Gunboats balance

[McNeo]

[massive snip]I prefer combat to have a little strategy involved.

One other, semi-related reason gunboats are popular, especially among pirate and criminal groups: GB's can fairly easily manuver through scrap and asteroid fields, and have the shielding to withstand mines and explosive gas. The first two are the biggest points - a gunboat has firepower and survivability, but unlike cruisers and battleships the gunboats are small enough to escape into an asteroid field where larger ships cannot follow.

Just my input.

Fighter combat is a lot more tactical than capital ship combat. Capships requre basic moves and strategic thinking, while the fast "adernaline junkie" nature of fighter combat ensures that you must find ... creative ways of getting the upper hand.

Those reasons that you stated about gunboats are spot on though. Its very handy to be able to waltz through mines and explosive gas, and the firepower helps a lot. I myself used to be an avid user of the 'sair funbox, though that time was around two versions ago now.

The best aspect about gunboats is their all-purpose nature. Anything from fighters to cruisers and perhaps even battlecruisers are in danger from them. Two missile turrets mean you will win against any kind of fighter or bomber, as their guns will fall off fast. Whatever other guns mounted should make light work of another gunboat if you use a bit of strategy and cruisers fall even faster.

However, the problem here is that cruisers are just too weak in general. If cruiser powerplants are standardised, then that means a mortar takes 2/3 the powerplant of any cruiser. There is really something wrong with that. Not to mention the effects of the current balance. Cruisers are far too large to dodge, bar the Kusari Destroyer and perhaps the Outcast destroyer. However, even the most powerful 12 gun cruiser cannot hope to touch a battlecruiser or battleship. This makes crisers useless to both those in a lower class and those in a higher class.

Gunboats on the whole, are balanced. The BHG GS is an exception to that, but they are all fairly well balanced. Perhaps the RH gunboat needs a bit of a nerf, but its front forward cross-section is tiny enough to avoid a SN from near point blank if the pilot strafes correctly.

I think the balance within the gunboat class has been more or less struck. The real question should now be cruisers and destroyers...