Doubling my Ions.
Capping off level 16 Fame, I decided that the next upgrade for my ship should be to double the number of emitters in my Ion Array from 32 to 64. But wait, you say, how do you stuff 64 Ions into a space that 32 barely fit in?
Like this:
Yes, that Ion array fully works.
I'll admit, I had to clear out some engine blocks and move some sections around. The biggest challenge wasn't fitting in the Ion Emitters, but finding room for the reactors and crew quarters to support them. It probably would have been easier if I hadn't insisted on so many two way moving walkways.
But it helped to break things down the array into individual blocks, each with the following minimum requirements:
8 Ion Arrays, 1 Large Reactor, 2 24 Man crew quarters, at least 1 Airlock, and at least 1 Fire Extinguisher.
4 such blocks on each side of the ship for a total of 8.
Every Ion Emitter has to intersect the beam of one other Ion Emitter (not necessarily from the same block) which is where the first stage Prisms would be placed.
And it worked, while retaining all the secondary weaponry that made this ship so successful. And I had enough internal room left over to put an engine room and pair of large thrusters back in.