Fighter groups

Hi All

Is the limit of 6 fighter groups for a fleet carrier the maximum you are
allowed to put on a ship design. Or is it legal, for example, to design a
system defence monitor with a fighter capacity of 10 fighter groups?

What then is the concensus on Super Ships where it is possible to build
mega-carriers with fighter capacities of 15, 20 or more fighter groups?

Dan

> Is the limit of 6 fighter groups for a fleet carrier the maximum you

There is no limit, but there is the law of diminishing returns. Normal
fighter-equiped ships can only launch 1 fighter group per turn. Official

carriers can only launch 2 fighter groups per turn. No ship may recover more
than 1 fighter group per turn. (All from FT page 16) Fighters only have a
"life" of 6 turns (3 active, 3 returning) [yes, I know they can launch before
spending endurance]. A large ship may carry more than 6 fighter groups, but
getting enough fighters launched in time is another problem. Recovering a
large number of fighter groups is an even bigger problem. "Casualty report:
120 fighters launched, 20 lost to enemy fire, 48 lost
to oxygen starvation/hyperthermia due to lack of recovery, 52
successfully recovered."

> Is the limit of 6 fighter groups for a fleet carrier the maximum you

There is no limit, but there is the law of diminishing returns. Normal
fighter-equiped ships can only launch 1 fighter group per turn. Official

carriers can only launch 2 fighter groups per turn. No ship may recover more
than 1 fighter group per turn. (All from FT page 16) Fighters only have a
"life" of 6 turns (3 active, 3 returning) [yes, I know they can launch before
spending endurance]. A large ship may carry more than 6 fighter groups, but
getting enough fighters launched in time is another problem. Recovering a
large number of fighter groups is an even bigger problem. "Casualty report:
120 fighters launched, 20 lost to enemy fire, 48 lost
to oxygen starvation/hyperthermia due to lack of recovery, 52
successfully recovered."

> There is no limit, but there is the law of diminishing returns. Normal
Official
> carriers can only launch 2 fighter groups per turn. No ship may

Having re-read the rules I realised that the 3 active turns are only
expended when the fighter group is engaged in combat. Thus transport turns
where they are only moving and not engaging anything do not cost endurance
points. So theoretically you can get more than 6 turns range out of a fighter
group. What disturbs me about the Endurance rules is the furthest your fighter
group can travel after using your last point
of endurance is 36". That puts your carrier within A-Battery Range. Does
anyone else baulk at bringing their most expensive (and usually least
defended) ship so close to the pointy end of the battle?

I agree with the intent of the endurance rules but I think the return range
after endurance expenditure should be lengthened to say 6 turns or something
like that.

comments?

Dan

> On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Cleyne, Daniel wrote:

> Having re-read the rules I realised that the 3 active turns are only
Does
> anyone else baulk at bringing their most expensive (and usually least

The endurance of three turns to return to carrier only applies if you
expend three combat turns.  If you're willing to sacrifice 1/3 of the
firepower of a fighter group you're allowed unlimited range....

--Binhan

> Brian Bell wrote:
Official
> carriers can only launch 2 fighter groups per turn. No ship may

Sorry Brian, I must be mis-interpretting your post  - fighters have 3
combat turns worth of endurance but are not otherwise affected (other than not
being able to shoot) by running out of endurance.

> "Casualty report: 120 fighters launched, 20 lost to enemy fire, 48

I left out the endurance rules from MT page 11: "Once a (fighter) group has
used up its three turns of active combat endurance, it MUST attempt to return
to its carrier or base...Any group
that is unable to rendezvous with their carrier/base within THREE
turns...are effectively lost."

In a message dated 97-02-14 02:07:05 EST, you write:

> I agree with the intent of the endurance rules but I think the return

I completely ignore the return range rule. We treat combat endurance as
ordanance and maybe fuel for radical maneuvering, but assume that fighters
have plenty to limp home.

As for launches, We allow a supership to launch one additional fighter each
turn per 100 MASS. Supership carriers may launch one additional fighter per
turn per additional 50 MASS. Recovery rates increase by one at 200 and 100
MASS for standard and carrier superships. Thus a MASS 300 supership could
launch 6 fighters each turn, recover 3 fighters each turn, and assuming a
resonable amount of defenses, carry around 20 squadrons. Ouch.

Note however, that no supership carriers have been constructed, but balance
looks good.

Later

Brian

Fighter endurance is only an option for those people who really HATE fighters.
I use a fighter adrift rule which requires a roll anytime a group "expends" a
combat manuever point after reaching bingo (3 combat manuever points spent).

-Joe
> At 10:58 AM 2/14/97 -0700, you wrote:
Does
> anyone else baulk at bringing their most expensive (and usually least