Currently there is a game balance issue, that can aggravate in the future, that is to use a massive quantity of fighters to kill other units/defenses just using the fighters cross shield ability, and receiving very few loses as the fighters have a very high ratio of armor points per unit cost, that is unfair in lower level players, as they have less resources to protect from this tactic.
In the future this can aggravate much more, causing small fleets to be in high vulnerability to fighters.

In order to reduce this effect, will be set a limit of the number on attacking fighters that can target a type of unit at the same time.

This rule will only apply to fighters of a attacking players attacking other player less than 65% of his own level.

Rule: Max number of attacking fighters that can targeted a unit = 2 x unit size

Examples:
1 Battleship (2000 cred.) can only be target at same time per 4000 attacking fighters (20000 cred.).

1 Planetary Shield (25000 cred) can only be target at same time per 50000 attacking fighters (250000 cred.).
(Note: In defenses it is considered the basic cost, as 1 unit, and not 1 level)


Example 1:

With the actual rules
100K Fighters attacking 10 Battleships
Losses: 3190 Credits (638 Fighters) vs 20000 credits (10 Battleships) = ratio 6.27:1
(Debris 13114 cred.)

With the new rules
25K Fighters + 25K Bombers attacking 10 Battleships (only 40K fighters can target the BS the remain damage are done by the bombers)
Losses: 4785 Credits (319 Fighters + 319 Bombers) vs 20000 credits (10 Battleships) = ratio 4.18:1
(Debris 14071 cred.)

Comparing to others units destroying the Battleships:
Heavy Bombers + Fighters (meat shield), ratio 3.14:1
Cruisers + Fighters (meat shield), ratio 2.93:1
Cruisers, ratio 1.90:1
Heavy Cruisers, ratio 1.54:1


Example 2:

Attack on:
5 Deflection Shields
5 Disruptor turrets
10 Planetary Shield
10 Planetary Ring

With the actual rules
Fighter swarm takes the base with the actual rules: losses 7238 Fighters = 36190 credits

With the new rules
Fighter swarm + bombers takes the base with the new rules: losses 3619 Fighters + 3619 Bombers = 54285 credits

Comparing to others units taking the base:
Cruisers + Fighters (meat shield): losses 3624 Fighters + 300 Cruisers = 78120 credits
Cruisers takes the base: losses 601 Cruisers = 102200 credits


Technology level used in the examples:
Attacker: Laser 30 ; Armour 30 ; Missiles 28 ; Plasma 24 ; Shield 20 ; Ion 20 ; Photon 16
Defender: Laser 28 ; Armour 28 ; Missiles 26 ; Plasma 22 ; Shield 18 ; Ion 18 ; Photon 14


Please note this rule don’t affect normal combat, like normal fighters drops, or the use of fighters as meat shield, it only affects the using of fighters swarms tactic against smaller players.

This rule will also make units like bombers, corvettes, destroyer, more useful, as they can have an additional role helping fighters.


This new rule will be introduced in about 2 weeks.


Edited (14-04-2009)
- Removed the extra rule of number of attacks.

Adjustments:


- The rule was changed to only apply to players attacking others players less than 65% his own level.

As the lower players have fewer resources to counter this tactic, using fighter swarm on them can be sometimes unfair. This rule will give a little more protection to them, reducing a little they fleet/bases profitability to attacks of fighter swarms.


- The rule was changed from maximum number of attacking fighters that can target a unit from “1 x unit size” to “2 x unit size”, example a Battleship can be target by 2000x2=4000 fighters in a combat.

This will cause fewer changes in the game mechanisms, and still give some protection to newer players, agains this tactic.

Implemented.