Fighter in Early Technology Era, what should I do?

[JacenHan]

As to the earlier comment on how huge fighters are, compare them to a modern FAC.  The first one I found (a Finnish missile FAC) has a 250t displacement and is armed with 8 SSM missiles and 4 SAM missiles.  Of course, these missiles each weigh somewhat under 1 ton, and a Size 1 missile in Aurora is about 2 1/2 tons.

As for FACs, in Aurora an FAC is defined as a ship under 1000 tons.  The closest analogue in real life is a corvette, defined in Wikipedia as generally over 500 tons and under 2000 tons.


As for design help, my only early tech fighter design was a 500 ton railgun fighter, just like the one two posts below mine.

[Alfapiomega]

Have you ever seen these in battle? How do they perform?

[GreatTuna]

Have you ever seen these in battle? How do they perform?

Sorry, I haven't used them (don't use fighters that early) nor have early-game battle experience to tell about perfomance.
Only things I can say is they must work in packs like any other fighters.  And big ones if possible.

[MagusXIX]

I recommend building a PDC that's basically just lots and lots of hangars with a giant sensor attached to it (air traffic control!)  Then you can fill it with a lot of 500t gauss fighters.  The only problem I've found with this plan is that, because it's a PDC, it does not satisfy colony protection requirements for some strange reason.  If I remember correctly, that is.

Gauss fighter design is really simple.  Strap the smallest gauss cannons and engines to the smallest fuel tank you possibly can. Fiddle until you're satisfied with the figures.  Don't use turrets.

[drmzsz7]

Hi my name is Jon, an this is the start of my open ended campaign.   I was fascinated with the idea of star wars and the jedi jump drive sled attachment.   So I wanted to RP this one with that theme in mind. 

Nimbus - Recon class Geosurvey Ship    500 tons     15 Crew     131.  5 BP      TCS 10  TH 10  EM 0
1000 km/s     Armour 1-5     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/1     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0
Maint Life 9.  32 Years     MSP 82    AFR 4%    IFR 0.  1%    1YR 2    5YR 26    Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 23 months    Spare Berths 6    

10 EP Military Thermal Engine (1)    Power 10    Fuel Use 98%    Signature 10    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 3.  7 billion km   (42 days at full power)

Geological Survey Sensors (1)   1 Survey Points Per Hour

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes

Starting a new game, Created this lil sucker the Nimbus, with a special attachment sled.   Mind you the Nimbus has a Bridge of its own. 

Meet the Aeon Harness.   Its selling catch phrase was, "It may not get you there quickly but it will get you there.  " Holds true, with its 326 billion range, it can literally sling any fighter sized ship within anything in the solar system, no risk of fuel, enough fuel to refuel from a billion times over, to match the Nimbus's ample reserves.   It serves as a Repair Galley, a Tanker, and there are even talks of slapping on some Magazines and cargo loaders to serve as a collier! All loaded in a slightly chubby corvette frame! Brilliant!! Both of the vessels were designed with efficiency and sustainability in a very wild frontier of unknown certainties and untold riches!

Aeon - Harness class Tug    4,150 tons     52 Crew     378.  625 BP      TCS 83  TH 62  EM 0
746 km/s     Armour 1-23     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 0
Maint Life 19.  83 Years     MSP 285    AFR 27%    IFR 0.  4%    1YR 1    5YR 21    Max Repair 15.  625 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 300 months    Flight Crew Berths 60    
Hangar Deck Capacity 500 tons    

62.  5 EP Commercial Explorer Thermal Engine (1)    Power 62.  5    Fuel Use 13.  26%    Signature 62.  5    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 1,000,000 Litres    Range 326.  7 billion km   (5068 days at full power)

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

So what you guy's think? Will they make it once there built in this harsh harsh world!?

[Sematary]

The Nimbus doesn't need a bridge, that is just taking up space.

[drmzsz7]

It has a bridge so that it can act seperately of its host ship, I think, either way I had spare room to fill the 500 tonnage gap.   In terms of capacity it makes no difference if a ship is 250*2 to 500 bay ratio or less because.   with tech limitations I cant reach a 150*3 to 500 bay ratio to warrent shaving off tonage for the sack of.   Much better to boost tuning the gears to meet tonnage limits.  We as a race imagine our space tech to field nimble scout carriers an vast swarms of high tech missile fighters supplanted by legions of inexpensive sleds.   

[Sematary]

Both the tug and the fighter are very very slow. My first generation ships are a minimum of 2,500 km/s and that is slow. Fighters are at least 8,000 km/s at first generation for me.

[drmzsz7]

Yea im sure these silly humans will get it that speed is the key, but considering their current stubberness towards regarding the existence of other lifeforms, they see no necessity in being hasty towards the "angels, demons, and alien" mumbo jumbo of you wing nuts. So till then they will focus on profits, in regards to long term expansion at relativistic prices, in regards to small scale frames. As any business man will tell you, build it compact, build it to last, an build a lot of them. I imagine once we really get our claws into the home system extensive experimentation in breaking the current speed barrier will commence!

[drmzsz7]

Heres a fun little design for a Battlestar Galactica Theme RP.
Its only job is to pop in and out ahead of the fleet.
Its not fast, an Its cram packed with advanced sensor systems for multiple layers of detection.
It has good range, jump capable, sensor scanning package, extended supplies, all in a FAC hull.
Raptor - Experimental Jump class Fighter    1,000 tons     39 Crew     227 BP      TCS 20  TH 50  EM 0
2500 km/s    JR 1-50     Armour 1-8     Shields 0-0     Sensors 11/11/0/0     Damage Control Rating 2     PPV 0
Maint Life 28.65 Years     MSP 284    AFR 4%    IFR 0.1%    1YR 1    5YR 10    Max Repair 56 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 0   

J1000(1-50) Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 1000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 1
50 EP Military Thermal Engine (1)    Power 50    Fuel Use 474.34%    Signature 50    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 5.7 billion km   (26 days at full power)

Aegis Active Sensor MR6-R1 (1)     GPS 56     Range 6.2m km    MCR 671k km    Resolution 1
Anti-Fighter 200/610/0 (1)     GPS 12     Range 610k km    Resolution 4
Anti-Support Sensor 2k/5.8m/1 (1)     GPS 336     Range 5.8m km    Resolution 40
Thermal Sensor TH1-11 (40%) (1)     Sensitivity 11     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  11m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-11 (40%) (1)     Sensitivity 11     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  11m km

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

[drmzsz7]

how are you getting 2k-8k on a out the box thermal drive on a 250-500 frame? what weapons you mounting?
 This is the most I can squeeze out with engine x research bonus on thermals on a 1k frame.
Invested alot of time into missile design tech though can see vast improvements in tracking/speed/range.

Lasher - Frame class Fighter    1,000 tons     5 Crew     245.7 BP      TCS 20  TH 100  EM 0
5000 km/s     Armour 1-8     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 4.8
Maint Life 2.83 Years     MSP 38    AFR 32%    IFR 0.4%    1YR 7    5YR 104    Max Repair 98 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 0.1 months    Spare Berths 5   
Magazine 32   

50 EP Military Thermal Engine (2)    Power 50    Fuel Use 474.34%    Signature 50    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 0.2 billion km   (10 hours at full power)

Size 4 Gunboat Pod (    Missile Size 4    Hangar Reload 30 minutes    MF Reload 5 hours
Gunboat Missile Control FC41-R5 (40%) (1)     Range 41.3m km    Resolution 5
Gunboat ASM Suite (1)     Range 4.1m km    Resolution 5
2/1-ASM Flicker v12.15 (16)  Speed: 12,500 km/s   End: 8.6m    Range: 6.4m km   WH: 1    Size: 2    TH: 62/37/18

Aegis Active Sensor MR6-R1 (1)     GPS 56     Range 6.2m km    MCR 671k km    Resolution 1
Fighter Search Sensor 190/0 (1)     GPS 3     Range 190k km    MCR 21k km    Resolution 1

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

[drmzsz7]

Out the box very low-rp laser fighter within 500 frame.
cant get into a 250..

Lasher - Pulse class Fighter    450 tons     3 Crew     29 BP      TCS 9  TH 10  EM 0
1111 km/s     Armour 1-5     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 3
Maint Life 4.28 Years     MSP 4    AFR 16%    IFR 0.2%    1YR 0    5YR 5    Max Repair 5 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 0.1 months    Spare Berths 7    

5/1 Thermal Fighter Engine (2)    Power 5    Fuel Use 99%    Signature 5    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 2.0 billion km   (21 days at full power)

3/30/10cm IR Pulse (1)    Range 30,000km     TS: 4000 km/s     Power 3-1     RM 1    ROF 15        3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S02 20-1250 (FTR) (1)    Max Range: 40,000 km   TS: 5000 km/s     75 50 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pressurised Water Reactor PB-1 (1)     Total Power Output 1    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Fighter Search Sensor 190/0 (1)     GPS 3     Range 190k km    MCR 21k km    Resolution 1

This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes

[Theodidactus]

Maybe the game needs low tech direct attack weapon (different than Laser etc that doesn't need anything but low in damage) like vulcan gun or others; and they need  fighter hard point technology for fighters. Well, even in sea battle irl, fighters have dominant role. So this game should have more techs for fighters. But in this game, there are limited choice to design fighters. Especially at early stage of the game.

Think of this from an rp perspective

Playing from conventional start, you're literally starting in the age of pressurized metal cans hurtling through space, with no artificial gravity or anything. It's hard enough to build a combat ship, let alone a zippy little maneuverable hellbat with guns that doesn't fall apart when it makes a sharp turn.

later, when you've hammered out the kinks to building spacecraft, you're still relying on gargantuan fuel, life support, and power systems, stuff a fighter can't haul around. To build a REALLY viable 'starfighter' you need years and years of technology. I play a setting where fightercraft are the dominant weapon, but it took a LONG time to get there.

[MarcAFK]

I notice you have lower resolution sensors with shorter range than your resolution 1 sensor, they're useless except for redundancy, you could save the space or make your anti missile sensor bigger.

[drmzsz7]

Great points, but to counter with the RP currently in play, well gaze at our current tech, the space shuttle which is 0.0825 tons unloaded, but at launch jumps to a whopping 2200 tons. I don't imagine mankinds first historical move is going to be building a 8k ton space monster because the necessary support tech would be ridiculously massive as to be impossible. By human engineering standards that would be the 10th wonder of the world in a space based medium. No humanities first move would be towards building smaller scale but significantly larger frames then the space shuttle, for the sole reason that the space game is not like earth based naval actions, at sea if your ship goes you have a chance of living because your still within your atmosphere, in space no such luck. I imagine mankind progressively building up, in the nuclear era (safety concerns aside), mastering the tuning/boosting process along the way, long before building into the uncertainty of Ion Drives.

I'm not sure if this game works like this or not but each era of drive tech should require their own seperate drive enhancement research tiers. Ie knowing how to boost a thermal drive 250% is not the same as knowing how to boost an Ion Drive, let alone these magneto drives I keep seeing. The 250% drive enhancement research shouldn't carry over if the drive is using differing energy principles, chemical, nuclear, Ion, magnetic. Human trends tend to rest in using a fuel source for extended periods of time, despite the awareness of alternative fuel sources, due to the cost of changing the dominant medium that all era tech is reliant upon, for various reasons.

For instance, magnetic field principles applied to a rocket frame would differ. A finely tuned magnetic drive emits a field around the object, freeing the object from external gravitational pull, friction. I imagine that gain impulse it inverts the magnetic field on itself. Ie the push field is warped towards the exterior space surrounding itself at a certain angle. then a matching magnetic push field is emitted from the hull. Using directional controls the field can be manipulated to push at certain angle. I image it had horrible research catastrophes when the field's directional control failed and a push vs push happened across the entire ships hull, literally crushing itself.

The point being, a magnetic missile would be efficiently designed as a saucer. the drive in the center to provide equal field distribution for movement, the area surrounding packed with explosives. Its payload would be monstrous compared to a traditionally missile design.

Though on reflection I could see how chemical/nuclear/ion would still use the same tech frames as their all just improvements in directed chemical/particle ejection. You point the engine this way, an the warhead this way.