--DECIDE: Drop Excess Combat Info from Defense Evaluation
http://www.gamesdiner.com/decide
The tl;dr version: Declare defenses before you find out if the enemy attack hits.
I like this, it helps keep the threats in character, and allows for near misses and more...morale damage to work. So even if they're missing as they're shooting through your cover or with the flamethrower, the targets are likely to dodge and drop away from the attack.
--I'm thinking about using some form of "Making Techniques Viable" in this thread:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=73568
Probably something simple like cutting the cost of a technique in half.
-Shield Weaknesses: A vessel with a multipurpose or tactical array can perceive weaknesses in shields with success by 5+. This reduces shield strength by 1/2 when targeting this point (which is at -10, just as for armor weaknesses).
Edit: Maybe just 25%?