Tips for designing fighters...

[Fear Factory]

Just because I can, and I am in the process of creating a new book called "Project: Resurrection" and I want to make "Mk IV" versions of the Clan OmniFighters used in Operation: Revival.  Like the OmniMechs (I already finished), they're going to use Ferro Lamellor, but with the limitations I have set with weapons and such it's becoming really difficult to even make something that mirrors the original design.

Basically, I'm looking for some tips on creating these new versions.  I want them to be competitive with their sister designs...  but I just don't understand any of the weight saving measures/design strategy outside of what is already used.

For reference, this is the tech base:

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Improved Heavy Small Laser
Improved Heavy Medium Laser
Improved Heavy Large Laser
ER Small Pulse Laser
ER Medium Pulse Laser
ER Large Pulse Laser
ER PPC
ER Micro Laser
Micro Pulse Laser
Flamer
ER Flamer
 
Streak SRM-2
Streak SRM-4
Streak SRM-6
Streak LRM-5
Streak LRM-10
Streak LRM-15
Streak LRM-20
iATM-3
iATM-6
iATM-9
iATM-12
NARC Missile Beacon
Improved SRM-1
Improved SRM-2
Improved SRM-3
Improved SRM-4
Improved SRM-5
Improved SRM-6
Bomb Rack (OS)
One-Shot Launchers (for all above)
 
Rotary Autocannon 2
Rotary Autocannon 5
Ultra Autocannon 20
Gauss Rifle
Hyper-Assault Gauss 20
Hyper-Assault Gauss 30
Hyper-Assault Gauss 40
AP Gauss Rifle
Light Machine Gun
Machine Gun
Heavy Machine Gun
Gauss SMG
 
Watchdog CEWS
Angel ECM
Bloodhound Active Probe
TAG
Light TAG
Laser Anti-Missile System
Targeting Computer
CASE
Coolant Pod
MASC
Supercharger
Improved Sensors
 
Endo Steel Internal Structure
Ferro Lamellor Armor
Hardened Armor
XL Engine
XL Gyro
Small Cockpit
Cockpit
Battle Claw
Standard Armor (Battle Armor)
Basic Stealth Armor
Standard Stealth Armor
Improved Stealth Armor
Fire Resistant Armor
Ferro-Aluminum Armor
Omni-Bay*
 
*Operates as a BattleMech, Fighter, Vehicle (Light and Heavy), and Battle Armor bay (one type of unit at a time).
I'm willing to add more to the list as I design these guys...  ANY help is appreciated.

[Gray Jaguar]

This might be obvious but a couple of your tech choices are Mech only such as XL Gyros and MASC or Supercharger.

Secondly, most of the design strategy depends on what you're aiming for as "competitive".  A good example would be that many of the Inner Sphere and Clan designs have toned down speed a little in favor of greater armor and fire power.  Morgenstern is a good example for the IS as its a great armor boat but often used as a dogfighter despite speeds that wouldn't have been competitive against the Clans just a few decades ago.  8/12 seems to be the sweet spot for speed of late amongst middle to heavy designs.

Another difference has been a move towards using Reflective Armored Fighters.  To save on weight, many fighters have been fielding more energy weapons than missile or ballistics.  Missiles have been toned down because of the prevalence of AMS to the point where you have almost a 50-50 chance that your opponent has mounted it in spades on his DropShip, Small Craft, or AeroSpace Fighter.  Ballistics tend to be the primary gun on Fighters mounting Reflective Armor or on Fighters expected to go head to head with nations using Reflective Armor heavily thus the Gauss Rifle has a definite place even with the weight savings of the ER PPC.

That's the next thing, it depends on if you are using AeroSpace or standard range increments because that can change the range of your weapons enough to matter.  A medium pulse laser has the same AeroSpace ranges as a Medium X-Pulse but he X-Pulse generates more heat.  If you're looking for pure optimization then that'll be a major factor in your design process.  Speaking of which, you should keep an eye out for thresholding.  If an attack does enough damage to bypass your threshold (if I recall is 1/10th your armor rating rounded up) then you're going risk being crit.  Protecting against a Clantech ER Medium Laser is a good bet though heavier designs might lean towards protecting against ER Large Lasers and the dreaded Large Pulse Lasers.  With Ferro-Lamellor you have the advantage of reducing incoming damage which in turns helps prevent thresholding.  A min-max approach would be to use 71 armor for a forward facing.  It protects against an Inner Sphere Large Laser normally because you round up.  The Ferro-Lamellor though would reduce incoming damage of say... an ER Large Laser (Clantech) down to 8 points normally meaning that you are still safe from it thresholding you.

Anyways, those are the best tips I have on hand presently.

[wolfgar]

I can't disagree with anything SJ has said that said there is something to be said for personal aesthetics and sticking with the original and just upgrading.  I dont quite geet the ferro-lammelar myself just yet but I've done three upgrades and am working on three more at the moment.

[Fear Factory]

What I really want to do is use XXL Engines but the cost is the real turn off...  they don't seem really practical but the benefits look great for fighters.

[Gray Jaguar]

What I really want to do is use XXL Engines but the cost is the real turn off...  they don't seem really practical but the benefits look great for fighters.

I have an example of an XXL equipped Ferro-Lamellor Fighter on the forums.  It should be easy to find under the name Corusca.  The idea behind XXL Engine equipped units seems to be the prestige in 3100.  Its a sign of wealth like that luxury smart phone on the market.  It uses more expensive materials and less effective but reliable technologies to say something about the person's social status.

If you'd like a repost of my design with the refinements I've made sense the original post, I could easily PM you.

[Fear Factory]

Sure!  Thank you for all the help.  I think I got a handle on what to do now...  I'm trying not to mess with the speed on most of the designs.

[Gray Jaguar]

Sure!  Thank you for all the help.  I think I got a handle on what to do now...  I'm trying not to mess with the speed on most of the designs.

Great, just one last piece of advice.  It appears that 5 tons of fuel is considered the average and best value for bombers who are meant to loiter (taken from an average of existing 3100 bombers) and 4 tons is good for dogfighters or bombers meant for hit and fade.  OmniFighters can go a little lighter thanks to their pod space and any fighter can mount extra fuel as external stores if they possess a high enough thrust still to escape atmo (not a real requirement but a general trend in preferences of forumites on that one).

[wolfgar]

Speed and fuel supply are the two things that I don't mess with armor and weaponry are open for change though.

[Fear Factory]

I have a solaris7 armory here dedicated to Project: Resurrection.  I got started.  They are still subject to change but I'm liking them so far.