Next generation fighters

[Ship Puppet]

We've had the same generation of fighter bays for many years. What about some variety with new generations?
1. Heavy fighters that have fighter equivalents of two medium or one large hardpoints
2. Bomber variants equipped with seeker missiles
3. Interceptor tackler equipped with tether cable launchers to slow down target ships, but have no impact upon FSDs.
4. Interdictor equipped with local interdictors that disrupt FSDs by adding mass factor while in short range of a target ship.

Interceptor tacklers would be most when deployed by multiple ships in a wing upon a single target. One may effectively halve the top speed of a Viper, but neglible against hulls with larger mass factors. Even three would have small effect upon a large class hull, but significant against lighter medium class hulls.

Likewise, interdictors would be more effective upon hulls with a lower mass factor. But, multiple heavy interdictors could stack their effective additional mass factor upon a target ship.

 

[SlickPBW]

This would just make the game easier.

 

[Ship Puppet]

This would just make the game easier.

My thought was that having more specialized fighters would make wing play more interesting

 

[SlickPBW]

You will find that many/most suggestions just make the game easier. In my opinion the game should be harder, at least in areas that are identifiable, so that new players wouldn’t be crushed. Imagine the future life expectancy of this game if all these suggestions to make it easier were implemented.

 

[GroG79]

... if all these suggestions to make it easier were implemented ...

A lot were (sadly perhaps)

Like how stupid easy getting credits is these days. Do a little exobio. Earn more than 3 months of gaming in the early days.

 

[[VR] DDM_Reaper20]

We've had the same generation of fighter bays for many years. What about some variety with new generations?
1. Heavy fighters that have fighter equivalents of two medium or one large hardpoints
2. Bomber variants equipped with seeker missiles
3. Interceptor tackler equipped with tether cable launchers to slow down target ships, but have no impact upon FSDs.
4. Interdictor equipped with local interdictors that disrupt FSDs by adding mass factor while in short range of a target ship.

Interceptor tacklers would be most when deployed by multiple ships in a wing upon a single target. One may effectively halve the top speed of a Viper, but neglible against hulls with larger mass factors. Even three would have small effect upon a large class hull, but significant against lighter medium class hulls.

Likewise, interdictors would be more effective upon hulls with a lower mass factor. But, multiple heavy interdictors could stack their effective additional mass factor upon a target ship.

IIRC, the weapons on board an SLF are equivalent to Class 3 hardpoints. Your suggestion would, therefore, be a significant downgrade.

Of course, this punch is paid for by very limited shields and armour...

 

[Ship Puppet]

IIRC, the weapons on board an SLF are equivalent to Class 3 hardpoints. Your suggestion would, therefore, be a significant downgrade.

Of course, this punch is paid for by very limited shields and armour...

What really, Large sized weapons? I thought they were Tiny sized.

Consdering heavy fighters, it'd be cool if there was some sort of offset for their extra capabilities.

 

[Ship Puppet]

A lot were (sadly perhaps)

Like how stupid easy getting credits is these days. Do a little exobio. Earn more than 3 months of gaming in the early days.

I'm poor right now. Haven't bought the latest and greatest version of ED with legs and exo.

Tho, I still understand your point. I made about 45 million per haul this week from core mining.

 

[[VR] DDM_Reaper20]

What really, Large sized weapons? I thought they were Tiny sized.

Consdering heavy fighters, it'd be cool if there was some sort of offset for their extra capabilities.

I think they are equivalent to Class 3, yes.

Offsets are tricky with SLFs. Lowering speed/manoevrability even more would make it too easy to destroy them. Shields/armour are already very low...

 

[Northpin]

My thought was that having more specialized fighters would make wing play more interesting

Are people actually using SLF in wing play?

What really, Large sized weapons? I thought they were Tiny sized.

yea, the SLF weapons are regarded as an equivalent of a large hardpoint and they're good enough to allow my SLF crew to deal with most of the small ships all by themselves

 

[BackToTheMud]

1. The SLF's already have the dmg outbut of a large hardpoint.
2. A "bomber" with seeker missiles...
3&4. Never add things that help the gankers.

 

[AEBRAM]

This may have been mentioned earlier but engineering Fighter Bays could have the same effect. E: D could implement the engineering modifications similar to pre-engineered hardpoints. For instance, "Interceptor" blueprint could boost m/second speed with marginal bonus to yaw, roll, and pitch %angle/second. The drawbacks could be -%rate of fire on the weapons or -%duration on the installed defense module i.e., point defense or chaff. The engineered blueprint creates pre-engineered fighters e.g., modified fighters, that are stored in the Fighter Bay.

 

[Ship Puppet]

3&4. Never add things that help the gankers.

Hadn't considered them. Can commanders supercruise together as a team, flight, or wing, like in EVE Online? If not, can people supercruise and drop out to a friend's beacon like in Battlestar Galactica? Being able to defend each other against gankers could add to player interactions and community.

 

[K-nours]

An other type of SLF could be a recon fighter, or a shuttle.
No weapon, but equipe with landing gears and no telepresence but real pilot on board. (it's like being in a srv)
Those kind of fighter could be verry useful for exploration and landing on difficult ground where large ship cannot land, or docking to a space station that don't have large pad.