Heavy Fighters VS Very Heavy Fighters

[kikatsu]

I think the best way to differentiate HFs and VHFs is, besides the agility, to make it so they have more stamina as it were... harder to drain their powerplants, maybe they have the fastest recharging shields of all small ships.

[Salmin]

They are well balanced. Changes are not required.

[Ursus]

Some of them are well balanced, some are not. People who only fly Bayonet think its just skill issue.

They do not have a defined role, so there is no way to measure success.

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Discovery 24/7 Negotiating Tactics:

[Dashiell]

Moved to mod balance

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[Taneru]

Currently:
Light fighter, Heavy Fighter, Very Heavy Fighter

Role-Oriented Re-classifications:
Interceptor, Space Superiority Fighter, Assault Fighter

Example Ships in each Classification:
Liberator, Wraith, Werewolf

Interceptors
Every current Light Fighter falls into the Interceptor role. Speed and Agility is what defines them. They are not frontline combat ships, that is the job of the Space Superiority Fighter. They use their higher cruise speed and superior agility to chase down and interdict other ships, preventing them from leaving.
These ships are ideal for Policing Actions, Scouting and Racing, among other things.

Space Superiority Fighters
This is the largest of the role re-classifications, simply because nearly every current Heavy Fighter and Very Heavy Fighter are in here. These are the front-line combat ships. Their role is to forcibly establish control over areas of space by eliminating opposing fighters. They are intended to engage other fighters of every class over any other type of ship.
These ships are ideal for Front-line Combat, Raiding Strikes, and Escorting, among other things.

Assault Fighter
There are very few ships that can fit into the Assault Fighter role. A few notable mentions are the Werewolf, the Spatial, the Recycler, the Mjolnir, and to a lesser extent, the Bull Dog. The key elements of this role are Heavy Firepower and Toughness. Their job is to engage sub-capital targets which are larger and/or less agile than themselves and survive while doing so.
These ships are ideal for Anti-Transport Operations, Anti-Bomber Operations, and Gunship Combat, among other things.

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Characters
Alan Markson: The Hellfire Legion's Lord Commander
The Perihelion: Freeport Four's guardian, and yet much more. Missing and assumed Lost with all hands.
Eric Dresmund: Junker, smuggler, thief. Last seen drunk on Beaumont
Vayrn Wyard: IMG Recon pilot turned Neo-Terran Captain. Last location unknown

[kikatsu]

Currently only light fighters truely stand out...them and SHFs because they are so different.

Some HFs are balanced nicely to have proper roles, but tell me, what can an HF do that a VHF can't do better right now?

That's the main issue really... VHFs can be balanced to be comparable to each other, but for the most part, HFs in general are inferior ships that fill the same roles that VHFs can do.

[Ursus]

Yeah the game was setup so that fighters were prestige, not role-based. Disco has added classes with rock-paper-scissors roles, but within the fighter class it is still just prestige. Light fighters have become a little more unique due to faster cruise speed, for everything else you still need the biggest fighter to kill the other fighters.

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Discovery 24/7 Negotiating Tactics:

[ProwlerPC]

The GMG HF was able to make short work of the .85 Sabre and of course in this mod it certainly still does. I noticed the agility difference is most defenetely a big enough difference to significantly impact a dual with a slower turning enemy. (Group fighting is a whole different ballgame)

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[Prysin]

Currently only light fighters truely stand out...them and SHFs because they are so different.

Some HFs are balanced nicely to have proper roles, but tell me, what can an HF do that a VHF can't do better right now?

ANY HF, except Centurion, can dodge WAY better then ANY VHF
Any HF with an pilot with skill equal to an average VHF pilot will whoop a VHF's arse
HF's is greatly overlooked in this mod, simply not because of their "inferiority" but rather their lack of use.

But their not poorly balanced, actually more or less all of them is incredibly well balanced at doing their role. Being an more agile, but weaker counterpart to the VHF. Their role is to be a cheaper, more affordable and more "user friendly" alternative to the "more sofisticated and advanced" VHF class.

Most notable is the Bayonet, it is INCREDIBLY strong for a HF. And as mentioned, it is probably one of the deadliest ships in the mod, easily comparable to any VHF. But what makes it deadly is not its loadout or that its more agile then a VHF, its the three key ingredients of making a good ship; shape, agility, armor.
Its flat shape makes it nearly impossible to hit if you use it right, used wrong and your the easiest target around. Coupled with average HF agility and average HF armor. Thats what makes it seemingly "godlike". Its nothing special in itself, but its skill based.... and most people flying a HF will know that if you can take down a VHF in your HF, its not about your ship being faster or not, because you cant get hit more then 1/3rd that of a VHF..... flying a HF requires skill, that is why the HF class seems so incredibly imbalanced. People simply dont have the skill to fly them, be it Bayonet, Switchblade, Crow, Paladin or Agama.

LF stands out??? yeah, paperplanes with super engines...
SHF stands out??? yup, it can take on a transport with 20% higher success then any VHF...

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DHC Discord

[Ursus]

ANY HF, except Centurion, can dodge WAY better then ANY VHF

The Executioner and the Paladin can both be outmaneuvered by several VHFs

Their role is to be a cheaper, more affordable and more "user friendly" alternative to the "more sofisticated and advanced" VHF class.

You don't rent the plane for every fight, so "cheaper, more affordable" has nothing to do with balance. The stats that constitute damage-in versus damage-out are balance.

Most notable is the Bayonet, it is INCREDIBLY strong for a HF. And as mentioned, it is probably one of the deadliest ships in the mod, easily comparable to any VHF. But what makes it deadly is not its loadout or that its more agile then a VHF, its the three key ingredients of making a good ship; shape, agility, armor

The agility is pretty much everything that makes the Bayonet a champ, since it is what lets you get behind the enemy and chip away. The shape is important but if you are in a fight where a VHF can shoot at you, the weak hull is going to lose to a combo sooner or later. This is why the Executioner is a bad HF, it is not able to avoid getting shot at--the big tail makes it an easy target, but if it was more nimble then it could not be targeted as much and the tail wouldn't matter.

HF should be able to get behind a VHF or bomber and bring it down, but should die rapidly in a joust with either of them. Only half of that statement is true at the moment.

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Discovery 24/7 Negotiating Tactics: