Limiting simultaneous technology changes in capital ships

Introducing many new technologies together concentrates development problems in a capital ship's first hull. The preferred approach limits each stage to two or three major changes and takes other equipment from the preceding design. Two ships would receive that configuration before another pair introduced further technologies. Earlier ships would be designed for later upgrades, allowing improvements to spread through the class as additional ships were built. This spreads technical change across the construction programme while preserving usable ships.