Expansion Bays would be a new type of dock. Whatever ship or 'contraption' you create can be docked here, and it's overall stats get added to your ship! Imagine creating reactors or engines and being able to 'install' them in your ship. Is that reactor too ineffecient? Replace it with another, no problem. Just undock the old one, dock in the new one!
This idea could be expanded on further by making shields and thrusters just as mysterious as reactors, eventually leading to people installing specialized design engines and shield generating systems. "Ya this has a Schema MkII Thrust Module in it!" "Ah man, i didn't know he made an even more effecient engine!" And then you guys walk around the engine bay and check out the docked thruster assembly YEA!
Expansion bays. Do it.
This idea could be expanded on further by making shields and thrusters just as mysterious as reactors, eventually leading to people installing specialized design engines and shield generating systems. "Ya this has a Schema MkII Thrust Module in it!" "Ah man, i didn't know he made an even more effecient engine!" And then you guys walk around the engine bay and check out the docked thruster assembly YEA!
Expansion bays. Do it.