Large space ships are equipped with very large weapons, but sometimes, these weapons have problems hitting much smaller and more agile targets, such as giant robots, fighters, and even small ships. In contrast, the larger a target is, the more easily it can be hit by both small and large attackers. This article will expand upon the concept of penalties to hit small targets and bonuses to hit large targets. While the penalties to strike is determined by the difference in the size of the attacker and the target, the bonuses to strike a large target are always in effect, no matter what the size of the attacker. The author is aware that a ship could have both penalties to strike a target because of its size relative to the size of the attacker and a bonus to strike because of the size of the target. In such a case, the penalties and bonuses are combined to generate a single modifier to strike.
In all cases, missiles are exempt from receiving any bonuses or penalties to strike a target based on its size, unless specifically detailed by the specific missile used, such as with an anti-spaceship missile. See Modern Missile Design for more details on different missile types.
The penalties to hit a small target are determined by the difference in the size of the attacker compared to the size of the target and the type of weapon used. For example, very large targets have a penalty to hit very small targets, but a medium sized attackers would not have the same penalty to hit as a larger attacker. Weapon type does not refer to whether a weapon is a laser cannon or a particle beam cannon or rail gun, but instead refers to whether a weapon is designed as anti-capital ship weapon, a point defense weapon, or anything in between.
The following chart is divided up into different size categories based on the length and mass of a ship. The length of the ship should be used for ships that are based on the style of ocean going vessels from Earth, which are many times longer then they are wide and tall, but it is not a good measurement for ships that are an irregular shape, such as a square or a cube. The penalty assigned to an attack firing on a target is based on the difference between the attacker's position in the chart and the target's. The attacker receives no penalty to strike targets that are in the same size category or larger, but they receive a penalty of -2 to strike per size category smaller then they are, except for the size category immediately smaller then them. For example, a ship that is 11,000' (3353 m) in length would receive no penalty to strike a target that is between 5000' (1524 m) and 10,000' (3048 m), but they would receive a penalty of -2 to strike for each smaller size category starting with ships between 2000' (610 m) and 5000' (1524 m).
The purpose of a weapon is very important in determining the overall effect of the strike penalty. All point defense weapons ignore the penalty to strike no matter how large the attacker or how small the defender; these weapons are designed to strike small targets. The main anti-capital ship weapons on the attacker suffer twice the normal penalty, which means they suffer a penalty of -4 to strike for every size category difference. Not all ships are equipped with anti-capital ship weapons, but for those that are, the weapons are easily identifiable as the largest and most powerful weapons equipped on a ship. All other weapons suffer the the normal penalty listed above. For example, a ship that is 4000' (1220 m) in length would have a penalty of -4 to strike a ship that is 200' (61 m) in length with its normal weapons, -8 to strike the ship with its anti-capital ship weapons, and no penalty to strike the ship with its point defense weapons.
| Length | Mass |
| Larger then 20,000' (6096 m) | Greater then 200 million tons (101.4 million metric tons) |
| Between 10,000' (3048 m) and 20,000' (6096 m) | Between 80 million tons (72.6 million metric tons) and 200 million tons (101.4 million metric tons) |
| Between 5000' (1524 m) and 10,000' (3048 m) | Between 18 million tons (16.3 million metric tons) and 80 million tons (72.6 million metric tons) |
| Between 2000' (610 m) and 5000' (1524 m) | Between 1 million tons (0.91 million metric tons) and 18 million tons (16.3 million metric tons) |
| Between 1000' (305 m) and 2000' (610 m) | Between 400,000 tons (362,874 metric tons) and 1 million tons (0.91 million metric tons) |
| Between 400' (121.9 m) and 1000' (305 m) | Between 40,000 tons (36,287 metric tons) and 400,000 tons (362,874 metric tons) |
| Between 150' (45.7 m) and 400' (121.9 m) | Between 1000 tons (907.2 metric tons) and 40,000 tons (36,287 metric tons) |
| Smaller then 150' (45.7 m) | Less then 1000 tons (907.2 metric tons) |
| Power Armor size | Less then 20 tons (18.1 metric tons) |
It is reasonable to see that if a target is larger, it is easier to hit. A ship that is several miles in length is many times easier to hit then a target that is the size of a small shuttle. This bonus to strike applies no matter what the size of an attacker. This means that a huge spaceship has the same bonus to strike another huge spaceship as a small fighter does. These bonuses, of course, ignore the proximity of the attacker and the target. For example, a robot that is in physical contact with a spaceship has no chance of missing the ship, but these bonuses assume that the attacker is a significant distance away from the target.
| Bonus | Length | Mass |
| +20 | Larger then 20,000' (6096 m) | Greater then 200 million tons (101.4 million metric tons) |
| +14 | Between 10,000' (3048 m) and 20,000' (6096 m) | Between 80 million tons (72.6 million metric tons) and 200 million tons (101.4 million metric tons) |
| +10 | Between 5000' (1524 m) and 10,000' (3048 m) | Between 18 million tons (16.3 million metric tons) and 80 million tons (72.6 million metric tons) |
| +7 | Between 2000' (610 m) and 5000' (1524 m) | Between 1 million tons (0.91 million metric tons) and 18 million tons (16.3 million metric tons) |
| +5 | Between 1000' (305 m) and 2000' (610 m) | Between 400,000 tons (362,874 metric tons) and 1 million tons (0.91 million metric tons) |
| +3 | Between 400' (121.9 m) and 1000' (305 m) | Between 40,000 tons (36,287 metric tons) and 400,000 tons (362,874 metric tons) |
| +1 | Between 150' (45.7 m) and 400' (121.9 m) | Between 1000 tons (907.2 metric tons) and 40,000 tons (36,287 metric tons) |
| N/A | Smaller then 150' (45.7 m) | Less then 1000 tons (907.2 metric tons) |