Why use fighters?

[hivemindx]

From a role playing point of view a reason to use fighters is to expand the points of presence of your fleet. During a MT game I ran I had a battle rider squadron arrive in system and launch scores of fighters simply to lock down every jump capable ship in the system. They didn't necessarily want to shoot up everything but they didn't want people free to take unknown actions and then jump away with no ability to stop them. You could probably achieve the same with drones (although I don't know the rules for them) but fighters seem the more entertaining option.

Having a fleet jump in caused a lot of panic and confusion. People wanted to know what they should do. Having dithered for a while the arrival of two fighters to 'escort' them answered that question with "we'll do whatever the fighter pilots tell us to do".

I'd like the build and combat rules to support the use of fighters purely because I find fighters more entertaining from a role playing perspective.

 

[Tenacious-Techhunter]

iPhone has an app for that.

Each pilot just places his in the dedicated cockpit dock, which customizes controls to his preference.

You jest, but it’s becoming a real thing in the US military. Fighter Pilots take laptop-sized computing modules out with them to insert into the plane that carries their mission specs, and may even have some tuning preferences in there as well.

 

[NOLATrav]

Over on CotI there's a user re-working CT High Guard & Mayday to get some tactical movement into the old HG rules. One idea he floated was weapons do more damage inside of their effective range.

I've been tinkering with this and I really like it. It has some canon support IMO as MegaT had penetration/attenuation rules. I've been noodling with +1D per range band for energy weapons. So:

Average fighter mounting a pulse laser (2D, Long):
Medium, 3D
Short, 4D
Close/Adj, 5D

So a fighter's strafing run against a big ship actually has some real teeth. Likewise, deduct 1D per band beyond Effective. Maybe railguns can do this too. Maybe it's a mere +1 damage per range band. I haven't thought about barbettes, bays, etc, still trying to break this simple idea before I expand upon it.

I know, house rule. But it makes some sense and now I'm tinkering with it in Personal combat as well. We'll see. But to me it gives another reason to have fighters taking on larger vessels and in a dogfight it probably evens or cancels itself out so can be ignored.

I do like ganging fighters into a battery too, for missile defense or attack runs, so I hope that at least makes it into HG2e.

 

[Jeff Hopper]

Has anyone in this discussion actually looked at how fighters are used in modern day navies?

One of many uses of fighters is scouting. A fighter element (2 fighters) is sent out to range ahead of the ship, beyond its effective sensor range in order to detect enemies that lie beyond the ship's effective sensor range. The fighters have a smaller sensor footprint than the ship, and so are harder to detect. Do not underestimate the value of gathering intelligence.

 

[NOLATrav]

One of many uses of fighters is scouting <snip> The fighters have a smaller sensor footprint than the ship, and so are harder to detect.

True but MgT doesn't really have that level of crunch, maybe with the new HG2e it will. Seems like a GURPS thing, or maybe MegaT.

I guess you could send out some fighters to 'Minimal detail' range of your main ships, get better info and see a little farther with them, with possibly only a quick skirmish to deal with. But then you've tipped your hand somewhat if you're trying to sneak into a system.

I think the main concern of the OP is that in terms of combat, fighters at first blush seem pointless, or maybe really weak. So we've focused on combat in terms of MgT2e mechanics. Your point is valid but unfortunately beyond the scope of the sensor rules.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Sensors have good range against regular ships, but fully stealthed ships can only be reliably detected at 300000 km in MgT2 High Guard (p26).

To patrol an entire star system you need a lot of sensor platforms, otherwise spies, raiders, and pirates can slip in and hide in your system at will. Fighters with beefed up sensors are perfect for these patrols.

 

[Nerhesi]

Yes costs are are limiting factor - but that is not just for fighters.
As well, space is limiting a factor, - but also not just for fighters, and infact - less so for fighters. Which is why it is usually trivial to have fighters with 50% or so of their space dedicated to r-drives.

There are many many factors which play into fighters vs non-fighters. The reality is, whether you consider these factors "prohibitive" is currently based on ones arbitrary feeling as to what is important (E.g. Cost, Pilots, etc). This will remain so I believe till the institution of some sort of "battle value" or "points" system - which of course will be fraught with it's own pros and cons.