Fixing the Battleship problem and overall balance

[Tortured_Soul]

My suggestion and rationale.
** Deployment - Refers to the speed at which weapons can be deployed (eg. turn rate of turrets) **
** Hardpoints (Number of / Classification) **
** Silhouette - Essentially the size of the ship, the size of target it presents **
** Tiers - Top to bottom **

Battleships / Dreadnoughts -

Armour: Very High
Shielding: Very High
Powerplant: Medium
Hardpoints: High / High
Deployment: Very Low
Speed: Low
Maneuverability: Low
Nanobots: High
Shield Batteries: High
Silhouette: Very Large
Range: Long

Should be primarily concerned with combating the top two tier classes, not so much lower classes. High powered weaponry to combat the high armour of targets, slow deployment as target should be at a low speed and have poor maneuverability, also negating effectiveness against low tier ships.

Cruisers / Light Cruisers -

Armour: High
Shielding: High
Powerplant: Medium
Hardpoints: High / Medium
Deployment: Medium-Low
Speed: Medium-Low
Maneuverability: Low
Nanobots: High
Shield Batteries: High
Silhouette: Large
Range: Long

Should be able to knock a sizeable amount of health (60%) out of a Tier 1 vessel before being destroyed. Deployment should be slow, but some (2-4) very low power hardpoints should be fitted for Low tier ship combat. Light Cruisers should be much more compact than standard cruisers, but should be much lower armour and have weaponry concentrated at the front.

Corvettes / Gunboats -

Armour: Low
Shielding: High
Powerplant: High
Hardpoints: Medium / Low
Deployment: Medium-Fast
Speed: High
Maneuverability: Medium
Nanobots: Low
Shield Batteries: High
Silhouette: Medium
Range: Short

Should be able to hold it's own against a wing of fighters but be of little effect against Tier 1 and 2 vessels. Primary role should be close contact with low tier fighters. Vulnerable once shields are down, but high power plant for sustained fire.

Heavy Fighter / Bomber -

Armour: Medium
Shielding: Medium
Powerplant: Low
Hardpoints: Medium / Medium
Deployment: Fast
Speed: Medium-Fast
Maneuverability: Medium
Nanobots: Low
Shield Batteries: Low
Silhouette: Low
Range: Medium

Heavy Fighter classes should be used for close contact with low tier vessels, perhaps armed with low yield torpedo for pot-shots at tier 1 and 2 vessels (controlled via power-plant rating and fire energy for torpedo launcher). Bomber class should be for engaging Tier 1 and 2 vessels at medium, with a couple of close contact turrets for low tier targets.

Fighter -

Armour: Low
Shielding: Low
Powerplant: Medium
Hardpoints: Low / Low
Deployment: Fast
Speed: Fast
Maneuverability: Very High
Nanobots: Low
Shield Batteries: Low
Silhouette: Very Low
Range: Short

Only for close contact targets, limited effectiveness against tier 3 vessels.

Freighter -

Armour: Medium
Shielding: Low
Powerplant: Low
Hardpoints: Low / Low
Deployment: Fast
Speed: Medium
Maneuverability: Low
Nanobots: High
Shield Batteries: High
Silhouette: Medium
Range: Short

The non-combatant, should only engage when defending itself. Best tactic is to run away.

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In writing this, I've probably put down a whole load of stuff that is either unimplementable or that's going to be ignored. I wrote it to provide a basis for a class system that would combat the situation Zyreal described in his first post. It's all my own ideas. I've based around a fleet tactic though, rather than a single ship combat, so really it's more for clan / RP clan battles.

If you want to suggest changes, feel free, but don't just say, "Soul, you're a tosser, it's THIS!". Say, "Soul, you're a tosser. I think it should be this because...". I do also realise that this isn't based around the FL ship classes, but I never liked them anyway, to much of a gap me thinks.

Posted at 0206h GMT, started typing at 0139h GMT, I'm tired, be gentle.

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