WOW, the game's different now. The designer implemented systems damage for all weapons now to simulate damage control ... hit a ship with enough firepower quickly enough and you'll knock it out temporarily until the DC crew can get their systems back online. That means frigates can suddenly be useful again (and they're much faster so they can cruise around the map in wolfpacks). Oh, yes, and the Vagyr Assault Frigate and the Higaraan Escort Frigate (it no longer carries flak guns) are capable of antimissile fire
The targetting order has also changed so that DDs and BCs don't target FFs first. Capital ships can have modular weapons emplacements now -- Higaraan ships have a pair of mounting pads to put a variety of weapons (Heavy railgun, rapid-fire medium railgun, 'shotgun' missile launcher and a heavy torpedo launcher). The CV also can mount a twin ion cannon in lieu of some sort of advanced sensors. Finally, they get this BC from Hell festooned with all kinds of weapons and able to build fighters and gunships (but not minelayers or bombers). However, the "extras" take forever to build and are weaker than the 'stock' weapons emplacements. They can also be destroyed, as opposed to the normal guns which are merely disabled.
The Vagyr have to research more, but eventually they can get a ship almost entirely modular so you can pick and choose what you want on it. Their 'special' ship is a carrier that's armed to the teeth. I haven't played them much, though. Their CIWS has been greatly beefed up, though, which was the original intent of this mod.
There are a lot more changes than I listed above, but those are the ones I immediately noticed. Most importantly, to replicate the HW1 feel, ships have hitpoints doubled.
The AI seems more agressive, too. In one skirmish I went to grab the center of the map ... and so did the AI. A fight quickly developed between my super-BC and the Vagur super-CV, myself winning as had a CV along to build some ion cannon frigates and ion platforms to disable the enemy carrier. In hindsight, I probably should have caputred it
But in maneuvering around to maximize my firing arcs* I inadvertedly got within range of a good number of missile platforms which proceeded to plaster my BC well enough before it could escape ... it was disabled, and only the heroic action of repair-equipped workers ensured that it could survive long enough to get back online and run. * The add-on weapons for the BC and super-BC are on the top in the back, so their firing arcs are somewhat limited. I loaded them up with torpedo launchers in this case so I was maneuvering to give them a clear shot.
The amount of flak was unbelievable, just this huge, constant stream of firepower ...
