I'm a little surprised that even the smallest fighters in VO, the Vultures and the Cents, are fully capable of flying from one side of the known universe to the other.

I think there are some interesting gameplay possibilities with small and very light fighters that cannot jump from one system to another on their own.

These vessels would be faster and perhaps better armed than any other vessels. However, since they could not jump systems on their own they would be useless for trade, piracy or Sedina B-8 style PvP. Instead, they would launch from stations to defend against attacks or from capships to participate in larger battles.

Here is a potential mission using short-range fighters. At a particular time, one capital vessel from Itan or Serco space launches to raid enemy space, carrying onboard a limited number of short-range fighters. An opposing capital ship launches to intercept the other capital ship, and they meet in an empty sector. Because each side will only have a limited number of the powerful light fighters, pilots will perhaps have to fight more strategically.

In an unrelated note - what if there were an "ion beacon", carried as a mine, that interrupted flight across a particular sector? It'd be a great toy for pirates, of course, but it'd also be a defensive tool for the Itani-Serco. And if it only lasted for a limited duration the "militaries" of each nation could post missions asking for pilots to keep the borders defended and home stations from being too easily accessible from the border.

Thoughts?

I like the idea that you have abbout the light fighters but i think it should just be limiting the numbers of WH jumps a cent or a vult can do before docking or something like that

(hmmmm reminds me of EVN)

The way I understand the current power-supplies on our vessels, they are like little nuclear reactors that recharge our primary batteries.
I dislike the idea of adding fuel stops to the game at the moment.

I do like the idea of smaller vessels being somehow restricted. I think perhaps that with the introduction of Player controlled Capital-class ships, we might discuss the possibility of adding even smaller, ship based fighters to the game which could be restricted like what you're talking about. Something like two small guns and an engine, so it's light and fast, but totally dependent on it's mother-ship for support.

System ships cpable of sector runs but cannot open the Wh.

ArAel: This could still leave people stranded in space (a system where you do not have any docking privileges). I propose that the possibility of energy transfer be added to this suggestion, to make amends for that flaw.

I like the idea of restricting fighters but I agree with Pyroman_Ace in that there shouldn't (at least not atm) be a need for 'fuel' stops.
However, perhaps fighters can make small jumps from sector to sector and what not but as it was suggested not be able to open a wormhole. In this case, there would be Jump Gates that could be activated (perhaps Jump Gates from 'centuries' ago before the present races existed) and they simply exist for out travelling needs.
Also, as far as in-system jumping, perhaps there should be a restriction on how many jumps per-minute or the maximum distance of a jump.

Hmm, ships that can't jump... I like this. Perhaps it could be a defense of those "cargo train" cappies that are talked about in another thread?

To promote group combat, light fighters might only be able to jump in-system, to get out of/into a system, they need to be close to a ship of sufficient size (e.g. Trident or larger) that opens a wormhole big enough for them to travel through, too.

Cool idea on the limited-jumping light fighters.
[Stamp of Totally Sweet]™

The restriction of potentially being stranded is the *point*... be it a 'flaw' or not.

Here's another fun restricted ship. The concept is that the closer or farther (two different types) to large objects that prevent warping, the weaker your acceleration gets. Thus, where you are in a sector actually begins to matter.

I'm not sure a "power transfer" is entirely the accurate idea. Perhaps the ability to call for an emergency NPC rescue ship or being forced to wait for another player to bring out a large enough mother ship.

I do want to point out, I'd still think this idea would work best if we introduced a support-class of fighters, under what many fighters are now. The "Centurion" and the "Vulture" are both historical fighters in-game. Perhaps introducing a new set, for example:

Ship: TPG-X1 "Gnat"
Weapons: 2 Small
Base Speed: 75m/s
Max. Speed: 200m/s
Turbo Drain: 80/sec
Battery Life: 2000

The "Gnat" would be extremely fast, and very agile, allowing it to be a new-class of superiority fighter, but it wouldn't recharge like conventional ships. Instead, it would run entirely off batteries. The batteries would have a "life" that would be drained by weapons fire, and turbo use. The ship would then have to return to it's mothership to recharge it's batteries.
This would also allow fighters, engaged in heavy combat with 25% or more battery remaining to make an emergency escape to another sector, but without any remaining battery power, would be adrift until the pilot self-destructed, or the mothership could stage a rescue operation.

I think non-jump capable fighters would work better if a star system was continuous rather than being broken up into sectors, something that the devs have discussed previously. That's a different conversation altogether however.

Another limitation for them is that they could have fixed loadouts, rather than having generic ports. In this case, they trade flexibility for speed and agility. A light vulture might be slightly better than a standard vulture with Neuts MkII, but doesn't have the option to upgrade to different weapons, or change the type of battery.

Being able to home in a cap ship, but limited to your replacement craft being a light fighter of some type could be interesting. Maybe they'd only be available in special Carriers, which are lightly armed but can provide a home for fighters. It definitely fits the SciFi (and real world) trope of fragile carriers jumping into a system far from the target, then launching swarms of non-jump capable fighters.

On the ion beacon note, I've got no idea how the devs are going to implement fighting over territory, but based on what we've got currently, something like this will be needed. As it stands, the only defensible points are the WHs, everything else can just be jumped over, making sector-by-sector defence unworkable.

Sam.

I think these are all really great ideas. I would like to add my own thoughts however I am new to this game so these idea might already have been said somewhere or implemented.

I think the idea of short range fighters is a great idea. Maybe don't have it so they cant move places have it so they cant use Worm Holes only that way they can still chase people around systems but they need another ship to help them move between systems.

Someone mentioned Jump Gates before but this seems pointless as then you basically have the same worm hole system effectively. Unless you set up the jump gates with a different grid route that might be interesting. I think what would be a great Idea is maybe a module you can fit only on some of the bigger ships that uses a lot of power to activate and run. But allows the tiny ships to lock on and jump too you maybe limit it to 2 systems max or something like that. (Basically like the cyno generator in EVE) if anyones played that.

Not sure if that would be overly effective or not. Probably something ppl will argue about for a while.

The ION Beacon thing is a great idea I think there defiantly needs to be some way of "holding" people there. whether thats a defensive measure to deter them from attacking or in an attack preventing people from fleeing. This would have to be well though out to make it fair and balanced but possibly something like a mine that lasts for 5 - 10 mins or something like that.

Maybe even have it so it does not activate immediately so a smart group of ppl can notice it and get away before it activates locking them there. I think it should stop everyone from jumping even friendly's so if you do use it you have to be confident of victory.

Also it should probably have a range say maybe 5000 - 6000 radius so that people do still have a chance to escape if there being attacked.

Idk just my ideas ill probably have more by the time someone reply's :D Hope I did not sound like too much of a n00b

I'm going to link http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/18576 because I think these ideas could be brought together. If light fighters aren't big enough to form their own jump points, then they have to use jump gates (or ride someone else's jump point). Now jump gates would basically activate the wormhole for you, but since you would have to physically be within the gate itself, would funnel traffic through it.

Now, let's say within your own nation you can use jump gates for free, but outside of it, using a jump gate to open a jump point (wormhole) incurs some fee. Furthermore, gates should perhaps be destructible.

I vote for Pyroman's idea.

If not absolutely no recharge, then a very limited recharge would be neat. Ships dock at Cappies for repairs and ammunition. These ships too would dock at their Cappie for repairs and ammunition, and fuel as well. They'd simply use energy based weaponry instead of rockets or missiles.

Lets expand on the idea though, because I imagine some "Anti-Capital Ship" or "Heavy Interceptors" would carry some form of missile/rocket.

If you look at the old EV games from Ambrosia Software, you see two common fighter types in many. You get the light, energy-weapon packing fighter, and then a heavier, anti-heavy fighter, usually packing Missiles.
Ex:
The TPG-X1 "Gnat" could be energy-based, carrying Neut-2s or 3s and say this vessel:
Name: TPG-F76 "Chaos"
Weapons: 2 Gemini Launchers
Base Speed: 50m/s
Top Speed: 190m/s
Turbo Drain: 100/s
Battery Life: 1750

Because these heavier striking fighters carry far more powerful weapons, they invariably travel slower (for balance's sake) and require more fighter-based support to reach their targets. They operate the same way as I described for the "Gnat" though.

I like Pyroman's Idea that sounds really good. You always see that in other games / movies there will be big capital ships and then loads of small fighters and some heavy torp fighters that are meant to damage the enemy capital ships.

With the lighter ships offering protection to them due to there weaker defenses. I think things like this are great ideas however they might not be too easy to implement correctly until the use of player Cap ships becomes more apparent. Still great idea's though

I like Pyroman's idea, since it allows people to 'bail' from a battle that is turning sour. This could be more relevant if death had true meaning, but nm.

It would also make for great RP situations.

But perhaps the heavy fighter should not carry gemini missiles (come on...), but something more substantial.