I'm not sure how hard it would be it introduce Shields, but I'm sure everyone will agree that protecting our creations are top priority. So as a compromise (however I know nothing about coding so this could well be harder to implement than shields) but how about some device that can be crafter like a fuel cell, called a polarisation cell or something like that, which uses fuel cells or steel plates or both, this device would automatically repair any damaged part of the ship until it's supplies...
Instead of shields
Instead of shields