Air War Improvements
Toni Staničić
Let's be real - air war is terrible. Humans are sending troop transports (not even properly converted) to fight enemy craft with laughably superior firepower.
Most weapon are useless against stronger enemy craft, as you will die before getting into range. Hence, the "air war" is equipping the longest-range weapon, fireing once, then retreating. Boring.
To fix it:
a) All aircraft equipment slots are universal. Have 4 of them. You can equip 4 weapons or 2 weapons and 2 modules or 4 modules.
b) multiple aircraft can engage at once. Thus, one aircraft can distract for another with shorter range weapons to get in range.
c) ACTUAL fighters/interceptors. Not transports.
Toni Staničić
To expand on this. If creating new models for fighters/interceptors is out of the question, then converting the transports to fighters (and back) for a cost would be an option. You loose transport capacity but get more slots and more armor.
Fighters could have use outside of direct intercept. Loitering above pandoran nests could provide early warning, telling you what haven they will target. You can then choose to warn the haven for a relation boost and a defense boost to the haven.
They could also provide CAS (but not with Air-to-Air missiles) if loitering above havens/points when you deploy troops. That would basically translate to being able to call in an attack every X turns (depending on craft loadout)