[Herra Tohtori]

I just had a following thought:

If you'd make a wing of small fighters consisting just of a single weapon system, could you make that wing to move so that it would give an impression of being attached to a single capital ship?

Like it would follow the flight path of the capital ship... but remain on the same spot on the cap ship's surface all the time? Also, they should be able to move the aim point by manouvering, but moving in space would be committed by capital ship.

This fighter type would not have a model other than the weapon itself; the primary weapon system would be either a beam or missile launcher. Then on multiplayer some players would (if they wanted) man these positions, otherwise they would be controlled by AI, but you could still give them orders, to one beam at a time. If, for example, you flew the cap ship and wanted the right beam turret to fire at enemy there and left beam to fire enemy on left flank, you could name the wing as "Turret" and then give orders to them separately... wouldn't that be sweet?

"Left turrets, disable that ship, Right turrets destroy that target there. Missile launcher, prepare to fire on my mark."

Alternatively, if the craft's missile launchers would always point directly forward, the helm could also control them.

If this can be done, please tell how, because it would release all new possibilities on making missions and campaigns... OR, if there's an easier way to accomplish similar results and I'm just thinking too twistedly, tell me still!

Also, if you think this is on wrong forum, please tell me where I should ask this... It it could be done with FRED, for example, I should ask it on FREDding forum, of course, but I don't know... It might involve some more serious coding on flight engine itself, thus being more of the Source Code Project's matter. I wouldn't know, so please tell me.

Also, if this kind of matter simply cannot be made, just tell me, I completely understand. I have no expections, just an idea that I wish you would comment on - and if it proves to be commenceable, well, that's all just plus IMO...

Thank you!

[Nuke]

well i had a similar idfea in this thread here: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,32497.0.html
 it was more a command interface that would allow you to command a small fleet. it would be cool one player takes the helm, one player is on weapons, another captains the ship, two guys out in fighters. it would be cool. have capship vs capship duels cept the capships are under player control.

[Herra Tohtori]

Yeah, you could also give orders to fighter wings.

I think, however, that this could get old quite soon. It might be fun and good to be used once or at most a few times in a campaign, but there simply must be traditional fighter screens and dogfights to keep the original touch to the game.

But, it would be something new if it worked.