[OllieG]

Playing FS2 on Insane, with Alpha 1 being just a normal ship that dies in a couple missile hits, the forces used in most of the campaign missions (particularly against the NTF) don't make much sense from a military point of view.  You don't notice except on the higher difficulty settings, but you are badly outnumbered in almost every mission.  For example, in Feint, Parry, Riposte, the GTVA sends a single wing of interceptors to provide fighter cover from a cruiser facing a dozen enemy fighters, then expects the same wing to tackle the 3-4 wings launched from a destroyer with only a 3-ship reinforcement.  Even if Alpha wing manages to lure the escorts away from their cruisers, they're still out numbered 3 to 1.

While this makes some sense when fighting the Shivans, who presumably have huge numbers of fighters and no qualms about launching them in expendable waves (an effect that makes the Shivans much more intimidating on higher difficulties, since their numbers start to matter a lot more and you realize that there are a TON of them), the game gives the impression that the GTVA generally had less fighters and bombers than the NTF.  I get that players need something to shoot on the lower difficulties, but in terms of realism this really bugs me (I'd consider Insane the most "realistic" difficulty setting since you don't get a magical ship with tougher armor).  Is it simply a case of GTVA fighters being more advanced than their NTF counterparts or what? 

[The E]

Part of it is due to engine limitations. Part of it comes from V's less is more approach to mission design.

In-universe, I think the rationale is that since GTVA pilots have proven time and time again that skill is more important than numerical superiority, committing the bare minimum of ships is a really good idea, especially when facing a foe who does not seem to care about losses.

[TopAce]

It's called game mechanism, and to a degree performance optimization. This is a game, not a realistic simulator program that you'd use to train real flesh-and-blood pilots.

[General Battuta]

The game is no fun when your wingmen handle everything.

[Blue Lion]

A game where you are 1 fighter among hundreds would be kinda boring

[Paladin327]

because alpha 1 only needs 1 fighter raft at a time!

[headdie]

I cant comment on other areas you are on about but Feint, Parry, Riposte the briefing talks about presenting the minimum credible threat to encourage the NTF to deploy the destroyer (minimum threat to a valuable warship combined with the chance to pummel an enemy heavy cruiser).  though the retail engine was heavily restricted and the colly/sath used up a huge amount of the available resources (remember this is a game released in 99 using an engine with its roots in the mid 90s)

also officially GTVA kit is 18 months of development ahead of NTF so the GTVA does have a slight technological advantage over NTF not to mention a cautious approach after getting creamed on a number of occasions by the NTF fleet

[Gamma_Draconis]

On a similar note, the casualty rates are extremely high for fighter pilots. Sometimes entire squadron are shot down in a single mission. (See Love the Treason but Hate the Traitor) Entire wings go down on practically every little engagement. Pilots are practically committed to fighting even if their fighter's hull integrity is critical.

[Droid803]

Pilots are practically committed to fighting even if their fighter's hull integrity is critical.

If you want to be the "good commander" you could always just order them to depart when they get critical. (if they're under your command).

They'll probably just be court martialed anyway though, knowing command.

[General Battuta]

I've spent a lot of time playing with ships that depart when badly damaged, and, frankly, it's generally suicidal.

Warping out requires one to fly straight and level, completely defenseless, for several seconds. It generally means you're going to die.

[Droid803]

True that, even fighters at full strength die really fast when trying to warp out.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

My guess would be pure size and complexity to build.  A Loki for instance is one of the smaller fighters but it's still huge for a single man craft.  It's over 24 meters long.  Can you imagine the cost to build one of those? 

[Kopachris]

My guess would be pure size and complexity to build.  A Loki for instance is one of the smaller fighters but it's still huge for a single man craft.  It's over 24 meters long.  Can you imagine the cost to build one of those?  

Well, considering all the equipment it has to contain (do you know how big a fusion reactor coupled with a set of VASIMR-based thrusters would be?), 24 meters seems perfectly acceptable.  Assuming the primary weapons are about the same size as modern-day machine guns and chain guns mounted on helicopters, the ship would still need to hold a fusion reactor (probably a 20 foot diameter torus), a few thrusters, some superconducting magnets, a fuel tank, a coolant tank, and all the missiles.  The Loki doesn't hold many secondaries, but considering a single Fury is several kilotons...

As for the cost, I'd estimate about US$800,000,000 per, in 2010 dollars, assuming materials are common enough not to drive the price up sky-high.  After all, it is the future, so they've got to have plenty of deuterium, tritium, and liquid helium.

[SpardaSon21]

The GTVA managed to build over six thousand Bakhas.  I doubt something like the Loki, which basically uses Great War technology, would be any harder to manufacture.

[Kopachris]

Of course, the GTVA also has the resources of dozens of planets to offset the cost somewhat.  Still, the NTF probably gets most of its ships from the treasonous swine that dare call themselves "pilots".  That, coupled with the NTF being composed primarily of "stupid cattle, driven by their hatred, fear, and insecurities" allows the NTF to sacrifice more people in battle.  They're a bunch of zealots, willing to die for Neo Terra, if Admiral Koth and the NTD Repulse is anything to judge by.

[Gamma_Draconis]

Hey, if it's NTF Command, they'll be court martialed and then summarily executed. For the NTF, it's go out there and die fighting for Neo-Terra or come back home and die anyways from the firing squad.

[Bob-san]

Of course, the GTVA also has the resources of dozens of planets to offset the cost somewhat.  Still, the NTF probably gets most of its ships from the treasonous swine that dare call themselves "pilots".  That, coupled with the NTF being composed primarily of "stupid cattle, driven by their hatred, fear, and insecurities" allows the NTF to sacrifice more people in battle.  They're a bunch of zealots, willing to die for Neo Terra, if Admiral Koth and the NTD Repulse is anything to judge by.

Interesting perspective; the NTF is seen as a legitimate military but almost their entire fleet, form the smallest to the largest of vessels, defected from the GTVA. They're really little more than a rag-tag army of dissatisfied pilots. I'd assume, however, that the NTF WOULD be overflowing in pilots and their craft, especially compared to the number of cruisers and capital ships. With hundreds of potential GTVA loyalists, NTF revolts would either be bloody on-ship or deal more with coercion.

[Gamma_Draconis]

The NTF still had 3 entire systems worth of colonies to build warships from though. So I wouldn't say most of their fleet and strikecrafts came from defections. If anything, GTVA efforts were probably hampered by the construction of the GTVA Colossus and NTF sabotage efforts.

I don't think most pilots just defected over to the NTF either. Chances are, most of the pilots came from the NTF home worlds with the rest coming from destroyers that defected.

The NTF aren't going to just welcome random pilots flying into their systems either. Most of the defections probably took place within weeks of the secession.

[TrashMan]

The game is no fun when your wingmen handle everything.

Disagree somewhat. In X-Wing Alliance, your wingman were scarily competent. They kept stealing my kills.
It was refreshing to see that their killcount was almost as high as mine.

[Paladin327]

Interesting perspective; the NTF is seen as a legitimate military but almost their entire fleet, form the smallest to the largest of vessels, defected from the GTVA. They're really little more than a rag-tag army of dissatisfied pilots. I'd assume, however, that the NTF WOULD be overflowing in pilots and their craft, especially compared to the number of cruisers and capital ships. With hundreds of potential GTVA loyalists, NTF revolts would either be bloody on-ship or deal more with coercion.

If i recall correctly, the Americans durring the American Revolution were a bunch of rag-tag farmers and business men, but their resolve allowed them to defeat the worlds most powerful military force.

The NTF aren't going to just welcome random pilots flying into their systems either. Most of the defections probably took place within weeks of the secession.

The first SOC loop made it seem you got in pretty easily. good chance that the ntf needed pilots and didnt do as much in the way of ackground screening