Posted: 2005-12-10 02:23pm
The Avenger I have no problem with. It's an advanced Interceptor. It's role is the same, it's just a better escort because it has the hyperdrive and it has minor shields (honestly, it couldn't take much). It wasn't wanked to the extreme like the Defender, though an argument could be made that the fighter-mounted tractor beam was absurd for any fighter to carry.Knife wrote:I'll have to agree here too. I never liked the Defender, and always prefered the Avenger Tie. For one, it was the production run of the Vader's ship in ANH.Vicious wrote:I gotta affirm the Assault Gunboat. An all-around strong craft, but not so absurdly wanked that it becomes boring. Besides, you see TIEs everywhere. Flying with the Gunboat squadron made you feel like an elite.
OTOH, the TIE Defender was just absurd. Let's see, let's make it faster than an A-Wing, pack more armament than an Assault Gunboat, have better shields, a tractor beam and hyperdrive ... all in this little ball attacked to three spindly arms. Yeesh! Overwank much, anyone? The Gunboat was logical. It was larger than your ordinary Imperial fighter, to account for it's shields and hyperdrive. It wasn't absurdly strong; A-Wings could outrun and outmaneuver it, same thing with Interceptors. B-Wings packed comparable firepower and durability. The Defender was just overpowered wank. Also, the Assault Gunboat was designed for a purpose; engaging corvette- and frigate-class vessels that packed too much defensive firepower for TIE Bombers to get close to. Assault Gunboats also had the major advantage of being useful strike craft due to their hyperdrive. The TIE Defender was billed as the "do anything well" fighter that had no equal in any role. It made everything else useless and you wondered why the hell didn't they just use this sucker all the time?