I have recently taken this one back off the shelf to see how its coming along and enjoy some nice fleet action.
Here are a few of my impressions.
1. CR, supply, and my fat crew.
Fleet supplies per day at full CR: 2
After any battle, even one in which I take no damage-
Fleet supplies per day: 20.
Duration of increased supply usage: 5 days.
Total supplies used: 100.
Since this is the case even when you fight a battle in which not a shot is fired, maintenance cannot possibly cover the majority of this supply cost. Am I really being forced to feed my crew something like 27 meals a day for 5 days just for the privilege of having them man the combat stations for 2 minutes? I guess this explains why crew is so *** at boarding operations. They can't fit through the airlocks!
2. Rallying the defenders!
I definitely feel we need time to pass at some rate in the rest of the game while in combat, coupled with the ability for enemy and allied fleets to join an ongoing battle.
(yes, I know this or something like it is in the "frequently suggested" post. don't flame me.)
Distress signals for fleets that call nearby allied fleets to their aid, particularly patrol fleets of the same faction.
It is a bit silly that 1 fleet can fly in and destroy fleet after fleet and the patrol fleets are either blissfully unaware, or incapable of actually doing anything due the offending fleet being un attackable for x amount of time after being in a battle, and them being unable to jump in and help during a battle. As far as I can tell all patrol fleets do is blunt invasions a bit so the response fleets can clean them up a bit easier. And that's when they aren't just running for their lives.
3. Those fat fighters, And short range PD weapons.
I really think fighters are way too big. I never invest in PD weapons because its just too easy to turn the big guns on the little ships and turn them into space dust. In battle they don really feel like fighters, so much as groups of small underpowered frigates.
The PD weapons are also typically very short range and not even that effective against fighters (with a few notable and IMHO extremely inefficient exceptions).
I Think fighters should be significantly shrunk, (I'm thinking around terminator drone size) and should be like Missiles in regards to auto weapons. (aren't targeted without the PD mod or PD weapons.) Also I think the weapons on fighters should be shorter ranged, and higher damage. I feel the shorter ranges would give more meaning to short vs longer ranges on PD weapons. and the higher damage would justify actually devoting ordinance to PD.
I also feel fighters should be much faster and more maneuverable but have much less hull/armor ratings in comparison to what they have now. PD weapons as they are, are about right for killing missiles, but are really bad at eating through fighters at any reasonable rate. (with some notable exceptions.)
As fighters now stand I don't even hesitate to field a large lone capital ship against a fleet of fighters, because I know those fighters are never getting through my shields, and I can absolutely just kill them with my heavy guns.