Posted by: xenoscepter
« on: September 21, 2021, 01:06:04 AM »
New Class class Starfighter (P) 500 tons 25 Crew 4,288.7 BP TCS 10 TH 10 EM 0
100053 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 HTK 5 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 4
Maint Life 0.04 Years MSP 35 AFR 100% IFR 1.4% 1YR 789 5YR 11,834 Max Repair 2000.00 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 0.5 days Morale Check Required
Photonic Drive EP1000.00 (1) Power 1000.0 Fuel Use 156.25% Signature 10.0000 Explosion 25%
Fuel Capacity 20,000 Litres Range 4.61 billion km (12 hours at full power)
Twin 10cm C1.25 Far Gamma Ray Laser Turret (1x2) Range 350,000km TS: 100,053 km/s Power 6-2.50 RM 120,000 km ROF 15 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Beam Fire Control R350-TS100000 (SW) (5%) (1) Max Range: 350,000 km TS: 100,000 km/s 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vacuum Energy Power Plant R3-PB100 (1) Total Power Output 2.5 Exp 50%
Active Search Sensor AS4-R1 (5%) (1) GPS 1 Range 4.9m km MCR 439.7k km Resolution 1
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
*Damage and To-Hit Numbers given for a target moving 250,150km/s at a range of 180,000km
--- I'm doing a throwaway game with a MaxTech start until v2.0 hits, super excited for that btw, and I'm having a little trouble here. A quick bit of background information on my fighter doctrine here though, because that's gonna be necessary to make the kind of evaluation I'm looking for. I'm working with a doctrine that comprises three primary roles; Bomber, Interceptor, and Starfighter. Bombers would serve as a (relatively) slow and re-usable long range cruise stage from which to deploy Anti-Ship Missiles that trade away that range for a blend of speed, accuracy and raw firepower. Interceptors would be small, fast and lightly armed beam fighters tasked primarily with shooting down Bombers, or enemy craft acting in a similar role. Starfighters would primarily be tasked with engaging enemy interceptors.
- Interceptors would trade away firepower and range to maintain their high-speed while mounting either a small shield generator, armor or ECM to help survive enemy ASMs or AFMs that might be deployed at them in the line of duty. They would also need to be somewhat smaller than most craft so that they can overwhelm enemy strike craft with sheer numbers as well.
- Starfighters would be bigger, faster, and better armed. While Interceptors might mount reduced shot railguns or turreted gauss, and have short range weapons by default, Starfighters would focus on higher range weapons or larger caliber railguns to deal with enemy Interceptors. Their speed or defenses would allow them to function in an Anti-Bomber role, but their main targets would be enemy Interceptors and Starfighters, or whatever equivalent they might have.
--- And so, to wit: this is my proposal for a Starfighter armed with a pair of 10cm Far Gamma Ray Lasers. It is a very expensive ship due to the engines sporting Thermal Reduction that affords them a Thermal Signature equivalent to 1% of their engine's output. The Level 6 Electronic Hardening is also a driving force behind the expenses, however I expect to employ HPM Interceptors for blinding enemy "Bombers" as a sort of planetary defense ship. That, and I've yet to explore anything in this game, so a Nebulae could bone me over... unless they're not in v1.13. Anyway, I have serious doubts about this design, namely the speed and the firepower. Replacing the 10cm Lasers with 15cm ones yields the same weight, crew and range, thanks to the B-FCS, but with double the damage per shot under the same conditions and with a 5 increment RoF instead of the 3 increment RoF of the 10cm ones. Meanwhile replacing them with 12cm models yields the same damage, but out to 250,000km instead of the 180,000km of the 10cm models, and with only a 4 increment RoF.
--- So while I'm appealing for general feedback and criticism, I'd like to ask the following specifically. Is this under-gunned? Is it too slow for a Photonic Engine beam fighter designed to go after Bombers and chase away Interceptors? It doesn't need to kill enemy Interceptors, it just needs to be capable of killing them. If it can drive them away from my own Bombers, then it's done it's job as far as I'm concerned. It's not an escort though, so don't be confused. If the enemy fields "Interceptors" then the job of the Bombers is to turn tail and RTB, while the job of the Starfighters is to present a credible enough threat to dissuade pursuit and to also kill any Interceptors that are Hell bent on getting the Bombers in spite of casualties.
New Class class Interceptor (P) 250 tons 10 Crew 897.3 BP TCS 5 TH 500 EM 0
100089 km/s Armour 3-3 Shields 0-0 HTK 1 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 1.2
Maint Life 1.12 Years MSP 60 AFR 50% IFR 0.7% 1YR 48 5YR 721 Max Repair 612.5 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 1.1 days Morale Check Required
T100-100T Photonic Drive, Class 500/250M (1) Power 500.0 Fuel Use 220.97% Signature 500.00 Explosion 25%
Fuel Capacity 28,000 Litres Range 9.13 billion km (25 hours at full power)
T30/10-60K Gauss Cannon, Class 8 (Twin Linked Mount) (1x16) Range 60,000km TS: 100,089 km/s Accuracy Modifier 10.0% RM 60,000 km ROF 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T35/245K-TS100K(SW) Beam FCS, Low Grade (1) Max Range: 245,000 km TS: 100,000 km/s 30 20 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
T5/10-75R1 Active Sensor Suite, Low Grade (1) GPS 1 Range 4.9m km MCR 439.7k km Resolution 1
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
--- For those wishing to know what sort of ship this craft is expected to fight; this is the sort of opponent. To avoid confusion, the To-Hit and Damage numbers given are assuming a target at 60,000km that is moving at 250,000km/s. The laser armed starfighter can expect a roughly 50/50 shot versus this Interceptor at a range of 180,000km.