So, a few days ago, under the shower, I had an idea...



Anyway, a few words before I post the actual concept:



It is probably neither complete, nor perfect. I usually don't lack in ideas, but rather in thinking things completely through. Plus I have yet to finish a full campaign and research most of the tech, so it might be that some of those ideas collide with stuff already in the game.



That's why I called it an open concept. Please criticise and contribute.

CONCEPT

Fleet carriers and fighters in Endless Space

A - INTEGRATION RESEARCH

• Buildable in 3 variations: light carrier, medium carrier, large carrier (might think of better names later *g*)
  
  
• Each variant unlocks a new fighter-type: Fighter, gunship, bomber
  
  
• The light carrier can only carry fighters, the medium carrier fighters and gunships and the large carrier support fighters, gunships and bombers
  
  
• Any kind of fighter-class can be upgraded individually from the carriers in the military science-tree, so that enhanced figthers can beat undeveloped fighters in a dogfight (see part E - AI & BALANCING)
  
  

B - INTEGRATION FLEET

• A carrier uses up two slots of a comparable starship (for instance: one light carrier fills two destroyer-slots, medium carrier -> two cruiser slots and large carrier -> two battleship slots)
  
  
• Any fleet with a carrier moves slower, but has a (much) larger sensor radious (to simulate for fighter-patrols for instance)
  
  
• Any carrier also surpresses the spawn of pirates in its direct view radius
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Why to build carriers at all?
  
  
  
  On the offence, a carrier is as strong as two comparable starships of its size, but cheaper to build and upkeep. Example: This means a large carrier can fight two battleships at once.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Why not build only carriers then?
  
  
  
  On the defense a carrier is weaker than a single comparable starship. For instance a large carrier has less healthpoints and less capacity for defensive tech than a single battleship. The same example: If unprotected, the carrier is beaten by the second battleship while still fighting the first --> you loose.
  
  
  

C INTEGRATION BATTLE

• Fighter attack weapon platforms of battleships and enemy fighters. So they weaken the damage output of enemy battleships. / they're weak against any kind of flak and other fighters (only if technically inferior, if else they hold their own)
  
  
• they cannot shoot through shields.
  
  
  
  
• Gunships attack flak-turrets and weaken the capability for anti-fighter and anti-warhead fire / they're weak against other fighters (no matter their technical advancement)
  
  
• they can penetrate and shoot through shields
  
  
  
  
• Bombers attack the shields and hull of enemy battleships directly / they're very weak against flak and enemy fighters (especially if those are advanced)
  
  
• Bombers destroy shields for good
  
  
  
  
• The general effectiveness of fighters and gunships drops the bigger the enemy battleship is (due to high HP), while the effectiveness of bombers raises the larger the target is, but are generally low on smaller starships (low probability to hit the target).
  
  

THIS MEANS:



Any evolution in the carrier development is a logical counter for stronger enemy defenses so the player has a good reason to further develop better carriers to use better fighter-types-



f.i.



Player uses light carrier with fighters, enemy builds ships with flak --> player develops medium carrier and uses gunships --> enemy builds bigger ships, effectiveness of fighters / gunships drops --> player develops large carriers and uses bombers...



FURTHERMORE, THIS MEANS:



A combination of fighter-types is most effective, bombers don't replace gunships which don't replace fighters completely:

• While bombers are effective against larger ships, those can also carry more flaks
  
  
• Gunships attack those flak-guns and open up a way to use bombers and fighters more efficiently or to rockets and torpedos to hit home
  
  
• Gunships and bombers are threatened by enemy fighters and can only be protected by your own fighters (see part "D - INTEGRATION CARD-SYSTEM")
  
  

D - INTEGRATION CARD-SYSTEM

• the whole idea might make it necessary to lengthen the battles / individual battle phases, for instance by changing the mechanics of damage vs. hitpoints
  
  
  
  
• Special cards for fighters are introduced and the player has to choose them seperately, alongside the other cards. So in each phase you actually choose two cards - one for your battleships, one for your fighters.
  
  
  
  
• There are cards for using a single fighter type and combination-cards to use two (or even all) fighter-types. The costs raise with the quality of the card.
  
  
  
  
• Fighters used in a combination card always count as escort and cannot fullfill their usual role in attacking guns of enemy ships. Therefore they enable the other fightery types they acompany to do their job without getting shot out of the sky by enemy fighers.
  
  
  
  
• For gunships used in combination cards nothing changes, since their role remains the same: Attacking flak-guns. This automatically protects bombers and / or fighters obviously.
  
  

Those are the cards accesable starting with the first evolution of carriers - the light carrier:

• CARD 1 (for free): Use Fighters (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy weapons and dmg-output // Counters gunships // can be countered by CARD 1 --> draw, both sides loose their fighters, unless one side has fighters with superior tech
  
  

Those are the cards accesable starting with the second evolution of carriers - the medium carrier.:

• CARD 1 (for free): Use Fighters (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy weapons and dmg-output // Counters gunships // can be countered by CARD 1 --> draw, both sides loose their fighters, unless one side has fighters with superior tech
  
  
  
  
• CARD 2 (for free): Use gunships (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy flak // can be countered by CARD 1 enemy fighters
  
  
  
  
• CARD 3 (small DUST costs): Use gunships & fighter (escort) --> weakens / destroys enemy flak // weakens enemy CARD 1 & CARD 2 as the escort protects the gunships from enemy fighters and attacks enemy gunships, but NOT weapon platforms
  
  

So a play could use CARD 2 in phase one to weaken / destroy the enemy flak, then use CARD 1 in phase two to attack enemy weapon platforms. In phase three fighters and gunships will be unavailable though (see part "E - Fuel Consumption")





Those are the cards accesable starting with the third evolution of carriers - the large carrier:

• CARD 1 (for free): Use Fighters (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy weapons and dmg-output // Counters gunships // can be countered by CARD 1 --> draw, both sides loose their fighters, unless one side has fighters with superior tech
  
  
  
  
• CARD 2 (for free): Use gunships (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy flak // can be countered by CARD 1 enemy fighters
  
  
  
  
• CARD 3 (for free): Use bombers (only) --> weakens / destroys enemy shields and hull (and ultimately the ship itself) // can be countered by CARD 1
  
  
  
  
• CARD 4 (small DUST costs): Use gunships & fighter (escort) --> weakens / destroys enemy flak // weakens enemy CARD 1 & CARD 2 as the escort protects the gunships from enemy fighters and attacks enemy gunships, but NOT weapon platforms
  
  
  
  
• CARD 5 (medium DUST costs): Use bombers & fighters (escort) --> weakens / destroys enemy shields and hull (and ultimately the ship itself) // weakens enemy CARD 1, CARD 2 & CARD 3 as the escort protects the gunships from enemy fighters and attacks enemy gunships and bombers, but NOT weapon platforms
  
  
  
  
• CARD 6 (medium DUST costs): Use bombers & gunships --> weakens / destroys enemy shields and hull (and ultimately the ship itself) // weakens / destroys enemy flak
  
  
  
  
• CARD 7 (high DUST costs): Use bombers, gunships & fighters --> weakens / destroys enemy shields and hull (and ultimately the ship itself) // weakens / destroys enemy flak // weakens enemy CARD 1, CARD 2 & CARD 3 as the escort protects the gunships from enemy fighters and attacks enemy gunships and bombers, but NOT weapon platforms
  
  

So, with the combination of this cards the play can pretty much do...many things. Use your fantasy.

.



E - FUEL CONSUMPTION

• Any kind of fighter has fuel to fight for one (1) phase of the battle. If the wing survives, it will return to the hangar.
  
  
  
  
• This means that if you use your fighters in phase one they will not be available in phase two or three and can also not be used in a combination card (greyed out).
  
  
  
  
• If the player knows that the AI has its own fighters, he is advised to use the more expensive combination-cards.
  
  
  
  
• If the player knows that the AI has both own fighters AND a strong flak, the strongest and most expensive combination-card might a good choice.
  
  

F - AI & BALANCING (always a one carrier vs. one carrier and one wing vs. one wing comparison)

• If the AI has fighters it will always use them in the first phase of the battle.
  
  

So the player either has to

• counter using CARD 1,
• or use his other fighter types via the combination-cards to escort them with fighter,
• or don't use any fighter card at all and rely on his own strong flak to take out the enemy fighters in phase one so he can follow-up with his own fighters in the following phases
  
  
  
  
• In a fighter versus fighter battle, the players fighters will win if technical superior. If the phase is still running the fighters will continue to attack the weapon platforms until their fuel is used up at the end of the phase.
  
  
  
  
• If the AI has the superior fighters, the same will happen but in favor of the AI.
  
  
  
  
• If both the players and the AIs fighters are equal both sides will loose their fighters.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• If the AI has gunships, it will always use them in the second battle phase. The player must counter with fighters (or a combination-card with fighters) or rely on the lack of flak (as gunboats only attack those, so their card is wasted it used against fleets with no flak) unless he has only large battleships (as gunships are weak against larger starships).
  
  
  
  
  
  
• If the AI has bombers, it will always use them in the third and last battle phase. The player must counter with fighters (or a combination-card with fighters) unless he has only small ships (as bombers are weak against smaller starships) or unless he has a strong flak.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• On highter difficulties, on later turns and with the development of better tech there will always be the chance for the AI to use combination cards. The chance generally raises when a hero leads the AI fleet.
  
  

G - GRAPHIXX

• There is already a "free cam" button in the battle-view, so I'd suggest to add another button: "Fighter cam"
  
  
  
  
• This will follow a fighter (3rd-person or 1st person) while he is attacking enemy targets. If you click again it shows another fighter. Esc cancels the view.
  
  

I see no point carriers nor fighters.



I am trying to figure out what they would add to the game. Worse, I do not want to have to deal with a system where the rules and such involved in their use is so convoluted as to need a computer to implement them

While the usefulness of fighters/carriers in "actual" space combat is currently debated, I would point out that, in the current combat system, all they would be is fluff.



At best, a "fighter bay" would serve as a new type of weapon, and there would be some sort of "point defense" to serve as a defense against it. Anything more complicated would detract from the fluidity of combat.

Well, after a look at my own "creation" I cannot but agree that it seems to be complicated, especially compared to most of the current game mechanics. Well, it's a concept. The very best I hoped for was to inspire some members to do a mod or - with a rather low probability - to inspire the developers to implement carriers and / or fighters. ^^



The reason for that is even more naive: I LOVE the fighter combat in Nexus. *g* So go figure...I want this for eye-candy-purposes, but thought that a solid concept wouldn't hurt, as this is a game that's all about the gameplay and less about the graphics.

This is a variant of the implementation of strikecraft, that has been proposed here: /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/11783-strikecraft-fighters-bombers-and-corvettes-in-es

This thread has been linked to the former and is moved to the archives.