If done right, it can be a good addition, guide combat distances and introduce diversity. There are a some games based around large ship to ship combat that do use damage dropoffs, minimum range, optimal range and/or other mechanics that change the damage based on distance. But all those games have a much more diverse and refined content in terms of combat and controls. So "but its large ship to ship combat" is not a real argument against the concept itself.Alright you scienced me, But in a game thats based around large ship-ship combat, Damage dropoff is not a very good gameplay addition.
But i agree that in case of starmades liniar concept, its titanic lag, and lacking control functions, it would just be another poorly conceived thing thrown into the already nearly gone bad soup.