Capships, increasingly slower fighters? Or strategic weapons?

[Telbasta]

I havent flown anything over gunboat size yet (other than transports, but they dont really count). I love my kusari gunboat, it's manuverable enough to survive against a single bomber or cruiser, but it's lacking in firepower - especially since i'm set up for anti-fighter/bomber combat (two missiles, two solaris).

I originally started my hogosha character in a wyrm light fighter, and to be honest I couldnt make any difference at all in pvp engagements. Even VHF's are too fast for me to hit with a LF's weapons, the most I could do was dodge around a lot and look annoying.

I think gunboats are fairly good where they're at now, at least the kusari one is. I have just enough firepower to go up against a cruiser if I fly to the best of my ability and the cruiser player isnt an ace or anything... but I dont get destroyed instantly by bombers either. I have enough firepower and hull/shield strength to easily withstand most NPC engagements (have slight trouble with nomads, but I dont deal with them often), whereas in my fighter even taking on the GC in hawks was a bit of a pain.

I guess I cant say much for cruisers/battleships though, but IMO the gunboat class is fairly well balanced as a blending between fighter manuverability and capship firepower - not too much one way or the other, but effective against a large variety of opponents.

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