All DLC except Timelines.
In this save you are in Tharka's Cascade XV, a Shark carrier is holding a position near the gate to hold off Xenon raids.
You can observe the fighters struggling fighting the Xenon incursion effectively, and the reason why they struggle is mainly a total lack of target coordination. Once an enemy enters the 40km radius of the carrier, all carrier based interceptors will engage this one target and ignore all other targets until this one is destroyed.
Not only is this incredible ineffective and inefficient from a combat perspective, it is also demanding a lot of CPU time, as for a single Xenon M entering the zone, all fighters will engage.
Instead, each ship should have a thread level, and the carrier commander should assign a number own own assets to overmatch the enemy threat level with the threat level of its own ships. And it does not have to be rocket science. It could simply be decided by the ship class, for example, 2 light fighters against a single enemy light fighter, 5 light fighters against a single enemy corvette, one corvette against a single enemy fighter all classes.
But you could also go into detail here and make exceptions, because why would you send a corvette against a fast light fighter if you have light fighters, chances are the corvette is not fast enough.
You could also take the number of turrets and shields into consideration to make sure the own forces overmatch the enemy.
There is plenty of wiggle room to make this much better and save resources in doing so.
However what approach you chose, there are many benefits.
Current System Inefficiency: The current system where all interceptors engage a single target leads to inefficiency and poor combat effectiveness. This behavior results in overkill on one target while other threats are ignored, making the carrier's defense less effective.
Target Coordination: Introducing a threat level system for ships would significantly improve combat coordination. By matching the right number and type of ships to each threat, the carrier's fighters can be used more strategically, improving their combat performance. There is also a chance to align this with the skill system and let a captain with high skill make better decisions.
Resource Management: You would also optimize resource use. Instead of deploying an overwhelming force to a single minor threat, the carrier can distribute its fighters more evenly and effectively across multiple targets.
Performance Improvement: By reducing the number of fighters engaging a single target, the game would require fewer calculations for combat scenarios, potentially improving overall game performance. This optimization would be especially beneficial in large-scale battles where multiple carriers and fleets are involved.
Realism and Engagement: Implementing a more strategic approach to fighter deployment enhances the realism of the game, making it more engaging for players. It would also provide a deeper tactical layer, encouraging players to think strategically about how they position and use their forces.
Customizability: Allowing for exceptions based on ship types and capabilities adds another layer of customization, enabling players to tailor their strategies based on the strengths and weaknesses of their fleets. This flexibility would enhance the game's depth and replayability. But at the same time this would not prevent anyone using a single fighter type for all scenarios.
/edit: if this is the wrong forum I am sorry, perhaps misunderstood another post to make suggestions here. Please move it to the appropriate forum if that is the case, thanks.
