This is just a heads-up, to be sure that this has been taken care of for the coming combat update; if not, then it probably need to be looked at.
So, first, I noticed over the months that ‘random’ damage comes NOT as an entirely random value, but as a random value depending the max value of the shield fitted.
In other words, the bigger the shield fitted, the bigger the range of ‘random damage’; that is observation having used only the same basic ship so far from the start, with only evolutions of shields and equipment.
As it is, ‘random damage’ adjusting to the actual max shield is not an issue yet, even though it does not make logical sense.
My concern is that if it works in a similar way for combat damage, damage taken will also depend from max shield capacity and will become an issue when repetitive damage occurs in a short period of time.
Damage from combat should depend from weapon stats, ECMs stats, Point Defense stats, and relative skills, shields then absorbing the resulting calculated damage until they fall to 0, at which point the remaining immediate damage is dealt to the hull.
Next hit should still see some shields if they recharge fast enough, and so on.
Whatever happen, shields are a damage absorbing feature, NOT a damage reducing feature (ECMs and Point Defense would be that), and therefore their max value should NOT be taken into account for raw damage (before application to shields and hull).
Note: I am also counting decoys and passive counter-measures like throwing sand in the way of missiles (smarter version of chaff) as ECMs, since those would require computer reaction time is space battles.