A veteran player's reflection

[Pheonix Starflare]

OK, so I've been playing/involved in the SS community for a long time.
For a long while my playing of it was somewhat on hiatus, but I've started playing it again, and I've been having a blast.
I have noticed some things, and I would like to address them so my comments are out there for milo/other people to consider and comment on:

1. General dearth of fighter cover. Strike missions never seem to be granted fighter cover and there's a distinct lack of standing CAP missions. I would generally expect that in an active warzone, a fleet carrier would maintain at least a pair of fighters on patrol around itself, and that doesn't seem to be the case.

2. Capitol ships not using themselves intelligently. The other day I saw a Berents frigate deliberately dive headlong at an enemy destroyer. Does the AI somehow view the PDB as an effective anti-capship weapon? Also, I like Courageous class cruisers because they are multi-role. They can act against fighters as well as against capships. If they are tasked, in general, with being an escort for a CV, why do they seem to always just sit there even as the CV is scrambling fighters to defeat an incoming strike package?

3. Lack of overall situational awareness: I choose a mission from an attack squadron to strike frigate/cruiser/carrier X. However, when I launch, I have no real idea of exactly where the target is. Sure, I can just follow the navpoints (as I often do) but since I have no real fighter cover I have to do it all under EMCOM1 and then I don't tend to get a good view of either the target or the taget's omnipresent fighter cover/caphips escorts until they get a sensor lock on me. I wish sometimes that I could call in a probe fly-by from a capitol ship so that I can more effectively sneak up on my target.

4. Allied Capships on missions really never have fighter cover. This is one of the reasons I generally stick to piloting fighters.

OK, I think that's about it, I'll add anything I think of.
Now, this is not to say I'm really complaining about SS, cuz it's a freaking awesome game! These are just some things I've noticed in my time playing SS.

[Diabolico]

I have played all missions and all campaigns, several times.
I agree with you.
Furthermore, I hink it would be a intelligent move to add fighter capacity to most Capital ships, at least from Destroyer/cruiser onwards.

=S=

[Pheonix Starflare]

Oh, another thing: Warning lights!

When my sensors go out, it'd be nice for a "Sensor Failure" warning to flash ont he right side of the HUD and if my SRM's get disabled, perhaps have XX flash instead of the number remaining?

I know there's the 'caution' panel, but that's sorta out of the way when I'm focusing on the center of the screen, lining up enemy fighters in my gunsights.

Having warning lights would also add to the atmosphere within the game, making it feel more like you're piloting a real craft.

[Diabolico]

Hmm There are warning lights for capitals...

[DamoclesX]

ya, that warning would rock

different sounds for each too, like one for sensors, one for thrusters(ie loss of control) one for critical damage

that would rock

[se5a]

a formate at command would be great for cap ships, have it work something like the move patrol command, but you select the ship to formate to first, then select the position like the move/patrol command. the ship would then attempt to keep that position ralitive to the ship you selected as a formate to, and would fire at ships that came within range as long as it didnt have to stray to far from its formation position.

this should stop frigates and stuff going off on there own and getting killed instead of protecting the DDs with the pd.

[Diabolico]

Absolutely! Cap ship AI is sometimes a pain...