Re: [FT] FB2 Torpedo Fighters (was Fighter customization)

Oerjan wrote:
> Interesting to see Stiltman's analysis where he assumes that the
> (non-Torp) fighters would on average take no losses at all to enemy
> PDS, while *at the same time* constantly pointing out that they're
> exposed to PD fire.

Uhhhhh... Oerjan... please stop skimming my posts and then mis-stating
what
I say as though I'm out of my mind.  I did not, in any way, at any point
in
my comments on fighters, make any implied or expressed assumption that
beam fighters would take no losses to enemy PDS, and repeatedly
commented
that this is a factor in deciding whether or not I'd want to take beam
fighters as opposed to torpedo fighters:  beam fighters, in attacking
enemy
ships, are going to be exposed to point defense more often in order to
inflict their damage.  I said this pretty bluntly a good two or three
times
in that post.  I have _no_ idea whatosever where the heck you're getting
any sort of assumption to the opposite effect out of me.

The reasons I feel that all-regulars is the most cost-effective way of
stocking
your fighters are (a) there is a risk that you take in equipping large
numbers
of torpedo bombers because if an enemy flies a similar number of total
fighters
_without_ arming them as bombers, your fighters are going to lose the
fighter
superiority battle, in which case you just provided a very expensive
turkey
shoot, (b) torpedo bombers, although they do in fact inflict the most
damage
for the least exposure to point defense fire, do not IMHO weigh that
damage in
by enough of a margin over regular fighters in the current atmosphere of
ships
that may or may not be screened to be worth spending twice as much NPV
per
fighter unless you're willing to gamble that you'll be up against a
battleship
force where assuring your bombers a free run to attack without having to
fight
through enemy fighters is not a real issue, and (c) I don't feel that's
a risk
or a gamble I want to take absent some insight where I know my opponent
isn't
going to fly a serious carrier force against me.
-- 
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 The Stilt Man		      stiltman@teleport.com
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