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[[File:Hangar_Bay_Example.png|thumb|500px|right|Fighters deploying from a Hangar Bay]]
[[File:Hangar spawn.png|thumb|500x500px|Fighters deploying from a Hangar Bay]]
Hangar Bays are equipment modules that allow a ship to carry, deploy, and recall '''fighter craft''' - a collective name for Size-1 combat, salvage and mining ships that act as autonomous wingmen. Unlike Drones, fighters are fully-fledged ships with their own equipment, hull, and crew requirements. In fact, any size-1 ship the player can fly can be loaded into a carrier as a Fighter.
[[File:Hangar_skilltree.png|thumb|Hangar Bay Skill Tree|320px|right]]


The individual setup of fighters is entirely up to the Player, so deploying a majority of salvage fighters, with a few combat ones for defense, for example, is as viable as doing the same setup with drones.
Hangar Bays are equipment modules that allow a ship to carry, deploy, and recall '''fighter craft''' — small combat ships that act as autonomous wingmen. Unlike Drones, fighters are fully-fledged ships with their own equipment, hull, and crew requirements.


[[Echo|ECHO]] can use Hangar Bays, and will actively deploy fighters when entering combat or other interesting POIs, and recall them when leaving a POI. The Player can also deploy or recall manually by clicking the '''Deploy''' / '''Recall''' buttons at the bottom of the screen.
The individual setup of fighters is entirely up to the Player. It's quite common to use fighters for anti-fighter screening while your main ship focuses on capital ships, or to assign them as priority interceptors against specific threats.


Fighters can be damaged destroyed by enemy activity. Damaged fighters under 10% hull/armor (shields ignored) will try to re-dock and repair at rate of 1/90 (1.11%) of total health per second. This can be sped up with Hangar Rebuild Speed substat for the Hangar Bay, and/or with Nanite Armor aspect in case the fighters are armored.
[[Echo|ECHO]] can use Hangar Bays, and will actively deploy fighters when entering combat and recall them when leaving a POI. The Player can also deploy or recall manually by clicking the '''Deploy''' / '''Recall''' buttons at the bottom of the screen.


Fighters can be destroyed by enemy activity. When destroyed, the Hangar Bay will manufacture a replacement after a short delay. Launching an Emergency Jump with fighters deployed is not an issue — the bay automatically despawns them and they'll be rebuilt when re-deployed.
If destroyed, the Hangar Bay will manufacture a replacement after a 120 delay. Launching an Emergency Jump with fighters deployed is not an issue — the bay automatically despawns them and they'll be rebuilt when re-deployed.

Additionally, fightes do not use ammo. Player does not have to worry about laoding Mining Charges or any other type of ammo on the fighters.


== '''Hangar Bay Slots''' ==
== '''Hangar Bay Slots''' ==
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|+Hangar Bay Slots Base off Module
|+Hangar Bay Slots Base off Module
!Size
!Size
!Small
!Medium
!Medium
!With Skills
!Large
|-
|-
!Base Slots
!Base Slots
|1
|5
|1
|5
|2
|-
|-
!Unique Skill
!Unique Skill
|—
|—
|Hangar Extension +
|—
|T3HangarBayStella: +1
|-
|-
!Total Slots
!Total Slots
|5
|'''1'''
|6
|'''1'''
|'''3'''
|}
|}
| valign="bottom" |
| valign="bottom" |
|}
|}


There is 1 Engineering skill that increases the maximum amount of Fighters that can be stored and controlled — '''T3HangarBayStella''', a Tier 3 unique skill unlocked via a specific captain (Stella).
There is 1 Engineering skill that increases the maximum amount of Fighters that can be stored and controlled , a Tier 3 unique skill unlocked via a specific captain (Stella).
[[File:Hangar ui.png|thumb|646x646px|Hangar UI, here you can select the Ships assigned to that Module.]]


== '''Assigning Fighters''' ==
== '''Assigning Fighters''' ==
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Any ship in your fleet can be assigned as a fighter — including captured ships, mission rewards, or vessels you've built. The fighter keeps all its equipment, custom name, paint, and configuration.
Any ship in your fleet can be assigned as a fighter — including captured ships, mission rewards, or vessels you've built. The fighter keeps all its equipment, custom name, paint, and configuration.

Slots are stored in your save as <code>HangarBaySlotData</code> — each slot records the fighter's GUID and a rebuild timer if the fighter was destroyed. Empty slots auto-sync as capacity changes, so you never have to manually clean up.


== '''Fighter Behavior''' ==
== '''Fighter Behavior''' ==


Once deployed, fighters act on their own for most combat activities. They can be re-focused on a single target by clicking it.
Once deployed, fighters act on their own for most activities. They can be re-focused on a single target by clicking it.


In combat, all fighters will focus on the target you click or the target that attacks the player first — unless you specifically order them elsewhere by clicking a different target.
In combat, all fighters will focus on the target you click or the target that attacks the player first — unless you specifically order them elsewhere by clicking a different target.
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Fighters accumulate cargo — mostly salvage and loot from combat kills. When a fighter returns to the bay for repairs or recall, its cargo is automatically transferred to the carrier ship. This makes fighters excellent as mobile cargo mules in combat-heavy areas.
Fighters accumulate cargo — mostly salvage and loot from combat kills. When a fighter returns to the bay for repairs or recall, its cargo is automatically transferred to the carrier ship. This makes fighters excellent as mobile cargo mules in combat-heavy areas.
[[File:Hangar ships.png|thumb|327x327px]]


In case there is insufficient room on the carrier for cargo, the docked fighters will transfer the cargo once there is room (for example, once the carrier docks at a station and unloads the haul). This is done automatically and the fighters don't need to re-deploy to transfer cargo.
If cargo transfer fails or finds nothing to move, the slot goes on a '''15-second cooldown''' before it can request resupply again.


== '''Fighter Power & Stats''' ==
== '''Fighter Power & Stats''' ==
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=== '''Pilot Requirement''' ===
=== '''Pilot Requirement''' ===


Each deployed fighter consumes '''1 Pilot''' from the carrier's crew. If you don't have enough Pilots, the bay will show a warning:
Each deployed fighter uses '''1 Pilot''' from the carrier's crew. The pilot is not actually "spent" to launch the fighter, they just need to be on the carrier and available. If you don't have enough Pilots, the bay will show a warning:


<blockquote>''"No Pilots available"''</blockquote>
<blockquote>''"No Pilots available"''</blockquote>


Deployment simply won't happen until you assign more Pilots. Off-duty fighters in the bay don't consume crew.
Deployment simply won't happen until you assign more Pilots. Off-duty fighters in the bay don't utilize crew.

Since pilots can die if the fighter is destroyed, make sure to have sufficient replacement pilots onboard. Setting the ECHO automation setting to 10% pilots will ensure you have plenty to spare.


=== '''Passive Bay Repair''' ===
=== '''Passive Bay Repair''' ===
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<pre>repair_per_second = (1/90) * max_hp * (1 + HangarBayRepairRate_bonus)</pre>
<pre>repair_per_second = (1/90) * max_hp * (1 + HangarBayRepairRate_bonus)</pre>


The <code>HangarBayRepairRate</code> stat comes from equipment, aspects, skills, or hull bonuses and applies to both repair speed and rebuild time.
The <code>HangarBayRepairRate</code> stat comes from equipment, aspects, skills, or hull bonuses and applies to both repair speed and rebuild time. It can normally be generated only on the Hangar Bay module.


[[File:Hangar bay.png|thumb|402x402px|Hangar Bay Module]]
=== '''Key Constants''' ===

{| class="wikitable"
!Constant
!Value
|-
|Rebuild time (base)
|120 seconds
|-
|Launch clearance distance
|4 units
|-
|Launch impulse speed
|6 units/sec
|-
|Bay repair rate
|1/90th max HP/sec
|-
|Dock snap distance
|0.3 units
|-
|Hide radius fraction
|1.0x ship size
|-
|Resupply cooldown (empty)
|15 seconds
|-
|Docking capture radius
|2 units
|-
|Path sample count
|16 points
|-
|Carrier lead time
|0.5 seconds
|}

== '''Docking Path''' ==

When a fighter returns to the bay, it doesn't just snap back. It flies a '''cubic Bezier curve''' calculated in real-time:
# The fighter's current position and velocity are sampled
# The carrier's future position is predicted (0.5s lead time)
# A 16-point curved path is generated with control arms clamped between 2 and 12 units
# The fighter follows the path at its natural speed, adjusting heading at up to 300°/sec
# At 2 units from the dock point, the fighter enters the bay mask and the sprite hides
# At 0.3 units from dock, the fighter is considered docked

This means fighters can chase a moving carrier and still land cleanly — even if the carrier is turning or accelerating.


== '''Fighter Rebuilding''' ==
== '''Fighter Rebuilding''' ==
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If the carrier performs an Emergency Jump while a fighter is being rebuilt, the rebuild timer pauses and resumes when you're cleared for deployment again.
If the carrier performs an Emergency Jump while a fighter is being rebuilt, the rebuild timer pauses and resumes when you're cleared for deployment again.

== '''Launch Effects''' ==

Fighters launch from visually marked '''Launch Points''' on the carrier ship model. During launch:
* A smoke puff effect spawns at the launch point (size 3.2, 22 particles, 3.5s lifetime)
* The fighter accelerates to 6 units/sec away from the bay
* A sprite mask hides the fighter while inside the bay, then reveals it as it exits
* A smoke trail follows the fighter (0.35 size, 1.2s duration, 35 particles/sec spawn rate)
* The fighter is marked <code>isLaunching = true</code> until it clears 4 units from the bay

The docking animation mirrors all of this in reverse — the fighter enters the mask, hides, and despawns.

== '''Known Limitations''' ==

* '''Combat only''' — fighters cannot mine, salvage, or use utility beams. They are pure combat vessels.
* '''Pilot requirement''' — each active fighter needs 1 Pilot crew. Running out means no deployment.
* '''Station docking''' — fighters cannot dock at Space Stations independently. They follow the carrier.
* '''Flat rebuild time''' — rebuilding takes 120 seconds regardless of the fighter's cost, rarity, or equipment value.
* '''Despawn on travel''' — if the carrier enters warp, uses a Jump Gate, or Emergency Jumps, all fighters are despawned immediately and must be rebuilt.
* '''Slot cap''' — Large bays can hold at most 3 fighters (2 base + 1 skill). There are no Aspect upgrades for hangar slots (unlike Drone Bays which can stack up to 18).


== '''Tips''' ==
== '''Tips''' ==


* Assign your '''best-equipped spare ship''' as a fighter — it keeps all its modules, turrets, and weapons
* Assign your '''best-equipped spare ship''' as a fighter — it keeps all its modules, turrets, and weapons
* Fighters are excellent for drawing aggro away from your main ship in tough fights
* Fighters are excellent for drawing aggro away from your main ship in tough fight.
* The Hangar Extension skill is a massive power spike — 6 fighters instead of 5 is a 20% increase in firepower
* Use the '''Recall''' button before looting to collect fighter cargo without manually transferring
* The '''T3HangarBayStella''' skill is a massive power spike — 3 fighters instead of 2 is a 50% increase in firepower
* If you're running low on Pilots, check your crew assignments — you may have Pilots assigned to other roles or not enough trained
* Fighters with long-range weapons (missiles, beams) are more survivable than close-range brawlers since they stay at distance
* Fighters with long-range weapons (missiles, beams) are more survivable than close-range brawlers since they stay at distance
* If your carrier has strong shields, fighters benefit indirectly by having fewer enemies targeting them
* If your carrier has strong shields, fighters benefit indirectly by having fewer enemies targeting them

Latest revision as of 15:36, 16 August 2026

Fighters deploying from a Hangar Bay

Hangar Bays are equipment modules that allow a ship to carry, deploy, and recall fighter craft - a collective name for Size-1 combat, salvage and mining ships that act as autonomous wingmen. Unlike Drones, fighters are fully-fledged ships with their own equipment, hull, and crew requirements. In fact, any size-1 ship the player can fly can be loaded into a carrier as a Fighter.

The individual setup of fighters is entirely up to the Player, so deploying a majority of salvage fighters, with a few combat ones for defense, for example, is as viable as doing the same setup with drones.

ECHO can use Hangar Bays, and will actively deploy fighters when entering combat or other interesting POIs, and recall them when leaving a POI. The Player can also deploy or recall manually by clicking the Deploy / Recall buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Fighters can be damaged destroyed by enemy activity. Damaged fighters under 10% hull/armor (shields ignored) will try to re-dock and repair at rate of 1/90 (1.11%) of total health per second. This can be sped up with Hangar Rebuild Speed substat for the Hangar Bay, and/or with Nanite Armor aspect in case the fighters are armored.

If destroyed, the Hangar Bay will manufacture a replacement after a 120 delay. Launching an Emergency Jump with fighters deployed is not an issue — the bay automatically despawns them and they'll be rebuilt when re-deployed.

Additionally, fightes do not use ammo. Player does not have to worry about laoding Mining Charges or any other type of ammo on the fighters.

Hangar Bay Slots

Hangar Bays exist in all rarities and sizes. The number of fighter slots depends on the bay's base capacity and your Engineering skill unlocks.

Hangar Bay Slots Base off Module
Size Medium With Skills
Base Slots 5 5
Unique Skill — Hangar Extension +
Total Slots 5 6

There is 1 Engineering skill that increases the maximum amount of Fighters that can be stored and controlled , a Tier 3 unique skill unlocked via a specific captain (Stella).

Hangar UI, here you can select the Ships assigned to that Module.

Assigning Fighters

Unlike Drones which are configured per-slot from the Drone Bay UI, fighters are assigned from your Personal Hangar (accessible at any Space Station with a hangar facility).

To assign a fighter:

  1. Dock at a Space Station
  2. Open the Personal Hangar screen
  3. Select the ship you want to act as carrier
  4. Click on an empty Hangar Slot
  5. Choose one of your owned ships from the list

Any ship in your fleet can be assigned as a fighter — including captured ships, mission rewards, or vessels you've built. The fighter keeps all its equipment, custom name, paint, and configuration.

Fighter Behavior

Once deployed, fighters act on their own for most activities. They can be re-focused on a single target by clicking it.

In combat, all fighters will focus on the target you click or the target that attacks the player first — unless you specifically order them elsewhere by clicking a different target.

Fighters will not follow you into a Space Station interior or through a Jump Gate. They will return to the Hangar Bay automatically when you leave the POI.

If a fighter is damaged, it can be ordered back to the bay for repairs using the Auto-Repair Recall feature — the fighter will fly back, dock, repair, and re-deploy automatically once its hull and armor are restored.

Resupply

Fighters accumulate cargo — mostly salvage and loot from combat kills. When a fighter returns to the bay for repairs or recall, its cargo is automatically transferred to the carrier ship. This makes fighters excellent as mobile cargo mules in combat-heavy areas.

In case there is insufficient room on the carrier for cargo, the docked fighters will transfer the cargo once there is room (for example, once the carrier docks at a station and unloads the haul). This is done automatically and the fighters don't need to re-deploy to transfer cargo.

Fighter Power & Stats

Fighters do not draw from the ship's weapon power pool. Each fighter is an independent ship with its own:

  • Hull HP and Armor HP — fully independent from the carrier
  • Equipment — all modules, turrets, and systems function independently
  • Crew — Fighters require Pilot crew (from your carrier's crew pool)

Pilot Requirement

Each deployed fighter uses 1 Pilot from the carrier's crew. The pilot is not actually "spent" to launch the fighter, they just need to be on the carrier and available. If you don't have enough Pilots, the bay will show a warning:

"No Pilots available"

Deployment simply won't happen until you assign more Pilots. Off-duty fighters in the bay don't utilize crew.

Since pilots can die if the fighter is destroyed, make sure to have sufficient replacement pilots onboard. Setting the ECHO automation setting to 10% pilots will ensure you have plenty to spare.

Passive Bay Repair

The bay has a built-in repair rate of roughly 1/90th of max hull per second. Fighters sitting in the bay slowly regenerate health and armor over time — no action required. The formula is: 

repair_per_second = (1/90) * max_hp * (1 + HangarBayRepairRate_bonus)

The HangarBayRepairRate stat comes from equipment, aspects, skills, or hull bonuses and applies to both repair speed and rebuild time. It can normally be generated only on the Hangar Bay module.

Hangar Bay Module

Fighter Rebuilding

When a fighter is destroyed:

  1. The slot enters Rebuild mode
  2. A 120-second timer starts
  3. The timer is modified by the carrier's HangarBayRepairRate stat
  4. Once the timer finishes, the fighter is fully restored (full hull, armor, and shields)
  5. If the carrier is still in combat with fighters set to auto-deploy, the fighter launches immediately

If the carrier performs an Emergency Jump while a fighter is being rebuilt, the rebuild timer pauses and resumes when you're cleared for deployment again.

Tips

  • Assign your best-equipped spare ship as a fighter — it keeps all its modules, turrets, and weapons
  • Fighters are excellent for drawing aggro away from your main ship in tough fight.
  • The Hangar Extension skill is a massive power spike — 6 fighters instead of 5 is a 20% increase in firepower
  • Fighters with long-range weapons (missiles, beams) are more survivable than close-range brawlers since they stay at distance
  • If your carrier has strong shields, fighters benefit indirectly by having fewer enemies targeting them
Retrieved from "https://wiki.vanguardgalaxy.com/index.php?title=Hangar_Module&oldid=3988"