Perhaps we should know just HOW PlaD are supposed to work in SFB.. Then we can come up with how they should be implemented in SFC based on the following findings:
A ftr based PlaD has 2 reloads.
there are 2x ftrs, that squad will be able to knock down 16 drones at once.
No matter how many PlaD are present on each ftr and no matter how many ftrs in a squad, only ONE shot will be fired from that squad at a PF or ftr squad and not another till that PlaD shot has expired..
It sounds good, the problem is when you have a fighter group with plasmad attacking an enemy fighter
group or PF 2-3 hexes away the part about only" ONE shot will be fired from that squad at a PF or ftr squad and not another till that PlaD shot has expired.." is kinda the same thing as saying there is no difference between an Assault Rifle and a Single shot hunting rifle as they both "only fire one shot at a time"
As I said- I may have messed up the donating, but (from my quick 6 tests) the plasma fighters wiped out the ZyBm's drone wave, then did the "one shot fired" thing - and still managed (all 6 times)to wipe out the ZYb's before they could get a second drone wave off.
-Points-
- I may have messed up the donating (still they appeared to fire at the fighters as you said they should)
-There was no human control for the ZyB's- of course I didn't do anything with the plasms fighters either.
*To me* it still appears that placing a Plasmad on a fighter will render the carrier alomst immune to drone strikes as well as rip up and PF and or fighter unit they encounter.
A Plasma carrier using 2-4 a mix of Plasma D and Plasma F fighters would be able to (fairly easily) eliminate another carriers fighters/PF's and still retain the plasma F fighters for srikes on ships.
Given the AI's decision to (usually) attack fighters with fighters Any drone fighters will attempt to
eliminate the plasD fighters, and I really don't think they can do it.