I think we are mislabeling the small units as fighters. Auxiliaries
with multiple functions might be better. Since the drift of the
conversation is leaning towards to only big ships can kill the big
ships their roles seem to be more pointing towards the Scouts. Space
is big and finding where an enemy fleet is located becomes the
important issue so that the opposing force can bring its big guns to
bear. The squadron(?) will seek out the enemy and send back a member
to the main body once the enemy has been located. Other than looking
for the enemy they act as transports and couriers. Minimal armament
means they can collectively engage other small units but not BBs.

On Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 4:36 AM, Ian Whitchurch
<xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
> OK, taking the Mongoose Traveller torpedo, I've got three questions.
>
> One, what are rules for counter-battery fire against that torpedo with a
> smaller missile, sand or lasers,
>
> Two, how many of those torps can we fit in a 50 dton bay, and
>
> Three, how long does it take to get from the launch point to the target ?
>
> I like some hard science to go with my science fiction, so I react badly to
> 'lalalalaaa handwave lalaalaaaa lets not think though the implications
> laaaaaaa' rules (fusion plus, Im looking at you).
>
> Oh, and fighters definitely have a role in my TU - they are the ultimate
> thing to cheaply and effectively deal with civilians and other auxiliaries -
> they can and should be part of every subsector navy, as you can move a
> squadron of the little buggers where they are needed - including back to
> base for maintainence - with minimal effort, and can base them out of just
> about anywhere.
>
> That role just isnt fighting warships.
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 10:47 PM, David Shaw <xxxxxx@btconnect.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> On 09/10/14 10:53, Ian Whitchurch wrote:
>>>
>>> Forgive me for getting my Stringbags mixed up.
>>
>>
>>
>> No offence intended, it was just me being pedantic  :-)
>>
>>
>>> Surface damage is annoying for warships - there are sensors and screens
>>> and
>>> PEMS arrays on the hulls, outside the armor.
>>>
>>> But the key to the Jeune Ecole is that small ships could, in the torpedo,
>>> carry big-ship killing weapons, and .
>>>
>>> And in the Traveller universe, as shown by Book 5 High Guard, they cant.
>>
>>
>>
>> I think we're approaching this question from diametrically opposed
>> viewpoints.  You seem to be arguing that the rules define the setting, while
>> I prefer to work from the setting backwards.  I accept that the rules say
>> fighters are useless but, to me, that is manifest nonesense as both the
>> setting of the 3I and real world experience says otherwise.
>>
>> But there are lots of things the rules don't say - you may as well argue
>> that there are no accountants in the 3I as the rules don't allow you to
>> create an accountant PC (though why anyone would want to is beyond me).  In
>> such cases, I either just shrug my shoulders and move on, or if it becomes
>> important to me, I houserule it.
>>
>> Who was it that said they prefer to think of them as guidelines?  :-)
>>
>> David Shaw
>>
>> PS - taking a better look at RTT High Guard, a book I've only ever skimmed
>> before, I discover that a 10 dTon fighter can carry a single torpedo which,
>> if it hits, would do between 4d6 and 8d6 damage depending on type, which
>> means that, if attacking a Tigress, they could do one triple plus one double
>> hit.  A 50 dTon fighter can carry two - in either case, the fighter would be
>> incapable of carrying any other ship weapons.
>>
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--
Joseph