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That is incorrect, for several reasons.

If you only look at the single modules, low slots are much better then mid slots, even for application. This is very easy to calculate: A DDA is 20.5% more damage against ANY target. A tracking link is at optimal conditions (small and fast targets) a 14.9% damage increase. Clearly a 20.5% damage increase against everything is always better than a 14.9% damage increase against some targets. I am ignoring the range bonus here, because it does not really matter for fighters.
Let me repeat that again, because its really not intuitive: DDA will result in better damage against small targets than tracking link.

Now lets include stacking penaltys
1. DDA: 20.5%
2. DDA: 17.8%
3. DDA: 11.7%
4. DDA: 5.8%
5. DDA: 2.2%

As you can see even the second DDA is strictly better than a tracking link. Even the third one could be considered better (or maybe equal) as it gives a slightly lower damage increase, but against everything, not only against small and fast targets.


Now to the downside of lowslots: There is only one useful modules, while midslots got two. Tracking enhancers are basically worthless, as they exactly the same thing as tracking links, just worse. They only give a 10.3 % damage increase against small targets, so that is even worse then the third DDA. Considering that you probably already have at least on tracking link when you start fitting tracking enhancers, you have to include the stacking penalty, so its actually only a 8.9% damage increase, which brings them roughly on par with the FORTH DDA. Midslots on the other han have two modules that could be considered useful, which is tracking links and nav comps.

Basically it comes down to this:
If you do not have to fit tank (in pve where one tank item is enough), the low number of lowslots is not a disadvantage because there is only one useful module, and that you have to use midslots for tank is also not a problem, since you only need one for this. I would assume the Archon is actually the worst pve ship for this reason.
If you have to fit tank (pvp) it is also not much of a problem that you cannot fit many application modules in midslots (for shield carriers), because in low numbers, the low slots are strictly better anyway.

I think the slot layout is actually quite balanced, from my estimation (and including the hull bonus) its probably something like this: pvp: archon>chimera>thanatos>Nid while in pve I would expect Nid>Thanatos>chimera>archon. But I do not think that the differences are huge.

I ignored the CPU here... in pve it is irrelevant because you do not need the high cpu modules, and I was simply too lazy to include them in the pvp. Maybe some carrier need more cpu... I cant really comment on that.

Terrorfrodo:

there are two kinds of light fighters. you probably tried the anti-fighter fighter, you should try the normal ones. templar, firbolg, einherji, dragonfly.

They can do real damage. Its not great, but it has a nice burst and can also hit smaller targets., so the role is probably dps against anything between bs and frig size.

Current ranking of carriers


Nid>Thannatos>chimera>archon



And the gap between thany and chimera is huge

I should not be able to lay out from better to worse ships in the same class


The only advantage chimera and archon have over the other two is tank but by the time you need that much you should be in a super

You have two anti subcap ships with tank built to survive capitals

I still think thats only true for pve, and basically the other way around in pvp.
More tank is always better in pvp, and in my opinion more valueable than damage. Look at the old carriers, it was archon all around, and chimera when you wanted shield.
Nid was never used, and Thannatos nearly never.


edit:
the t1 should also be seeded... at least they were the last few days. maybe check another system?

I was talking for pvp you don't need 3 mill ehp to deal with sub caps. Currently when it comes to fighter/drone carriers you use thanatos on TQ not the Chimera or archon

Archon and chimera are used most because as logistics you need that tank and capacitor especially if you ate in triage or in a fight where alpha is a risk neither of these scenarios fit what carriers will be doing. They ate not the best choice for a fight where you at risk of 1m alpha and they no longer fill a triage role. Not to mention the archon and especially the Chimera get there huge tanks from mostly buffer not resist so when logi is involved in fleet the extra tank will become even less noticeable. Unless again you are using them in a situation with high alpha

I think my fit was NSArray, 3 FSU, 2 invul, 2 amps (EM/Therm), 3 extenders, DC2, 3 Dmg amps, 3 shield extender rigs. All T2. That gave 2 hours of cap, 3 mil ehp in EVE. I cant seem to log in to confirm atm though.

You know what, i never even thought to try and cram that in, neither on the armor ships. Good point, will try that later on.

More hp is also good against subcaps. And you are not going to use carriers only against subcaps. You will apply your dps only against subcaps because it sucks against caps, that is true. But that does not mean that there wont be any other caps on the field.
If you escalate a fight to carriers, there is a significant chance that it will be escalated further.

You are probably refering to the problem that supercaps overshadow carrier, so you assume that once it escalates, carriers are useless anyway. Is this correct?
I am still hoping that this will change, and carriers are actually supposed to be useful in cap fights. Just not against caps, but as anti-subcap support.

Carrier now are better against smaller subcaps than dreads, you might still want a few carrier on the field. The dps of HAW is better, but carriers actually do have a range and application advantage now. The only big problem that I see is that supercarriers can do everything better.

Cool thread.

So, here's my biggest point of confusion: carriers after the changes will have a maximum of 14 locked targets.

Currently, skills can only support 12 targets (2 base, 5 from Target Management, and 5 more from Advanced Target Management). These set a hard cap on how many targets that pilot can lock simultaneously in ANY ship, on top of the ship's own limitation (which can only be increased by fitting auto-targeting modules in high slots or signal amplifiers in low slots).

How is this going to work? Is there a new skill coming? Will the current skills be modified? Does sitting in a carrier magically make you smarter by 2 targets? Is there a new form of player ewar that will reduce max locked targets? Is it a typo? I'm dying to know!