Weapon variants (Mk1 – Mk3) should have their license requirements and stats adjusted to add weapon progression and variety as players advance their licenses.

Many weapons have all or most of their weapon variants within 1 or 2 license points of each other and most of them are only available in the first three license levels of the game (examples provided below). These weapons are also completely superseded by two or three weapons in the later license levels.

Additionally, the earlier weapons appear as if they are supposed to provide players the choice of balanced stats, improved velocity, or improved damage or improved delay. This variety is somewhat lacking at the higher license levels, with most being rather close in damage and velocity and delay.

Current Weapon Examples:
Plasma Cannon, Goverment-issued (0/0/0)
Plasma Cannon Mk2 (0/0/0)
Plasma Cannon Mk3 (0/1/0)
Plasma Cannon HX (1/1/0)

Phase Blasters, all variants (1/2/0)

Ion Blaster Mk1 (0/1/0)
Ion Blaster Mk2 (1/1/0)
Ion Blaster Mk3 (1/2/0)

Re-balanced examples, not real values:

                                                               Dmg    Vel    Dly
Plasma Cannon Mk1        0   1       375.0    117.0    2.6
Plasma Cannon Mk2        6   6       562.5    146.3    2.7
Plasma Cannon Mk3        10  10    750.0    175.5    2.9
-------------------------------------------------------------
Phase Blaster Mk1            0   1       300.0    130.0    2.0
Phase Blaster Mk2            6   6       450.0    162.5    2.0
Phase Blaster Mk3            10  10    600.0    195.0    2.0
-------------------------------------------------------------
Ion Blaster Mk1                  0   1       225.0    143.0    1.4
Ion Blaster Mk2                  6   6       337.5    178.8    1.3
ion Blaster Mk3                  10  10    450.0    214.5    1.1

I'd also like to point out that this re-evaluation of weapon stats and license distribution should not be limited to the 3 weapons listed above. It should be applied to all weapons in some manner.

Neutron Blasters range from license 3 to 4. Gauss range from license 5 to 7. Positrons are all 5/4 except the hive variant.

And that's just most of the small-port, energy weapons.

That table is completely opaque to me. What's 'delay'? What are the first 2 number columns?

The two, unlableled columns are supposed to represent new license values (Combat / Small Weapon) for each weapon. While the values are somewhat redundant in the example, whatever they wind up being, the idea is to give players a chance to have weapons become progressively better over time.