@ TheDeadlyShoe: In the current version, a big res1 ensures nothing small will slip in, but is easily outranged by coarser sensors of modest size. In C#, a dummy craft surrounded by a formation of sensor fighters adds some novelty, but that solution will be much more dominant and cheaper. For initial contact, a ring of coverage is sufficient. Once contact is made, small craft are better at maintaining coverage without exposing themselves.
Long strike range to large ships isn't necessary, the main obstacle will be small scout craft if present. Even on tiny fightes, fitting dual fire controls to attack large assets from outside their range is a neglegible investment... compared to the huge sensors/FCs of exactly the right resolution those would need to fight back. Simply building variants with differrent resolutions seems more expedient though.
@ Jorgen_CAB: I was focusing on actives for now, as those determine who can actually shoot at whom. Emissions control adds some complex and interesting considerations, but by and large I also see mostly advantages for relatively smaller craft (for a given total expense).
This is what I think is the thing that you can't rely on. If the world technology functioned the way that it does in Aurora a navy would never build ships to one set standard size so there are no perfect sensors and fire-controls to use. A navy could easily have a mix of scout crafts ranging from anywhere at 200-2500t, how would you know what type of scout you are up against before scanning it?!?
Hitting that precise spot is what getting a small advantage with a somewhat larger craft depends on, and just missing it means larger craft will be at a considerable disadvantage despite spending several times as many resources. Without prior information and with sensible assumptions, smaller is better.
Another thing is... how much forces are you willing to risk exposing for taking out a lone scout craft when you have no idea of what other enemy forces are in the vicinity? Or how do you know it is alone before you put actual sensors on it? Perhaps it is a rather powerful destroyer flotilla whose specialty is to engage fighter/corvette class ships using a combination of interceptors and long range anti-fighter craft missiles. How do you know before hand what sensors/weapons the enemy ships in the vicinity will possess?
The risks seem rather small. Something needs to provide their active sensor lock, and small fighters are very difficult to outrange... they can afford to keep their actives on if armed variants are nearby for some recon in force (trying to be sneaky is also an option, and small fighters are good at that too. My point is that they don't even have to be cautious). Those hypothetical destroyers would have to be very specialised to have a range advantage, with a ludicrously expensive electronics suite, and even then they can throw it away by getting the resolution slightly wrong ,e.g. looking for 250t fighters when they are 150t.
In my opinion the game will become richer for having more option in regards to sensor size and making both large and small ships viable in different ways.
Agreed in principle... only that's what we have at the moment! I find all sizes quite viable. The proposed solution encourages more one-dimensional gameplay, even though I suppose the natural appoach is fiddly and looks pretty on the map.
@ alex_brunius: Considering the freedom we have... I find Aurora surprisingly robust, single- or multi-player. Playing around many tacit assumptions is possible and allows trivialising some challenges, but often enough you can prod the mechanics with a sharp stick and find an interesting niche rather than something broken. I find this very pleasing.
Some of the new/changed mechanics look a lot more fragile or not quite balanced though, encouraging shortcuts formerly useful in niche as a default. Regrettably if those essentially play around something that was supposed to become more fleshed-out.