Fighters IYTU
- Thread starter Golan2072
- Start date
Fighters do have a large number of uses.
Extend sensor range
Scout risky areas like behind planets, fields of wreakage or asteroids,
Investigate sensor contacts
distract enemy fighters and ships
System defense That is tied to a system
System defense that is chaper than SDBs
Customs control
System based antipiracy
Extend sensor range
Scout risky areas like behind planets, fields of wreakage or asteroids,
Investigate sensor contacts
distract enemy fighters and ships
System defense That is tied to a system
System defense that is chaper than SDBs
Customs control
System based antipiracy
MTU is BT. As such, whomever brings the most hardpoints to the battle has the advantage. Fighters are used by offensive forces to maximize the number of hardpoints their carriers can field (Fighters are typically missile-armed to further maximize the punch and minimize the computer requirements); small craft are too fragile to have much tactical use otherwise. The other niche for high-gee small craft (Fighters, but also Ship's Boats with say, a G-Carrier full of Marines aboard for good measure -- my standard boarding/inspection rig) are laser-platforms for pursuit roles; few B2 starships are capable of 6Gs, but those that are tend to provoke a government's pursuing from time to time... and again, it's more cost-effective to send a squadron of small craft with 10 to 12 hardpoints between them, than one or two big craft with half the firepower...
The way I see it, "fighters" are more akin to boats than to aircraft in terms of naval warfare - both the "fighter" and its mothership operate in the same medium (i.e. space) rather than to different media (i.e. sea-surface vs. air in carrier warfare). The only place where this doesn't apply fully is where the mothership is unstreamlined and carries streamlined interface-fighters, but this is also similar to wet-navy boats being able to sail at shallow coastal waters where bigger ships can't.
So, my question is: how were boats used in Age of Sail naval combat (for LBB2) and how were they used in the battleship era (for HG)?
So, my question is: how were boats used in Age of Sail naval combat (for LBB2) and how were they used in the battleship era (for HG)?
10-ton Fighters IMTU generally can carry a laser and a missle launcher regardless of the computer available. Otherwise it's like vegascat's TU, adding in the fact that they can (in squadrons/groups/wings) kill anything up to 1000 tons of military vessel.
And I voted that fighters are a viable tactic, but not the only one.
And I voted that fighters are a viable tactic, but not the only one.
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
I found it difficult to vote, as anything I say is strictly dependent on the rules in question.
In canon, fighters have a number of problems. At higher TLs they have trouble hitting each other, and their low weapon factors mean they have trouble hurting capital ships.
If you allow fighters to mass together into large formations via house rules, that changes things.
In canon, fighters have a number of problems. At higher TLs they have trouble hitting each other, and their low weapon factors mean they have trouble hurting capital ships.
If you allow fighters to mass together into large formations via house rules, that changes things.
Well, as you mention, back in the day boats were useful for operations that the deep-hulled ships were unsuited for: typically, launching amphibious assaults (often stealthily) against shore facilities or ships at anchor in protected harbors. Since most streamlined starships can land, this is less of an issue in Trav. The notable exception IMTU are servicing large (and in a BT TU, I'm talking 1000- to 5000-dtons) freighters; I keep such starships unstreamlined to deter hijackers and corsairs who might want to wilderness refuel them, and I service them on-orbit with a fleet of small craft to improve the efficiency of cargo distribution and reduce turn-around times.
In the battleship era, fighters are not that useful (especially at higher TLs due to the quirks in HG2) in combat without some house rules additions (anti-missile screen and squadron-as-battery, for examples), but again, boats in particular still have their place for boarding/inspection/resupply operations where it is unwise to risk a ship-of-the-line pulling alongside a potentially-hostile unvetted Trader. Since most HG2 fighting ships can make 6Gs, the pursuit role is a non-issue.
In all Trav settings however, small craft are almost always preferable for in-system operations, mostly from their versatility. You can build a big craft to move materiel around on interplanetary routes, but you will usually find that it is cost-equivalent to fielding a fleet of small craft to do the same haulage.
As for small-craft-as-aircraft, I'd simply point out that once missiles and drones get sophisticated enough, piloted fighters are an unneccessary risk and expense. Likewise, without some sort of ship-killing single-shot "torpedo", fighters-as-PT-boats don't work in Trav either.
mbrinkhues
SOC-14 1K
Depends on the rulesset. Fighters in MT/TNE/GT are useful in the rules vegascat pointed out. They can carry a turrets worth of weapons (MT/GT) or a single large weapon (TNE) and have good accelleration, even going above 6g in TNE and GT.
If one looks for naval equivalents, fighters come in as the small rowed gunboats some navies used. They are rather quick over short distances, can operated in congested space and carry a heavy, short range punch. They worked best if the enemy had to come at them (planetary defence) allowing them to come out, fire and run back under the guns of a fortress (planetary meson guns)
Deployed from larger crafts they where used as a counter gunboat to allow landings to happen without interference and as additional firepower against a fortress. With game systems like MT/TNE/GT one could also resurrect the mortar ship using a battlefield meson gun on a small frame.
Historcially gunboats survived due to their high agility and lousy target systems in the capital crafts.
IMTU I use the 20dt Gig more often than the smaller fighters since she can carry a decend punch and double as a boarding/inspection craft or a light bomber. Bigger fighters are not as cost effective in the universes/systems I use and mostly end up as "Hawkeye" equivalents, long range sensor plattforms.
If one looks for naval equivalents, fighters come in as the small rowed gunboats some navies used. They are rather quick over short distances, can operated in congested space and carry a heavy, short range punch. They worked best if the enemy had to come at them (planetary defence) allowing them to come out, fire and run back under the guns of a fortress (planetary meson guns)
Deployed from larger crafts they where used as a counter gunboat to allow landings to happen without interference and as additional firepower against a fortress. With game systems like MT/TNE/GT one could also resurrect the mortar ship using a battlefield meson gun on a small frame.
Historcially gunboats survived due to their high agility and lousy target systems in the capital crafts.
IMTU I use the 20dt Gig more often than the smaller fighters since she can carry a decend punch and double as a boarding/inspection craft or a light bomber. Bigger fighters are not as cost effective in the universes/systems I use and mostly end up as "Hawkeye" equivalents, long range sensor plattforms.
Fighters have the big advantage IMTU of not putting all your offensive firepower in one basket.
They have the disadvantage of severe upper limits to firepower.
I don't like the way fighters worked out in CT. If I needed do fleet combats with fighters in play, I'd house rule them extensively.
They have the disadvantage of severe upper limits to firepower.
I don't like the way fighters worked out in CT. If I needed do fleet combats with fighters in play, I'd house rule them extensively.
