On the other side of the same coin, buffing their dps doesn't change their role. They still are cheap meatshields except now the shields bash a little harder. How will new tactics open up I ask, other then just making them a little bit stronger in relation to anything else.
You say on the one hand it won't change others playstyle, but then say it somehow will change yours. You say you shouldn't let others perception of their unit prevent them to change the status of the fighter, but so far the only evidence that has been shown that will change of the fighter is your perception of them. You've said outright you want the changes so you can use the fighter the way you want.
Perhaps if you were to more fully explain what, specifically, would change with the increase of fighter dps the position would be more clear.
Good question, thanks for asking.
I believe that the Fighter is meant to be a cheap, powerful, all-purpose unit (but not great against anything). Increasing their raw damage makes them better at that role. It makes them better at intercepting and killing guard posts/raiding. While they're still fairly weak to the things Bombers and Frigates specialize against, there are many more situations where they open up in usefulness on their own.
In addition, I would personally upgrade them to MKIII and IV often, because I think the playstyle they open up (in a buffed state) suits me personally.
This is the bonus of the whole thing: For people who don't use them that much (or just use them a throwaway meatshields), you can just keep them at MKI or II. Buffing them doesn't mean you have to change what you're doing. They're still relatively easy to defend so that's not even an issue either.
I guess what I'm saying is that buffing Fighters seems (to me), like a net positive thing for the game. It doesn't change the playstyles of the people already using them, but it opens up more for the people who think they're underpowered or lackluster.
In my opinion, if a ship is never worth upgrading to its highest tier (whether it be Fleet or Starship), it needs help. I would never upgrade Fighter to MKIV, and I dare say most others wouldn't either.
So to answer your question again: There's a lot of different new ways I would use the Fighter. It would completely change the way I play the game and spend my research. These two things in themselves justify buffing them in my eyes, especially since I don't see how it changes the playstyle of the people who are happy using them as throwaway meatshields.
