@banterwaffle.bsky.social
Thank you for the quick response Alex. Does the AI factor positioning and threat (like reading the missiles being sent towards) of fighter escort targets? Could you also confirm if battlecarriers can escort/engage a different ally/enemy with fighters while engaging a seperate target simultaneously?
Thank.you
August 31, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Thank you for the quick response Alex. Does the AI factor positioning and threat (like reading the missiles being sent towards) of fighter escort targets? Could you also confirm if battlecarriers can escort/engage a different ally/enemy with fighters while engaging a seperate target simultaneously?
Also I've collated an updated and mostly properly formatted forum post with remarks on fighters - including what is known on how AI personality and internal hints affect fighter management and carrier positioning.
fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
Fighters - An analysis of current_efficacy, problems and possible solutions
Fighters - An analysis of current_efficacy, problems and possible solutions
fractalsoftworks.com
August 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Also I've collated an updated and mostly properly formatted forum post with remarks on fighters - including what is known on how AI personality and internal hints affect fighter management and carrier positioning.
fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
Hi Alex - weird place to ask but could you share on some details on how AI manages fighters for escort? Is it just if the AI personality rolls for that behavior? Does it consider enemy/allied ship situation at all? I've noticed flagships get escorted a lot but is that due to forward positioning?
August 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Hi Alex - weird place to ask but could you share on some details on how AI manages fighters for escort? Is it just if the AI personality rolls for that behavior? Does it consider enemy/allied ship situation at all? I've noticed flagships get escorted a lot but is that due to forward positioning?
Agree.
But also:
It wouldn't hurt for more underused weapons to also get a glow up: IR Pulse Laser, Light Mortar, Heavy Mortar, Fighters, etc
Imagine all the different weapon builds from these weapons having unique situations where they aren't outcompeted (later in the game).
But also:
It wouldn't hurt for more underused weapons to also get a glow up: IR Pulse Laser, Light Mortar, Heavy Mortar, Fighters, etc
Imagine all the different weapon builds from these weapons having unique situations where they aren't outcompeted (later in the game).
August 24, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Agree.
But also:
It wouldn't hurt for more underused weapons to also get a glow up: IR Pulse Laser, Light Mortar, Heavy Mortar, Fighters, etc
Imagine all the different weapon builds from these weapons having unique situations where they aren't outcompeted (later in the game).
But also:
It wouldn't hurt for more underused weapons to also get a glow up: IR Pulse Laser, Light Mortar, Heavy Mortar, Fighters, etc
Imagine all the different weapon builds from these weapons having unique situations where they aren't outcompeted (later in the game).
Aggressive is more or less the standard though, steady can often be too cowardly.
Ship personality is more important for carriers chocked full of interceptor craft due to how they manage them too. Offcourse you can always just Anubis Spark/Wasp and sort of counter every PD-able projectile.
Ship personality is more important for carriers chocked full of interceptor craft due to how they manage them too. Offcourse you can always just Anubis Spark/Wasp and sort of counter every PD-able projectile.
August 21, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Aggressive is more or less the standard though, steady can often be too cowardly.
Ship personality is more important for carriers chocked full of interceptor craft due to how they manage them too. Offcourse you can always just Anubis Spark/Wasp and sort of counter every PD-able projectile.
Ship personality is more important for carriers chocked full of interceptor craft due to how they manage them too. Offcourse you can always just Anubis Spark/Wasp and sort of counter every PD-able projectile.
Hello Alex, I've consolidated my ... uhm ... very disorganized ramble (including other player quotes). There's stuff on cross carrier incentive which makes fighter synergies hard, and potential addresses to doomstacking and direct fighter buffing. Do check it out fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
fractalsoftworks.com
August 15, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Hello Alex, I've consolidated my ... uhm ... very disorganized ramble (including other player quotes). There's stuff on cross carrier incentive which makes fighter synergies hard, and potential addresses to doomstacking and direct fighter buffing. Do check it out fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index....
Oh yup - I'll articulate it into a forum post and see what people think.
August 15, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Oh yup - I'll articulate it into a forum post and see what people think.
Right now, I feel every fighter has a practical use case and role (especially factoring DP, OP cost, speed, refit time). However fighters don't provide enough tactical use (especially late game) compared to just bringing more standard ships (line, skirmish, anchor, etc).
August 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Right now, I feel every fighter has a practical use case and role (especially factoring DP, OP cost, speed, refit time). However fighters don't provide enough tactical use (especially late game) compared to just bringing more standard ships (line, skirmish, anchor, etc).
Fighters sourced from the same mothership indirectly nerf one another when it comes to speed due to the equalized movement (to slowest fighter) - this means that while fighters are synergistic, you are arbitrarily coerced to synergize combos cross-ship and hurts fighters that are fast/slow.
August 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Fighters sourced from the same mothership indirectly nerf one another when it comes to speed due to the equalized movement (to slowest fighter) - this means that while fighters are synergistic, you are arbitrarily coerced to synergize combos cross-ship and hurts fighters that are fast/slow.
Example: Shield-less Fighters are not outright destroyed by EMP in theory - but suffering a flameout leads to fighters now being able to physically careen into shields/armor where they do in fact die straightforwardly. Notable is that shielded fighters see a niche here.
August 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Example: Shield-less Fighters are not outright destroyed by EMP in theory - but suffering a flameout leads to fighters now being able to physically careen into shields/armor where they do in fact die straightforwardly. Notable is that shielded fighters see a niche here.
Example: Claws remain effective vs the majority of human factions - but Remnants always have Damage Control (elite) on AI core'd ships and Threat has innate 50% emp resist (not faster repair tho) - this greatly reduces the impact of claws by whole (even when massed) due to their high delay ions.
August 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Example: Claws remain effective vs the majority of human factions - but Remnants always have Damage Control (elite) on AI core'd ships and Threat has innate 50% emp resist (not faster repair tho) - this greatly reduces the impact of claws by whole (even when massed) due to their high delay ions.
I think having Carrier Group (leadership skill) provide +25% faster engine repairs on fighters might be a really nice buff.
August 13, 2025 at 4:17 AM
I think having Carrier Group (leadership skill) provide +25% faster engine repairs on fighters might be a really nice buff.
My final note, I understand that the new endgame enemies are suppossed to switch things up - but I also do feel they may go a BIT too hard in the countering fighter/missile department. I wouldn't mind if fighters recovered faster from emp, and missiles travelled a tiny bit further after being empd.
August 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
My final note, I understand that the new endgame enemies are suppossed to switch things up - but I also do feel they may go a BIT too hard in the countering fighter/missile department. I wouldn't mind if fighters recovered faster from emp, and missiles travelled a tiny bit further after being empd.
I'm on the note that majority of fighters atm all have practical use cases - but that fighters are seldomly useful compared to bringing more line ships - which is why I inquired on fighter AI improvements. I feel interceptors could see the most improvement as mini PD escorts for allies especially.
August 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I'm on the note that majority of fighters atm all have practical use cases - but that fighters are seldomly useful compared to bringing more line ships - which is why I inquired on fighter AI improvements. I feel interceptors could see the most improvement as mini PD escorts for allies especially.
Fighters are fundamentally mobile mini weapons with many having substantial dps for only a few seconds implying synergy for cover. However, the nature of fighter groups travelling by slowest fighter means that synergies are heavily pushed to be cross carrier. Warthogs slow everyone down for example.
August 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Fighters are fundamentally mobile mini weapons with many having substantial dps for only a few seconds implying synergy for cover. However, the nature of fighter groups travelling by slowest fighter means that synergies are heavily pushed to be cross carrier. Warthogs slow everyone down for example.
Against threat PD and EMP in particular, flamed-out fighters are now no longer can fly over enemy ships and will usually explode/ram on shield/armor to low effect - even including particularly hardy shieldless ones like warthogs. I do want to note that shielded fighters are given a good niche here.
August 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Against threat PD and EMP in particular, flamed-out fighters are now no longer can fly over enemy ships and will usually explode/ram on shield/armor to low effect - even including particularly hardy shieldless ones like warthogs. I do want to note that shielded fighters are given a good niche here.
For example Claws are reasonably effective vs a lot of human factions but every remnant has elite danage control and threat hull has similar effects - high delay ion cannon simply doesn't work as well - this is a pretty outward example.
August 13, 2025 at 1:35 AM
For example Claws are reasonably effective vs a lot of human factions but every remnant has elite danage control and threat hull has similar effects - high delay ion cannon simply doesn't work as well - this is a pretty outward example.
It's not just about changing the system, it's also about staying yourself despite the system. Don't let them take away your humanity.
August 13, 2025 at 12:27 AM
It's not just about changing the system, it's also about staying yourself despite the system. Don't let them take away your humanity.
Sorry if I sound like a buzzkill btw, I have noticed that you've been buffing the leadership fighter skills and are careful to not return to the drover and CH days but I feel the roster of fighters rn is very defined by best in roles - and fighters generally not being significant enough in endgame.
August 13, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Sorry if I sound like a buzzkill btw, I have noticed that you've been buffing the leadership fighter skills and are careful to not return to the drover and CH days but I feel the roster of fighters rn is very defined by best in roles - and fighters generally not being significant enough in endgame.
I will say that shielded fighters (particularly remnant and especially the Flash) are some of the most viable strikecraft to use against threat and flash atm. EMP PD is just such a buzzkill otherwise.
August 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I will say that shielded fighters (particularly remnant and especially the Flash) are some of the most viable strikecraft to use against threat and flash atm. EMP PD is just such a buzzkill otherwise.
I get they're PD heavy but they do just force one to really mass fighters to break through (which thankfully the anubis is a substantial addition to aid in). Maybe I'm just bad but I do feel fighter AI could see a logic improvement (not a direct stat buff). Just my personal experiences this time.
August 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I get they're PD heavy but they do just force one to really mass fighters to break through (which thankfully the anubis is a substantial addition to aid in). Maybe I'm just bad but I do feel fighter AI could see a logic improvement (not a direct stat buff). Just my personal experiences this time.
Yo sick change Alex. Are there more QoL improvements otw?
Also will threat/shroud PD ever see a slight nerf? (asking for USC for this one)
Also will threat/shroud PD ever see a slight nerf? (asking for USC for this one)
August 13, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Yo sick change Alex. Are there more QoL improvements otw?
Also will threat/shroud PD ever see a slight nerf? (asking for USC for this one)
Also will threat/shroud PD ever see a slight nerf? (asking for USC for this one)
There are quests directly asking you to go there tho?
August 12, 2025 at 11:47 PM
There are quests directly asking you to go there tho?