1000 years. Hats off to 'em, but it probably wouldn't have happened without the Vasari having come along and made them get off their rich capitalist butts and work for their survival.