The default number of engines for a fighter is nine. This hardly matters with the SMALL fighter, though, since it has only 10kt of space and needs 2kt to be filled with mandatory components.
In my custom set, I have changed small fighters to be 15kt, medium fighters to be 20kt, and large fighters to be 30kt. This makes sense to me because "small" components tend to be 1/10th the size of standard ship components. What is the size of the smallest ship? 150kt, NOT 100kt. If an escort was 100kt you'd have the same problenm with it as with a small fighter. Can't get basic equipment AND weapons into it! So, my fighters parallel the three small ship classes, escort, frigate, and destroyer. Additionally, I have given fighters a 50 percent defensive bonus. If an escort can get 40 percent, a tiny little fighter can darn well get 50 percent.
Finally, I have given them a +2 movement bonus. I'm not so sure about this, since fighters with full engines at high tech get to be pretty fast and can also have combat thrusters ('after burners' they are currently called. bleah. kerosine burning jets have after burners, not ion engines!). Anyway, the speed of fighters needs some more testing. This is especially tricky with regard to stationary targets. You think SHIPS have an unfair advantage against bases? Imagine a fighter with a combat speed or 10 or better. Zooooom. Pow! Zooooom. Bases and planets might never get a chance to fight back if they don't have point defense weapons.
[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 20 September 2000).]
Re: Beef #2: Fighters
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