OK, my take on it.
I like fighters, and I used them myself. However, I have noted that if the opposing fleet is not built around the anti-fighter concepts, then they have issues. We do not use anime spinal mounts in our games... for one thing, they are less than desirable if your opponents get anywhere in the middle of your fleet, or can maneuver so that you risk your own ships, or objectives (defending a space station). Two, we just really did not like them that much.... although we are fans of Starblazers, and even have the entire DVD series.... it's just not something we want on our tables.
Sunbursts are not always helpful... I have had some miss the hex with the fighters, but not miss the ship I was trying to protect....LOL.
One of the issues that we have found is that there is absolutely no incentive to purchase Launch Bays. Since fighters start on the board, Launch Bays are a waste of SU's. I would agree with Googleplex in that fighters have to be launched, same as drones. With maybe, one flight or so available at the start to simulate a standing patrol.
Use the CSP rules that are also available here.... although having to break off and return to a carrier just to attack seems a bit much.... maybe work up a set of rules that simulates them being "released" to attack from their standing guard orders.
The following are ideas:
Maybe find a way to simulate flak guns... maybe allow AFB a roll to see if it can hit any fighters in range (range 1).... example, for every 4 points of hull, or fraction thereof, you get to roll a die... on 6, you destroy one enemy fighter... rather than just waiting for your opponent to roll a 1 and blunder into your fire.
Maybe create a weapon Mod "anti-fighter battery" where the weapon must be a range 3 and you can use it to target fighters, but it has no effect at all on capital ships. It fires during the fighter phase.
And here is the one that my group likes..... Fighters are divided into 2 categories..... interceptors and bombers. Options such as shadow fighters, or fast fighters are in addition, of course.
Interceptors are like Tie Fighters, A-wings, or the Cylon fighters from the original Battlestar Galactica, in that they have armament designed to destroy other fighters, but are not up to blasting their way through capital ship hulls. They can wreak havoc all over a ship by destroying weapons and shield generators as well as damaging engines, destroying hanger doors, ect. However, they cannot really muster enough firepower to destroy the actual hulls of the capital ship (unless there is nothing else to hit, per the standard Starmada ruling that if you get a hit that does not have anything that can be damaged, you get a hull point instead).
Bombers, on the other hand, are based on X-wings, Y-wings, B-wings, ect. They have weaponry capable of damaging a ships hull, and use it per the current Starmada Rules. When you launch a flight, you designate whether it is an Interceptor wing, or a Bomber wing.... and in our games, bombers cannot intercept drones or marine pods. Also, if an interceptor wing gets into a fight with a bomber wing, the interceptor does not lose a fighter if they roll a 1 on their die, although bombers can shoot down interceptors via their own die rolls, and also lose a bomber if they roll a 1.
Dan: I really like the Valkyrie's that you designed, but you are sort of forced to deploy them in pairs, because a fighter swarm can still rush up on one and destroy it before it is allowed a return shot. I'd like to find a way that a ship could fire on fighters as they approach, without having to use the upper range weapons in the game....
Hopefully, we can find a happy medium here, or at least get the options hammered out so that people can choose what they want.
John
