v2.6.0 Changes Discussion Thread

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Wow, NPR carriers... That's definitely a Christmas present if I ever saw one, haha.

Does "fighter" in this case include FACs or is it only the 500 ton parasite crafts?

There are already NPR FACs in the game. This addition is for 500-tons or less fighters, plus the carriers to transport them.

[LuuBluum]

Honestly with how things are progressing, once ground support craft are revamped, I think the game will reach a state of something close to perfection.

[Ghostly]

NPR carriers, finally! Certainly something to look forward to. But will NPRs be able to exploit the tactical advantage that parasites offer? I found their approach to combat to be very one-dimensional, literally speaking. Missile fighters are a perfect sneak attack weapon, but it's no good if they will only attack in a straight line from the carriers' direction, because the player will know where the carriers are right away. Will NPR fighters actually respect their fuel range, unlike the rest of their ships? (I've boarded more 0% fuel ships than I could count).

There are already NPR FACs in the game. This addition is for 500-tons or less fighters, plus the carriers to transport them.

I assume this question was in regards to parasite FACs, as NPR FACs in the game behave the same as normal warships.

[Xkill]

There are already NPR FACs in the game. This addition is for 500-tons or less fighters, plus the carriers to transport them.

I guess I worded it incorrectly. I meant to ask whether the FACs would use the carriers as motherships and operate from them the same way fighters will.

[Louella]

For v2.6, NPRs and Precursors may sometimes deploy carriers and fighters. These can be both missile and energy-armed, with carrier designs appropriate for the type of fighter.

Will the fighters be all-purpose ? or is it intended to have a mix of "fighters" and "bombers", to engage enemy fighters, bombers, and larger ships ?

Will NPRs and Precursors use ground-support fighters/other aircraft, so that there is a reason to include AA ground units ?

This is pretty exciting news.

Forget the Battle of the Coral Sea, now we can have the Battle of the Coral Nebula !

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Fighters will launch only within their operational range and will follow the normal NPR rules regarding refuelling - heading home once fuel is low. There will be both energy and missile fighters. No ground support for now, but I will revamp that mechanics at some point anyway. Theoretically FACs (or larger ships) could now use carriers, if I created an operational group that was setup that way. The AI is coded on strike groups, rather than a particular size.

[lumporr]

Fighters! Rejoice! Hurrah!

Also - will there be a checkbox in the Customize NPR screen to toggle fighter use for custom empires?

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Fighters! Rejoice! Hurrah!

Also - will there be a checkbox in the Customize NPR screen to toggle fighter use for custom empires?

There isn't right now, but that makes sense to add.

[alex_brunius]

Fighters will launch only within their operational range and will follow the normal NPR rules regarding refuelling - heading home once fuel is low. There will be both energy and missile fighters. No ground support for now, but I will revamp that mechanics at some point anyway. Theoretically FACs (or larger ships) could now use carriers, if I created an operational group that was setup that way. The AI is coded on strike groups, rather than a particular size.

Will the AI also use beam fighters (when using Rail or Gauss) in fleet Point Defense role?

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Fighters will launch only within their operational range and will follow the normal NPR rules regarding refuelling - heading home once fuel is low. There will be both energy and missile fighters. No ground support for now, but I will revamp that mechanics at some point anyway. Theoretically FACs (or larger ships) could now use carriers, if I created an operational group that was setup that way. The AI is coded on strike groups, rather than a particular size.

Will the AI also use beam fighters (when using Rail or Gauss) in fleet Point Defense role?

That is my intention, although I'll need to see how it works out in practice.

[Warer]

Boy god they've discovered Fighter craft!

Seriously amazing work Steve!

[Louella]

The AI is coded on strike groups, rather than a particular size.

So some AI doctrines might use their carriers offensively, whereas others might use their carriers defensively ?

so like, one NPR might use carriers to have their fighter groups defending the fleet against missiles and enemy FACs & fighters, whereas a different NPR might have their fighter groups as their main attack method against enemy fleets ?

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

The AI is coded on strike groups, rather than a particular size.

So some AI doctrines might use their carriers offensively, whereas others might use their carriers defensively ?

so like, one NPR might use carriers to have their fighter groups defending the fleet against missiles and enemy FACs & fighters, whereas a different NPR might have their fighter groups as their main attack method against enemy fleets ?

Missile fighters are an offensive weapon. Beam fighters can be used offensively or defensively, depending on the situation. That is a lot easier for humans to determine than AI, but I will try to add something on those lines.

Fighters are not going to be perfect on release. Based on my own testing and player feedback, I will slowly improve their AI over time.

[alex_brunius]

Missile fighters are an offensive weapon. Beam fighters can be used offensively or defensively, depending on the situation. That is a lot easier for humans to determine than AI, but I will try to add something on those lines.

Fighters are not going to be perfect on release. Based on my own testing and player feedback, I will slowly improve their AI over time.

It would be cool at some point to have some different levels of risk and aggressiveness of the AI. A good IRL example would be the war in the Pacific where Japan and USA deployed similar assets (like CV fighters) in very different ways and had very different approaches to manage risk on all levels from ship design, strategy down to squad tactics (which Im sure your well aware off based on your latest in depth Japanese Navy inspired AAR).

The prime example would be US Carrier generally using like 50-75% of their planes in a potentially defensive way (CAP/Scouting/Escort) while Japanese Carriers would be more like 25% defensive and 0-5% scouting to maximize Offense and Strikes.

[Bremen]

Glad to see fighters coming back    They could be quite deadly in VB Aurora and it's always fun when the AI manages to turn things around on you.