Fighters in STSTCS - how do you game yours?

We have used fighters on occasion in our Star Trek gaming. I didn't modify any real rules, just added a few tweaks to speed up the process and to give the fighters a little more survival time. I use the standard equipment for regular ship construction, but tweaked it in order to keep the weight down but the speed up (twin impulse drives, for example). I also only allow them in sublight combat scenarios.

I actually started making equipment for a ground based Star Trek combat tabletop game based off of the construction rules. I suppose these rules could be adjusted for building fighters.

I posted a fighter on the old forum based off of what we have been working with. I'll repost it in my Federation thread at some point in the future.

As to the use of fighters in Star Trek. We know they exist, as seen in TNG (in one way, shape, or form). Especially when Wesley and his cohorts crash and kill a classmate. It is only logical to assume that some form of armed, single person craft exist throughout Starfleets history.

Are they effective? In our games, they have been, but the cost in life is steep. I suppose it wouild be racially based as to whether or not fighters would be an acceptable form of combat craft. The Klingons definately would. The honor of individual combat transcends from the sword to the fighter. The Federation? Probably not at first blush, but to defend against other fighters, maybe. Romulans might, but with the constraint on resources, would it be economical? The Gorn, sure, as with the Tholians (though, in my version, they man thier vessels differently anyway).

If players want to use fighters in Star Trek, I have no problem with that, however I do believe that fighters should always be secondary items to the starships.

theSwede