Fighters are the main weapon system of Carriers and Super Carriers and provide a wide variety of options for capsuleers piloting such ships. They also provide valuable defenses for any structures that offer fighter bays.
Fighter Bays
Fighters need to be loaded into a fighter bay to form a squadron before they can be launched into space. To load fighters into a bay or replenish a landed squad that has lost fighters, the respective fighters are simply dragged to the lower half of the respective fighter bay.
Fighter Controls
The Fighter Control panel is used to send fighters to attack a target or otherwise use their abilities. It can be activated by clicking the toggle button to the lower right of the central HUD element:
This will replace the module rack of the ship or structure with the fighter panel, showing the fighter squads loaded into each bay. Launched fighter squadrons will show buttons to use their abilities, like ship modules.
The buttons to the left-hand side of the panel have the following function:
- Launch all "Ready" fighter squads
- Open the fighter bay window
- Recall all fighter squadrons still in space
- Clicking this button detaches the fighter panel from the HUD.
Clicking and holding allows positioning of the fighter panel. Clicking the button on a detached fighter panel will reattach the panel to the HUD.
Detaching the fighter panel allows simultaneous use of fighters and modules.
Fighter Movement
The tactical camera offers a way to give direct movement commands to fighter squadrons to bring them in position without having to target something first. Selecting a fighter squadron within the tactical view and then holding the "Q" key will bring up the movement indicator to select the range on the plane of the selected squad. Clicking once will lock the range and allows setting the vertical vector for the movement, a second click will lock the exact target position and the fighter squadron will begin to move to the position that has been set.