I'm mostly just baffled because even colony frigates can shoot, and they're even more specialized than the carrier.  Same with the Hoko, Cielo, and every other support ship.  Crap damage, but damage nonetheless.  Anyway, it was just a random thought brought on by my careless placement of them in a neutral grav well vs AI.  Learned my lesson, i hope...  Still, it would be nice for them to have SOME use in a plasma storm.  (Or is it magnetic cloud, whichever grounds strikecraft.)

Carriers are unarmed for the same reasons that carriers in real life are (mostly) unarmed. The engineering requirements for carrying, deploying, launching and landing strike-craft are completely at odds with those of supporting weapon hardpoints. The modern aircraft carrier has elevators, parts, and fuel reserves where a traditional battleship or cruiser will carry munitions, powder and the weapon systems themselves. The carrier is designed to project its power via its strike force, and relies on its escorts for close in security, because THOSE vessels can also be designed with their precise role in mind.

True.  I was just thinking of resurrecting my old habit of Kol exclusivity during my last game, but i just can't seem to make myself push any button but sova or akkan for my first 2 capitols...

I ALWAYS do Skirantra first, but that's Vasari.  Advent, i typically do their carrier too.  Guess i just like the strikecraft in general.

I just hate it when they get spammed to ridiculous degrees. Actually, I hate anything when it's spammed to a ridiculous degree. However, when you have 50+ squadrons of bombers focus-firing on one target... it's particularly annoying. Honestly, I think that many ships in the game should be given a flakk battery or two...

Heavy Cruisers, All Cap Ships, Light Carriers, Star Bases... all four of those would make sense. I don't mean give them flakk to the extent of the actual flakk frigates (except in the case of Star Bases) - but give them a little bit to help spread the love some.

Plus it would arm the carrier cruisers and negate this thread .

I actually wouldn't object to some point defense armament on the Light Carrier hull, but such an armament would necessarily add to the support requirements of the vessel, which effectively reduces the total number of strike craft you can launch, and effectively combine the role of the flak ship and the carrier into one hull. Ultimately, you wind up with less flexibility for no real game balance reason.

Flak would make it too powerful.  I'm just talking about something like a laser cannon on the nose or something like that.

Carriers are unarmed to fool the enemy.

The enemy will think: "Ahh, he's sending carriers, the fool... I will surely win now! Because I know that 'carrier: strong against none'. Hahaha! He's sending non-combat units to fight me! BWHAHAHAHA! MU-hahahah!"

But when the carriers actually arrive, they are in fact carrying combat units. 'SURPRISE ATTACK AMBUSH STRATEGY' you then type to really put down the poor guy. And then your fighters fight him and your bombers bomb him. And you win.

So, carriers are in fact stealth units.

No, they aren't. If they were, then the Vasari one would probably be upgradeable with phasic cloaking to make it an actual "stealth" unit.

like i said the point is to give it a fighting chance. It might not be much. But atleast they dont act like hardcore christians

"Jesus says TURN THE OTHER CHEEK"..........."OUCH ITS NOT WORKING!"

Well, they are cruisers, which means that they are supposed to be more specialized than frigs, so maybe one ASC (anti-strike craft) gun and like a low power gun like what siege frigs have. Or, if your not content, hack and make it so they can fire Novalith shots.