Fighters are broken. Can we fix them?

[Hunpecked]

Iron Giant writes:

"In a game like SEIV, I should be allowed to come up with my own tactics and carry them through the whole game."

Well, I don't think a game designer is under any obligation to ensure that a particular weapons system is useful under all circumstances. In fact, I'd argue that the play is more interesting if players are forced to re-evaluate their design strategies as game tech advances. In any case, it would seem to be a moot issue given the modding possibilities in SE IV.

"The fact that fighters in a stack only can fire on one ship..."

One of many simplifications in the game, and probably not the worst.

"...and damage flowing to multiple fighters in a stack?"

Not necessarily broken; Iron Giant may be taking the game too literally here. The game is a simplified simulation of "real" events. What we see as a single "shot" may be thought of as the composite result of multiple salvoes at multiple targets in a stack.

Another example: In stock the first fighters lost in a stack disappear without a fuss, but the last goes up in a spectacular fireball. So does that mean the last fighter is packing some pyrotechnic device the others aren't, or is it just eye candy to signal the elimination of the stack?