With the recent addition of NPR carriers, and with Steve mentioning that the carrier AI seems to be working now, I would like to propose a suggestion.
From my personal experience, raiders have become a bit predictable in their designs. I think it would be a fun addition if they sometimes raided with light carriers. This would still fit the theme, as the fighters and bombers would be hard to detect, and the carrier itself could use a cloak like the other military ships the raiders employ. The carrier should probably have strong sensors for scouting purposes and could do without being armed, as we already have a raider escort design. Perhaps the carrier could also have a single boarding craft available, as it would make sense for raiders to want to capture entire ships rather than just salvage them for scrap.
Anyway, I won’t go too much into detail, as it is completely up to you what you think will be balanced and how the AI would handle the ships.
The only negative gameplay factor I can think of is that it might be somewhat difficult for new players to deal with small carrier raids. One way to prevent this from becoming an issue would be to include a checkbox similar to those for Enhanced Star Swarm, Invaders, etc. If “Enhanced Raiders” is enabled, they could also spawn with carriers.
I like the idea of raider carriers, but let’s not forget that raiders are pirates, their primary goal is to raid civilians, weak spots and isolated colonies so the assets they have should be more stuff thrown together in a hasty fashion not well structured of full staffed.
So for example these carriers should be limited in number, small and with few planes.
Also, the boarding capability should be a must have for every respectful pirate.
I agree. Thats why I suggest it should be a light carrier and not a normal/fleet carrier.
With a light carrier the raiders can raid more effiecntly as they can spread out their fighters if they wish. And if they meet restiance their losses will be smaller.
The idea was not to have a carrier replace the normal raiders and I agree that it should not spawn as often as normal raider ships.
Having a raider light carrier be more boarding focused I think would be cool from the standpoint of both an initial shot at adding support for AI using boarding tactics, and for raiders thematically. The goal is the ships they destroy and/or salvage fuels raider advancement already, now capturing an enemy civilian ship and escaping with it+it’s cargo would be a huge surge in advancement.
Having a light carrier spawn could be random, or it could basically have a progressive bonus based on the protection rating of a system and/or how long it has been since a military ship has been in a sector. I feel like early on I fuel more rapid expansion by holding off on a military and by focusing military at key locations, the threat of a raider carrier spawning and making off with some ships for much-faster raider expansion would encourage setting up military patrols along trade routes.
I am definitely in support for Raiders getting carrier. But is it thematically correct for them to navigate captured ship through their gate if they capture it?
Fair question. My understanding is that the raiders goals are to destroy ships, and then salvage the remains for parts. And that the more they’re able to salvage and escape with, the more rapidly future raiders will get stronger/higher tech. The reason I thought escaping made thematic sense is if they captured an ship they would want to escape with it ASAP so salvage for parts/tech etc as an intact ship with an intact cargo would yield them much more salvage than a blown-to-pieces wreck.
Maybe I’m mixing raiders up with something else?
I was thinking more about if it is possible to non Raider ship to use their gate after they capture it. As in the game we are not able to enter their home system with our ships. So this is purely lore or role-play thing.
I whole heartedly agree with the idea of raiders boarding ships to take back to their home world. Capturing the ship, it’s crew and any cargo.
Also, if they can tech up from captured ships more than salvaged components, that’d be interesting and go a step toward making them a threat mid and late game. I think they were supposed to tech up, but in my games I don’t notice it happen at all. Though they don’t tend to get much from me, they must from NPR’s right?
I recently saw them tech up, it took quite a bit of time though, as I am currently in the 2160s.
They managed to get a few civilian ships from me but I think they were mostly getting salvage and slaves from NPRs.
It didn’t make them super threatening though, their ships got faster but I had enough of a lead that most of my ships are still faster (especially my frigates which I use for patrol, PPV and escort duties). I didn’t see an improvement in their weapons though.
Edit: I also would really like to see them get carriers. Even with the new NPR carriers there is not enough carrier warfare in this game, and it would be quite thematic for them.
If our ships could use the Raiders gates or find and attack their homeworld(s), I think they wouldn’t be different from any other NPR, so I prefer they could keep this characteristics.
But when we capture their ships, they should preserve the ability to see and use those gates.
Facing a Raiders small carrier, every now and then, eventually not at the beginning of a game, would be a very nice addiction.