Regarding huge ships with Target Lock on their ability bar, the new ruleset instructs you to reference page 9 of the core rulebook. My interpretation of Page 9 is that Target Lock may be acquired only on a target within range 3. Is this accurate rule deities? I feel this cripples the extended range of the CR90 if this is the case.

Unless it says something to change it, don't see a reason why it would have a different range. The lock range isn't the range of the weapons, it's explicitly 3.

I'm not sure I'd go all the way to "crippled", but it seems like they'll be relying primarily on volume of dice rather than modification options. Also worth noting that you don't lose a lock if a target goes out of range, so you could conceivably lock a target within 3, hold the lock (voluntarily or just through nothing to use it for) until it is at longer range, and then spend it.

IMHO the 'vette's strength is going to lie primarily in its secondaries, not the primaries.

That's an extraordinarily expensive point sink to throw dice with either a mini-focus (for 8 points more a piece) or the primary 4/5 die attack with nothing, not taking into consideration the energy costs of either. (Naturally ignoring quad lasers, as they are range 1-2). It just seems poor as a combat vessel even against other huge ships when compared to what you could purchase in smaller ships for the same price, which seems counter-intuitive.

Maybe crippled was a bit harsh, but I see no reason to sink ~110-120 points on a ship + turbo lasers. Perhaps it's not designed to be outfitted as the main combat presence of an epic squad, but it seems expensive for a 2 action (plus energy-empowered actions) support ship. Why not take the transport and save yourself 60 points?

<shrug> Balance and strategy discussions are one floor up. If you don't want to buy it, don't buy it, but the rules answer is pretty clear.

True, thanks!

Remember that even on the (new) larger play area it will end up coming near the enemy fleet, near enough that collisions are a possibility. The aforementioned secondaries are decent, albeit pricy.

But at close range, having the TL as an option is not a bad thing, more often than not however I'll want to use its support abilities instead.

That, and jam a friggin' huge ship into the wee ones. ;-)