Another aspect is the development of the sophont.
If we allow that fighter pilots survive more in line with the character generation probabilities indicate and there is no "meat grinder" philosophy we can dispense with the moral side and it becomes a purely economic argument.
In this case fighter pilots are not as one dimensional as the cheaper droids are as they have a useful function on the ship beyond that single use case where they can be frozen. The character generation model provides us with multi-skilled individuals that can perform other duties when they are not out of the ship flying that presumably higher survivability fighter (possibly as missile launch platforms for spamming missile defence systems) for which you don't even need a gunner skill. You need to pay the higher life support costs of Cr1500 per month since they are now permanently active. This brings their cost to around KCr100 for the first term covering the training cost, the average cash benefit roll and the cost of life support
This is a far more complex use case. You can credibly argue either way, especially as experienced pilots can be fed back into society to provide other benefits whereas the robot is generally limited. The Naval career is one of the better ways to improve your social standing, and the Flight branch is the easiest route to promotion within the Navy career. Choosing to be a fighter pilot may be no more than a way to improve your standing. Entry into the Navy isn't particularly difficult. It is one of the few careers that enable you to improve all of the characteristics on the Personal Development table. Even a SOC 1 individual has a 1 in 6 chance of being commissioned and if they stay the course in the flight branch it is not unlikely they will reach at least Captain by mandatory retirement age and immediately become SOC 10 with a pretty good chance of making Baron (either by making Admiral or with one of the many benefits rolls giving the SOC+2). That would be a pretty good reason to be a sophont fighter pilot and presumably the Navy wants that too or the mechanism would not have evolved that way.
Now if we consider the droid idea any droid needs to have the same skills to make them equivalent (increasing cost). As the sophont continues to serve they increase in skill levels at at least 1 per term but a fighter pilot will probably be promoted each term and get the extra skill for that as well. (plus they get any event generated extra skills, contacts and allies etc.). Their ongoing cost to the navy does not increase significantly. At some point they will qualify for a single stateroom and life support goes up to Cr2000 per month. Over the course of their career they will get extra benefit rolls but that is capped at 3 for cash so it levels out quite quickly. To replace them with droids means the droids need to have those extra skills and life experiences as well. This means the brains need to be able to learn. Once they have learned they will be too valuable to throw away as disposable fighter pilots.
An entirely average five term fighter pilot has a very good chance of being promoted every term and ending up as a SOC 10+ individual with 11 skill levels above their basic training and background skills. They have a good chance of gaining several additional skill levels or extra benefits from events. They will have 5+non-cash benefits that are as likely to be stat improvements as "things". They have cost the Navy around half a MCr in this time on life support, benefits etc. The return on this investment is a potential planetary Governor with considerable clout and likely their allies and contacts will be similarly "useful" people and so you have the basis of a planetary government.
A droid costing MCr0.5 whilst highly capable wont have as many skills, and none of the contacts.
So even if droids were cheaper alternatives for disposable fighters the sophont in that role is the feedstock for government.
If we allow that fighter pilots survive more in line with the character generation probabilities indicate and there is no "meat grinder" philosophy we can dispense with the moral side and it becomes a purely economic argument.
In this case fighter pilots are not as one dimensional as the cheaper droids are as they have a useful function on the ship beyond that single use case where they can be frozen. The character generation model provides us with multi-skilled individuals that can perform other duties when they are not out of the ship flying that presumably higher survivability fighter (possibly as missile launch platforms for spamming missile defence systems) for which you don't even need a gunner skill. You need to pay the higher life support costs of Cr1500 per month since they are now permanently active. This brings their cost to around KCr100 for the first term covering the training cost, the average cash benefit roll and the cost of life support
This is a far more complex use case. You can credibly argue either way, especially as experienced pilots can be fed back into society to provide other benefits whereas the robot is generally limited. The Naval career is one of the better ways to improve your social standing, and the Flight branch is the easiest route to promotion within the Navy career. Choosing to be a fighter pilot may be no more than a way to improve your standing. Entry into the Navy isn't particularly difficult. It is one of the few careers that enable you to improve all of the characteristics on the Personal Development table. Even a SOC 1 individual has a 1 in 6 chance of being commissioned and if they stay the course in the flight branch it is not unlikely they will reach at least Captain by mandatory retirement age and immediately become SOC 10 with a pretty good chance of making Baron (either by making Admiral or with one of the many benefits rolls giving the SOC+2). That would be a pretty good reason to be a sophont fighter pilot and presumably the Navy wants that too or the mechanism would not have evolved that way.
Now if we consider the droid idea any droid needs to have the same skills to make them equivalent (increasing cost). As the sophont continues to serve they increase in skill levels at at least 1 per term but a fighter pilot will probably be promoted each term and get the extra skill for that as well. (plus they get any event generated extra skills, contacts and allies etc.). Their ongoing cost to the navy does not increase significantly. At some point they will qualify for a single stateroom and life support goes up to Cr2000 per month. Over the course of their career they will get extra benefit rolls but that is capped at 3 for cash so it levels out quite quickly. To replace them with droids means the droids need to have those extra skills and life experiences as well. This means the brains need to be able to learn. Once they have learned they will be too valuable to throw away as disposable fighter pilots.
An entirely average five term fighter pilot has a very good chance of being promoted every term and ending up as a SOC 10+ individual with 11 skill levels above their basic training and background skills. They have a good chance of gaining several additional skill levels or extra benefits from events. They will have 5+non-cash benefits that are as likely to be stat improvements as "things". They have cost the Navy around half a MCr in this time on life support, benefits etc. The return on this investment is a potential planetary Governor with considerable clout and likely their allies and contacts will be similarly "useful" people and so you have the basis of a planetary government.
A droid costing MCr0.5 whilst highly capable wont have as many skills, and none of the contacts.
So even if droids were cheaper alternatives for disposable fighters the sophont in that role is the feedstock for government.
