I can't really use cosmoteer right now since my PC is out of order, but I would like to give a few tips, because I have done some experimenting with this before, and I really like to use escape pods in some of my bigger 'performance-based designs'.
This is not me saying that I am better, or that you guys are all doing it totally wrong, it's just me telling you guys my opinion and sharing some ideas. Please don't get angry.
An escape pod is meant to escape. It's not meant to fight. It's meant to GTFO and outrun the enemy until it is far enough away to rebuild and recover.
Pr3h1st0r1c 's escape pod is the winner here. He has focussed on thrust, while a shield generator covers the side where the enemy is most likely to be at - the rear.
If you are fighting an enemy, it's true that he will continue to fire upon the abandoned carcass of your ship. However, he will start chasing your escape pod, and, when in reach, he will fire upon your escape pod. This is something you want to avoid. How do you do this? Well, it's easy. Put another control room somewhere in the 'abandoned' part of your ship, not to rebuild it, but to make the AI prioritize attacking the carcass. Even in a situation of a faction war this is useful, since an abandoned ship with a control room will not stop chasing the enemy, which means it will try to hold the attacker(s) off of your escape pod.
When you have successfully escaped your enemies, you will still be in enemy territory, or at least close to the enemy. Try to get enough distance between you to have time for an FTL jump to safe territoy. The enemy can't chase someone in FTL, and won't know where you have gone. This gives you all the safety you need to rebuild, recover, and (when in RP) possibly find some help.
It's good that you all have made some sort of launch bay where your escape pod can perfectly fly away, but a smart enemy will try to outmanoeuvre or outnumber and surround you. With an open launch bay this will be a problem, since the enemy can just destroy your escape pod before even starting on destroying the main part of your ship. To counter this you will need not only a detachable bridge to your pod, but you will need to surround it with detachable armor.
I will show you how I have done this when my PC is working again.
I hope this was useful.
Kind regards,
Piraat
