The biggest problem when using a destroyer is trying to get into small places, (and spawning with the view all sideways but that’s more of a bug than anything). Anyway, why not make a destroyer variant based around drone combat, specifically attack/fighter drones?
In terms of balance, reduce it’s damage output by guns to about 70% of a Suppressor’s, and reduce its hull and shield capacity so comparing a Carrier to a Suppressor is like comparing a Long Ranged Frigate to a Guard. And give it a 20% speed boost, but replace the suppressor offensive modals with different types of Drone Launch Bays. The drones themselves would be differed based on weapon types and/or durability and/or speed of cool-down and/or speed of movement.
It would be pretty cool to fight with a fleet of 10+ drones, and arguably only 1/2 as annoying to the other team as a Grave lens.
Possible Drones:
Defender drone: Passive, limit 2, each drone orbits the destroyer 300m away, 5000 pts of hull with same hull resistance as Carrier, 2000 thermal damage per second, restores 100 shield or hull per second when not firing, automatically fires on all enemy craft or equipment within 2000m. If the launch bay is activated 1 drone shuts down restoring 5000 shield and hull points to the Carrier and all allies within 5000m. If a drone is destroyed by an enemy it deals 5000 damage directly to Carrier’s hull. a new drone launches after 30 sec. (basically a weaker beacon defender drone with weaker engineer special effects).
Scout drone: Active, Flies 10,000m in a single direction, has a sensor range of 2,000m, 3000 hull points, 0 resistances no weapons, travels at 700m/s, highlights all enemy equipment or craft as it passes regardless of cloaking device, self destructs at 10,000m from launch point. recharge 45 sec. (a mobile version of the stationary recon active module).
Fighter Drone: Active then passive, limit 6, each drone has 3000 points of hull with Carrier’s hull and shield resistances added together, 2000 Kinetic damage per second, 2000m range, flies at 500m/s, attacks any ship or equipment Carrier is locked on to, passively orbits Carrier when not locked onto an enemy and fires at any enemies in range prioritizing proximity, recharge 10 sec. (The Carrier’s primary weapons (its regular guns are as seen above), reduces Carrier’s energy by 5% for each drone deployed, “Super Sized” engineer attack drone)
Possible Special Modules:
Drone Healer: Restores all allies within 3000m 50 hull and shield points/sec per active drone regardless of drone type for 10 seconds when activated, by 5 points/sec per drone when passive, recharge: 60 seconds. Type: Team support.
Emergency Scramble: Instantly launches up to the maximum allowed number of each drone type equipped, drones launched in this way have -50% stats for 15 seconds. Recharge:120 seconds. Type: Panic Button.
ECM Drone: Launches a single drone that causes all enemy craft in 5000m to lose all sensors for 15 seconds, and be paralyzed for 3 seconds. Drone is stationary and the only object to remain visible through the sensor blindness, if drone is destroyed effect ends, effect is not reduced by Proton Wall. Recharge 120 seconds. Type: Offensive/Escape opportunity.