Of course in RL the ships were NOT organized by size, but by APPEARANCE.
Passenger ships in one section (superstructure >= 1/3 ship length)
Composite Superstructures in another section (subdivided by deck (flush, raised, raised 1-3, etc), then funnel/goalpost/mast features).
Split superstructures in another section, similarly subdivided.
Engines Aft last.
To do this in game, the merchant order would change to:
- Passenger
- huge european liner
- large old passenger carrier
- modern passenger carrier
- small passenger carrier
- Merchants, Composite
- large modern composite
- medium old composite
- medium modern composit
- medium european composite
- small modern composite
- Freighters, Split
- large old split
- medium old split
- small old split
- Engines Aft
- large modern tanker
- medium tanker
- small old tanker
The small craft should be in their own section, too (ONI 208-J Supp)
tater