Advanced Strike Craft

I will start by saying that as they stand now, strike craft are great.  I read that they are being rebalanced currently, and I think the Sabres, Longswords, and Seraphs themselves are really cool.  I also read that a Flood strike craft model has been completed.  Now the UNSC launches Pelicans for bombardments and the Covenant may use Phantom gunships in some fashion.  Good stuff.

I had an idea though, which was inspired by SoGE.  In the Star Wars mod every faction has a "Advanced Starfighter Designs" research that allows carriers to launch a new type of fighter and bomber in addition to the original fighter and bomber.  For example, the Rebels start out with X-Wings and Y-Wings but can later build A-Wings and B-Wings in addition to the XY-Wings.  The catch is that the original strike craft, though lower performance, can regenerate faster.  My idea is that because this mod is built with the war's evolution in mind (the future addition of Stridents, the evolution of Halcyons, etc.) perhaps some evolution could be added for strike craft.  So here goes:

UNSC

Early game Fighter/Bombers: Longsword interceptor and Shortsword bomber

Late game Fighter/Bomber: Broadsword fighter and Pelican gunship

Planetary Defense: Sabre

Covenant

Early game Fighter/Bomber: Space Banshee (or possibly Tarasque fighter) and Gigas bomber

Late game Fighter/Bomber: Seraph fighter and Phantom gunship

Or some variation of that.  I think that if the craft are differentiated it will make battles look even cooler and give players more options when arming a fleet.

This suits the UNSC more than the Covenant but I quite like it. Definitely the evolution from longswords and shortswords to broadswords would be good. Even better if they can be hidden until unlocked like an ability, but I don't know if that's possible. It's difficult to get new things like this into the mod generally as there's an inertia associated with more complete factions like the UNSC but hey. Would never happen if you didn't suggested it, right?

Edit: Only 24 posts? I swear you've been here months. 

Shortsword bomber

wont work, this is an atmospheric bomber

wont work, this is an atmospheric bomber

You're right.  Though I did read on Halopedia and it calls the Shortsword an atmospheric bomber but also says it is capable of *at least* rudimentary space flight.  Plus it has a sword name which is only given to their exoatmospheric craft.  I've been here since September but I don't post all that often.

"rudimentary space flight" is not what occurs in SotP. 

At least rudimentary, possibly adequate or spectacular.  It only appears in Halo Wars.  For all we know it could be just as effective in space as the Longsword, which is also used in atmosphere sometimes.  I'm not really attached to the Shortsword, but I do think diversity is better.  Do you like the idea of having advanced strike craft?

If we are going to add them we will have and upgrade from the Longsword to the Broadsword. For the Covenant we have talked about ideas for the space Banshee but not in detail. Again all of this is a long way off as we have other things to focus on for now.

Shortsword won't happen.

Maybe you guys could make another hangar defense that could be built at the start of a game, but could only build Longswords? Then the Saber (Sabre?) could become the "advanced strikecraft" (their hangar would still need to be researched) and you could also add late-game Saber shield research! Maybe you can make Longswords have less heath, but could have more craft per squadron? The Sabers could then have more health (with shields available for research?), but with less (or the same amount as in the alpha) craft per squadron?

Maybe you guys could make another hangar defense that could be built at the start of a game, but could only build Longswords? Then the Saber (Sabre?) could become the "advanced strikecraft" (their hangar would still need to be researched) and you could also add late-game Saber shield research! Maybe you can make Longswords have less heath, but could have more craft per squadron? The Sabers could then have more health (with shields available for research?), but with less (or the same amount as in the alpha) craft per squadron?

Sounds like a good idea, except Hard coding would stop shields from going on fighters.

Sounds like a good idea, except Hard coding would stop shields from going on fighters.

Darn! 

I think it's be more like the Longsword becomes the dedicated bomber while the sabre or broadsword is the fighter.

While somewhat non-canon... could do a vulture for a bomber?

could do a vulture for a bomber?

That thing is slow as balls. It would never survive against seraphs and point defense weapons. Besides, its an atmospheric gunship. Its a great unit in halo wars, but thats when its in its most suited environment; land combat.

That thing is slow as balls. It would never survive against seraphs and point defense weapons. Besides, its an atmospheric gunship. Its a great unit in halo wars, but thats when its in its most suited environment; land combat.

Hence non-canon. . A space-focused variant akin to the phantom gunboat! edit: Also could be faster in space, no atmosphere. Yes, in canon it's atmospheric and doesn't have radiation shielding for long space travel.

Because a pelican gunship as a bomber doesn't really make sense. And there is little else you could put there. Longsword would fit bomber best of the canon fighters for space.