Small Refueling System

[Lockreed (OP)]

I find myself wanting to design a fighter-sized tanker that could keep up with my fighter squadron and could extend the squadron flight range, but no small craft component for this exists.

I would be interested in a "small craft" refueling system with tech progression similar to how small craft & compact ecm/eccm works.  100t and 10t (small craft / compact)

[Jorgen_CAB]

I usually have an escort carrier or carriers housing a small fast tanker, maybe 1500-2000t for that purpose. It should also be possible to put a 2-3000t commercial hangar on your fleet replenishment ships and put a small tanker on there as well.
 
To be honest I don't think we need a smaller refuelling system in the game, we need to use what we have and realise there are limitations to certain things.

[serger]

I think it's really proper that we have no option to make such a smallish tankers, it was really too much in VB Aurora with these uber-micro-oilers, better not to have this temptation of perversed micromanagement. 

[papent]

a 5 HS refuel system would be reasonable with slow speed. mountable on Fighters or FAC's. but not too small to be abused by every warship.

[brondi00]

I mostly agree with not having it but it definitely should be gimped.  Like 1/4 regular empire refueling speed or even less.  So it's not that fast (but still reasonably fats considering fighters don't have that much fuel anyway.

[kingflute]

Perhaps something like this would need a rework of fighter mechanics. Say, all fighters have designed hardpoints that can mount certain equipment (something like the ground attack pods) but a refueling system can be mounted to those and/or additional fuel tanks at the expense of munitions. The code that would be required for this is already mostly written so wouldnt require much work and would give players the chance to make some really long range carrier-bourne operations - like Ark Royal to Belize (1970s) or Black Buck (Not carrier but close enough, 1982)

[Jorgen_CAB]

a 5 HS refuel system would be reasonable with slow speed. mountable on Fighters or FAC's. but not too small to be abused by every warship.

I'm pretty sure this is a hard no... Steve have been very careful not to allow ANY special components that is not usable by every ship. You could argue that you could make a re-fuelling system that is say half the size but fuel 75% slower... but then every ship available could potentially use that system.

Fighter specific beam controls are one good example that was removed in C#... .Steve now introduce a half size control that only control ONE weapons. This is a good approach as you can use that on ANY ship... but in general it is a especially useful for fighters and FAC.

[Kristover]

I get Steve's position about not allowing any special components usable by every ship but I kind of think that this is one that perhaps he should reconsider.  Even here in the 21st Century, regular fighters and bombers are routinely mid-aired refueled and from a purely technological viewpoint, this is a scalable technology which could be expected to be used in future craft.  'Fighter Pods' are already a niche system and small versions of certain systems, not sure why the line should necessarily be drawn on the refueling side.  I also look at it from the gameplay perspective - would it add 'fun' gameplay options?  Absolutely.  I would clearly design FAC sized tankers and base them on a carrier to extend the range of my fighters and bombers.  It would add some interesting tactical options and strategies.  I think this addition should be considered.

[Jorgen_CAB]

I get Steve's position about not allowing any special components usable by every ship but I kind of think that this is one that perhaps he should reconsider.  Even here in the 21st Century, regular fighters and bombers are routinely mid-aired refueled and from a purely technological viewpoint, this is a scalable technology which could be expected to be used in future craft.  'Fighter Pods' are already a niche system and small versions of certain systems, not sure why the line should necessarily be drawn on the refueling side.  I also look at it from the gameplay perspective - would it add 'fun' gameplay options?  Absolutely.  I would clearly design FAC sized tankers and base them on a carrier to extend the range of my fighters and bombers.  It would add some interesting tactical options and strategies.  I think this addition should be considered.

My only answer is that I don't mind this at all... just that it should be a fighter specific technology and there could technically be a lower limit for a safe refuelling system. A 250t system that have a -75% re-fuelling penalty seems ok to me, should be small enough for a FAC, if you go even lower say a 125t system you would then get a -87.5% in the re-fuelling speed.

[papent]

@jorgen

that was already my suggestion.

[Jorgen_CAB]

@jorgen

that was already my suggestion.

Yes.. I know.. I'm not totally against the idea... but it might also be something Steve don't want on the basis of balance. You can probably make up any technobabble to why the system need to be at least 500t big.