Trouble fighting a 133 big fleet full of fighters

[Anteep (OP)]

I encountered a fleet with 133 fighter ships in it on my second system I explored.
I just don't have a clue how I can destroy them all? I sent 5 frigates against them and destroyed 2 fighters..
Do I have to keep targeting each fighter and tell them to fire? Because that is extreme

[Charlie Beeler]

I can't see the image your trying to post.

But at a guess your seeing an active signature of 20 and a speed of 10,000 kps correct?  If so, you've just met one of Steve newer automated minions.     The Star Swarm.  Those aren't fighters, they're gunboats armed with rather large meson cannons and your frigates are toast.

But to answer your targeting question, yes they must be individually targeted.

[Anteep (OP)]

My tactical intelligence tells me:
Cross Section: 16
Estimated Tonnage: 800
Thermal Signature: 160
Observed Speed: 28
Estimated Speed: 10000
Armour: 3

other stats are 0

[Steve Walmsley]

v5.0 has auto-fire for player race ships. You can set a ship to auto-fire and it will setup up its own fire control assignments, then attempt to engage and destroy all targets within range. It is coded but not yet tested so I haven't announced it yet

Steve

[Charlie Beeler]

My tactical intelligence tells me:
Cross Section: 16
Estimated Tonnage: 800
Thermal Signature: 160
Observed Speed: 28
Estimated Speed: 10000
Armour: 3

other stats are 0

That's them.  Been a little while since I've tangled with them.  

Only thing I've found to be effective is missile armed fighters with the carrier an long way away.  Lost 2 16,000 to carriers plus escorts the first time I "found" them.  My 40 fighters did kill about 60 of the swarm warriors first though.  Lost the carriers before I could get the strike groups rearmed.