A potential Stinger variant to serve as the Hydran corollary to the ECM Drone
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R09: HYDRAN PROPOSALS:
A potential Stinger variant to serve as the Hydran corollary to the ECM Drone
Drone armed races have ECM drones.
Plasma armed races have ECPs.
What do the Hydrans have?
I'd like to open the conversation on this subject.
As we all know, the peoples that use Drones have ECM drones that can provide three points of ECM for up to six turns (depending on the duration of the drone). Similarly, plasma races have the ECP, which can also provide a ship with three points of ECM for up to 96 impulses (128 impulses for the advanced version).
Both of these come at a tactical cost; ECM drones replace the warhead of a combat drone with the ECM gear and ECPs lose their ability to serve as pseudo-plasmas.
With so many Hydran ships using Stingers AND the special rule for non-fighter using Hydran ships to use casual defense fighters (R9.R6), the thought of a modified version of the Stinger-2 in that role seemed the natural way to go.
In terms of capability, I would suggest that they follow the pattern of Canon ECM drones and ECPs; they provide three points of ECM to whatever they're protecting. While this is inferior to what an ECM fighter is able to provide its squadron, this is meant to provide ECM to a mother ship, something ECM fighters can't do.
This is also decidedly inferior to what an MRS is able to provide (to either a carrier or a fighter squadron). I like that as well, as it shows just how POWERFUL an MRS truly is.
Anyway, it's an idea. Much like the cost for having an ECM Drone (loss of combat warhead) or ECP (loss of the use of the pseudo plasma function), a ship armed with multiple Stingers loses one of its combat fighters to have one and a ship relying on the casual defensive fighter refit, as with other casual defensive fighters, loses an ADMIN to have it.
Another (more minimal) thought is with regards to the Stinger-F normally used as the casual defensive fighter. It has two Chaff packs, so perhaps this Stinger variant should, like most Stinger variants, only have one? Leave it slightly more vulnerable to enemy Drones?
It'll also need to cost more than a Stinger-F.
Anyway, it's something I've been thinking of. What do you all think? Unrealistic? Not worth it? Or is it something that you might find fun.
A Hydran version of the Federation SWAC??
A Hydran version of the Federation SWAC...
Ooooohh, I love that idea, too, Stewart!
What I was thinking of for this, though, is something VERY different.
SWAC have tons of EW capability. They also have effectively two Scout channels, so they can loan ECM and ECCM to anyone.
As I understand the rules, ECM drones are not allowed to loan to fighters (although they can escort other drones), and IIRC neither are ECP. This potential Hydran fighter is meant to grant the Tripods similar capabilities to those two systems. For that reason, what I was thinking in terms of would also NOT be able to loan to a fighter group.
Besides, the Hydrans already have the Stinger-E for their fighter squadrons.
Where I might be off on things (which will COMPLETELY shoot this idea down) is that it is my understanding that EW fighters can only provide EW support to other fighters in their own squadron. They can't loan it to any fighter NOT in their squadron, and they're unable to provide any EW support to their home ship, let alone any other ship.
This idea was meant to provide the Hydrans with a capability many (most) other folks have but which they do not; nothing more, nothing less. Much like the ECP was designed to address a complaint by some about a capability the Drone users had that Big Plasma did not.
This fighter idea has been proposed before for the Hydrans and was rejected. Fighter SWACS would be rejected out of hand seriously. Next we will have a pseudo ECM drone system for the Tholians because they do not an ECM drone capability, and we gave one to the Hydrans with their fighters and they are getting one because we gave one to the Plasma empires. And lets add one for the Carnivons to use during the General War, and we cannot ignore the Paravians and something must be done to allow the Lyrans to make greater use of drones besides putting their ECM drones on a fighter's launch rails, which will include the LDR and the Seltorians, and the Jindarians. If you allow the Hydrans to have a SWACS fighter then you are opening the door to ever empire having such a fighter and the Federation SWACS is no longer the Federation exception that is so rare you never see it out side of (heavy) carrier groups and Starbases.
Fair enough. 
Musing about it, I have felt that the game universe is better if each race has that little something, be it a "Plus" or be it a weakness, that helps keep each one unique in its own way.
Also thinking about it, a couple jamming points does have greater impact against Disruptors than it does Hellbores. Against Fusion Beams, well, they are point blank range weapons, so one needs to balance the need to maneuver to avoid point blank range against the benefits of an ECM Drone that may be limited to speeds like eight or twelve (or even speed twenty drones).
Appreciate that consideration was given to this screwball idea.
I thought we already had a topic for this?