It would become easier and more fun to kill Earth Slavers if CW Fortresses sold Reapers and if fortresses' missile supplies automatically regenerated. CW Fortresses could also sell MAGs and Rasiermesser missiles; it be would be a lot easier to justify getting something other than the NAMI launcher if all missiles in midgame, not just Lucifers, could be bought at half price.That's only really workable if you have a good shield and armor, and the power/missile/repair costs make it less effective than just sniping them right now. It's certainly faster and more fun your way, which is why I think something should be done to add a bit more challenge to sniping them, given how easy it is to just dodge their only means of shooting back.
It's pretty frustrating for me to try to snipe ships that won't chase me. If they won't chase me, it's easiest for me to snipe them and avoid their shots at the same time if I'm flying in a circle, but howitzer recoil prevents me from being able to apply a constant centripetal thrust and still face the target at the same time.That said, they can just be tagged every so often with a missile or omni shot if someone's dead set on keeping the station alive to farm them and can't readjust their aim in time to keep them chasing.
But the most fun way to fight is definitely to come in close. We need a greater variety of mid and especially advanced weapons that provide a wall of shots to hide behind, complemented with the availability of different types of missiles that can be fired from behind that wall of shots. The Moskva weapons are really good, but there's nothing like them after level 5.