With the hash marks on all four sides of bases is there a reason to restrict reinforcing to only front or back? Why would you not be able to reinforce port (left) or starboard (right)? Do you think this will be a future opportunity in the game?

Simplified game play was probably the biggest reason, and there were a number of lines in the movies about ‘reinforce your fore/aft deflector shields’.

I could see the possibility of a ship with port/starboard deflectors as a way of being a unique design, but not something that will be a regular feature.

8 minutes ago, TreebeardTheEnt said:

With the hash marks on all four sides of bases is there a reason to restrict reinforcing to only front or back? Why would you not be able to reinforce port (left) or starboard (right)? Do you think this will be a future opportunity in the game?

Because traditionally small ships only had front and rear projectors, and therefore didn't have any way to reinforce their flanks. I doubt we'll see this ability in the future either as the tokens are specific to fore and aft.

Keeping an enemy on one of a side of a ship is child's play (Which is why the 1.0 Lancer was so obnoxious). Being able to reinforce any hemisphere would make reinforce increidbly obnoxious.

5 hours ago, HolySorcerer said:

Because traditionally small ships only had front and rear projectors, and therefore didn't have any way to reinforce their flanks. I doubt we'll see this ability in the future either as the tokens are specific to fore and aft.

4 hours ago, Squark said:

Keeping an enemy on one of a side of a ship is child's play (Which is why the 1.0 Lancer was so obnoxious). Being able to reinforce any hemisphere would make reinforce increidbly obnoxious.

Fluff and gameplay in harmony!