Hey sorry I haven't replied, been sick the last week. I'll go over all your notes and get back to you with a detailed response once I'm 100%.
All good, free service and irl. Just gives me time to make more notes.
Edit: Done some in force exploring. Not as much as I'd like (Like to grab a capital and some more carriers, as the fleet I had was basically primary combat ships with some Danubes/odd inbuilt fighters), some expansions too my notes that I'll expand on later.
Carter's feels like a fleet that works best as a mix Carters/Normal or going heavy on the carrier aspect supporting fleet anchors. As a dedicated fleet, it really needs to pick it's battles, but is really good on the strategy layer.
Inferno/Helfires actually need a solid nerf, and their range being listed properly. As they are the AI doesn't know how to use them, and when you're using them... Well, I had a Bombadeir with 5 Hellfires (Small missiles unfilled because I didn't have enough weapons when I made it) eat the red planet fleet/a small ordo with a radiant alive while odams and other ships body blocked. Total cost, 2 Odams and a salvaged conquest (The only non-carter's ship in the fleet.)
Odams in real fleet actions aren't quite as sturdy as they look. They can hold up ok vs cruisers for their size as destroyers, but they're the only real fleet anchor ship, but without fortress shields or a similar system (Active flares is nice but not super useful) capital's evaporate them. Perhaps if Carter's markets spawned Apogee's as well it works, but they tend to spawn low/mid tech+carters. Additionally, they have 8 speed, slowing the fleet a fair bit. But then again, they've the OP to fit Augmented Drive Fields if you don't have enough Danube's (I was off by 1 after a salvage and felt it in my soul.)
I will note, the tendency towards smaller mounts does wear on Carter's fleets a bit, at least those with lower carrier support, and with Carter's Cruisers either being over costed or not knowing how to use their missiles properly, it seems mostly best to skip cruisers other than the Kerberos and Chestor (Neither of which I happened to have, having been trying the others... Perhaps the game was telling me something by having 5 Kerb's spawn in the market, but I just didn't have the weapons for them on hand.)
Also, the scow's mount's are awkward for damage balance. Perhaps if they were energy/missile? Or Kinetic/Energy? Otherwise they're defineately early game ships before diversifying into Danubes/Jackdaws/Odam's with proper freighters.
Will list my actual fleet composition later, wanted to post my thoughts before sleeping.
Extra Edits: No cheats to test things more thoroughly, though I did consider it for some Kerberosi.
previous fleet comp
For all, assume max Capacitor's/Vents unless noted. Basically true too.
Capital:
Conquest, Gauss, Wreckers, Hurricane Mirv's, Hellfire Rockets, and PD, with Hardened Shields and Intergrated targetting units. Like normal for a Conquest, good bully ship, folded against a radient. But since it was a throw away collected capital, I can't exactly blame you. Weapons did well, it hit rather hard. Except hellfire because it didn't know how to use them.
Bombardier: 5 Hellfire Launchers, PD. Full Cap and No Vents, because not need. Salvaged Hull/Armor, missile storage expansion, hardened shields, reinforced bulkheads, efficiency overhaul and aug drive field. It honestly has way too much OP unless loading it with missiles from other mods with super high costs, even if using Infernos in the 4 smalls would have worked wonders. In the AI's hands it was useless because it doesn't know how far it's missiles actually goes. In player hands, click and hold to delete a small remnant ordo while other ships play ablative armor.
Coventry: 7 Inferno, 2 Autocannon, 2 Phase Lance, hardened shield, integrated targeting, missile storage expansion. If it knew how to use Inferno's it'd be lovely and I planned on having other ships serve as PD. Unfortunately as mentioned, it doesn't, so a glorified bombardier backup.
3*Odam: 3 Light Autocannons, 2 IR Pulse/Wavemotion Pulse, 1 Breacher MRM/Swarmer SRM. Hardened Shield, Salvaged Hull, Missile Storage Expansion, Salvaged Armor, Torpedo Spec (Another mod, faster tougher missiles with less manoeuvrability). Not as tanky as expected, but still pretty damn hard. I think optimal ends up being Wavemotion with Swarmer SRM or Point Defence Missiles. Yes, Salvaged Hull means that there's just under 5K hull which does make it less resielient, but it's got 600 armor and 18000flux cap at .6 shield damage, so I'll take the +20% missiles. Only 25 flux vents because that cover's things comfortably. You could drop vents and swap torp spec for a hull boosting mods and slightly less vents at the cost of no longer covering flux. Overall, a great ship in it's class and in small battles, and a ok ship in large battles. Oh, I understand you giving them Dart Guns, their slow spead means unlike everyone else running isn't a option and kiting rarely turned out to be one, so gonna throw darts on them.
Raven: 3x Volley Rockets, Devastator Canon/Hephaestus Assault Gun/Saker, 2 pd and a Vulcan, Flux Distributor and Aux Thrustors. Saker means changing the missiles for something for proper effect and can't really manage it's flux, but there's no other great missiles and I didn't have annihilators. Hephaestus makes flux barely manageable and is a good damage/aim match up. Devastator acts a psuedo large pd and makes flux a dream, but is unreliable... I was leaning into the 'It's a sunder' and it did ok work, but nothing amazing. Might try for Gauss/Autocannons next run.
2X Cutty: 2 Assault, Railgun and Autocanon, 5x PD, hardened stabalised shields and a flux distributor. Did ok work. In retrospect, going to changge the two forward PD for 1 Vulcan and upgrade to 2 railguns if possible. Leaves 1 OP free... Just barely manages flux and easily recoverable when it overextends. All in all a nice ship.
2x Jackdaw: 4 Darts, Anhialator Rocket Pod, 2 PD, Missile Storage, Flux Distributor, Salvaged Armor, Armored Turrets. It put in great work and surprisingly tanky.
Berkentine: 1 Dagger Wing, 1 Broadsword Wing, 2 Vulcans, 2 Pulse, Hardened Shields and Integrated targeting, and 18 Vents (Didn't have anything to put in it.). Could easily drop 10 OP, that said due to the fights I rarely got to deploy it. Did ok when I did though.
4x Danube: 2 Pulse and 2 Vulcan, salvaged armor, expanded cargo, 18 vent/capacitor. A dream support destroyer. Fragile in heavy action but still useful in it. More is always needed.
Asteria: 2 Gravitons, Mauler, Vulcan, Hardened Shields and Integrated Targeting Unit. I found the build that can kite a mule! Didn't deploy it because OMG no.
Carrak: Due to a lack of weapons, it had 4 PD, 2 Vulcans, and a Hypervelocity and Wrecker. Expanded Cargo, Efficiency, Boosters. Didn't end up needing deploying it.
Overall Notes: Fleet felt like I thought broadly, responsive, great on the strategic, and fragile with problems dealing damage outside of players spamming inferno/hellfire. But great at punishing Explorers/Pirates out of position. Against Remnant, outside of the 'I'll just die' of the Radiant it was a case of 'fall back and shoot, and keep falling back!'. That said, an Odam I was piloting (Shield Expertise for .5 damage to flux) lasted almost 15 seconds, buying precious breathing room for reinforcements so I could take over the Bombadier, and move it behind the reinforcements to start unloading. Another lasted almost 10! This means that a Odam holding fire can hold out about as long as a Conquest that's fighting back.
Take 2 (Smashed by surprise Nex Remnant)
Post shopping update!
3 Odam, Same build except Darts and Torpedo Spec swapped for Vents since I didn't really have any other space. May improve doing some merchenteering before exploring.
2 Ravens: 3 Annhialator Rockets, Vulcan, 2 PD, Gauss Cannon, Integrated Targeting, Flux Distributor. Not going to be even close to venting enough, but they're sniper support.
2 Cutties: As before, but swapping 2 PD for a Vulcan, and now with 2 Vulcan.
2 Jackdaw: Due to logistical dificulties, one's the same, 1 has 4 dual autocanons instead.
4 Berkantine with Broadsword and Cutter Standards (I look forward to grabbing Skiffs). 2 Pulse, 2 Vulcan, 20/20, hardened shields, ITU and FCA, so they are psuedo tanks.
5 Danube. Not enough Danube
1 Astera
2 Carrack, 2 Pilums, Basalist, Heavy Autocannon, Expanded Holds, 30/30 and full Vulcan/PD for a support/combat transport.
2 Chester: For AI management, 3 Volley Rocket's on the nose, 1 Wavemotion Beam, 2 Heavy Autocannons (Volley's are too dodgeable. Hopefully I can sub in Hyper velocities.). 2 Broadswords and a Xyphos (Supplementing tons of Kinetic with Ion Beams). The relative lack of generosity of OP on these ships feels painful to build in comparison, since it's not 'slap what you want on, and maybe some mods!'. But perhaps that's why it's DP is 20?
2 Griffen: 2 Katyusha missiles to try them on ships, and because it means a constant stream of 6 launchers per ship for constant emp threat. 1 Wave Motion, 4 autocannons, 4 pd, Flux Distributor. Fast, lightly armed assault carriers... That I may never deploy due to the redonculous deployment points, but I'll give it a go!
1 Kerberos. Going 4 Hypervelocity, 4 Phase Lance, PD/Vulcan/Flack, 30/30, ITUU, Flux Distributar and Coil Adjunt. No where near enough flux, but it'll be interesting to see if it does work. May rebuild it into a SO Ship.
1 Freebooter (I have a capital!): 2 Autocanon, 2 Hypervelocity, 2 Wavemotion Kinetic Burst, 2 Katyusha, and full PD compliment with double flak on the rear. Hardened shields and ITU built in with Extended and Shield Conversion Front to turn it into a tank, with my piloting bringing it to .65 Dam/Flux, and Expanded Mags for the Wavemotions. Ridiculously fast with manoeuvring jets given Odam's sit at 60 (At this point they need 10/15 on comparison.). One problem I somehow didn't notice before, the Freebooter's shields are off centre. Centre line appears to be through the right forward missile, which is aggravating.
Also turns out it can eat paragons and outranges them handedly Might need to be upped to 50OP if not 60.
Oh, and -7 Vents, because the Freebooter has more than enough flux actually!
Edit:
I will note, while Hellfires and Inferno > than Remnant, Freeboota Autocannon is not. Too much pressure... That and/or I chose the wrong ships for support, and they need massed Odam's to act as a shield wall.
That said, it and carriers feel much better and isn't as cheesy.
Also, tried the Kerb... Just way too little flux capacity. Put in work though! Long range HV's to wear on shields until close, then turn them off for Phase Lances.
Take 3
3 Odam, Same build except Darts and Torpedo Spec swapped for Vents since I didn't really have any other space. May improve doing some merchenteering before exploring.
2 Ravens: 3 Annhialator Rockets, Vulcan, 2 PD, Gauss Cannon, Integrated Targeting, Flux Distributor. Not going to be even close to venting enough, but they're sniper support.
3 Cutties: As before, but swapping 2 PD for a Vulcan, and now with 2 Vulcan.
2 Jackdaw: Due to logistical dificulties, one's the same, 1 has 4 dual autocanons instead.
2 Berkantines with Broadswords and Skiffs. 20/18 with Hardened Shields, ITU's and FCA's to make them tankier.
8 Danube. Enough Danube?
1 Astera
3 Carrack, 2 Pilums, Wrecker and HV, Expanded Holds, 30/30 and full Vulcan/PD for a support/combat transport. Due to economic downturn, mining lasers for laser pd, but that means they contribute to mining, so eh. Expanded Cargo and Efficiency Overhaul.
2 Chester: For AI management, 3 Volley Rocket's on the nose, 1 Wavemotion Beam, 2 Heavy Autocannons (Volley's are too dodgeable. Hopefully I can sub in Hyper velocities.). 2 Broadswords and a Xyphos (Supplementing tons of Kinetic with Ion Beams). The relative lack of generosity of OP on these ships feels painful to build in comparison, since it's not 'slap what you want on, and maybe some mods!'. But perhaps that's why it's DP is 20?
2 Griffen: 2 Katyusha missiles to try them on ships, and because it means a constant stream of 6 launchers per ship for constant emp threat. 1 Wave Motion, 4 autocannons, 4 pd, Flux Distributor. Fast, lightly armed assault carriers... That I may never deploy due to the redonculous deployment points, but I'll give it a go!
1 Kerberos. 2 Shredder, 4 HMG, 2 Gravitons, 2 Wavemotions for armor peeling, and 2 Ion Cannons for control, Safety Overides. Then built in Hardened Shields [Lets it go harder] and Hardened Systems.
4 Vegulde, High Resolution, Expanded Cargo, Unstable Injector, PD, 19/20.
Freebooter, same as second.
I also tried out the Bourbon more... Despite costing more, this one readily outfluxes itself, has less shield coverage despite being the one with fortress shields, and can't eat a Paragon. Build Below.
Spoiler
Bourbon. To not feel cheating, 4 Anhialator Rocket Pods, 2 Railguns, 2 Heavy Needlers, 2 Large Wave Motions, and plenty of PD. ITU and Hardened shields built in again. Shields are front so only extended this time, so much less shield coverage, but potentially tankier due to fortress. Flux Adjunt/Distributor for extra tank and because this one doesn't hae enough venting unlike the freebooter. Aux Thrusters because the shields is lacking in coverage. -3 Capacitators.
Atttempt 2, cheating all in. Rockets become Hellfire, don't have other large energy weapons so no changes. -3 Cap instead. Eat the Paragon half way through launchers, as the missiles confuse the shields but the wave motions means it ends up restarting it at the front every time.
Everything was going great with run 3, even managed to pick up the carrier capital from a bounty to try more, however since the games on a portable hard drive for reasons several parts of starsector including the save were corrupted.
[Somehow the record of the campaign was replaced with data about X-Com 2....]
That said, my feeling for the fleet remains the same as the initial review. It seems that Carter's Freetraders work best as a highly mobile but somewhat fragile midline fleet that works best as a group of tanks out front with faster ships doing punishing and some really solid back line in the form of carriers, missiles, and Autocannons.
And having played with autocannons, albeit with expanded mags, even in long battles so far I've yet to go below 50 ammo. Either the reserve needs to be neutered (Say, down to 10-15) or just removed treating it as a regular weapon... Also, there's nothing quite like hitting a Frigate at extreme range, where due to the angle there's just enough time between shots that the ship goes from 0 flux and full hull to a exploded wreck with one shot from 2 cannons. It's hillarious.