[Campeador]

President, about comparing ratios of fire and cost with SE, I do not know, I only played the SE demo once years ago, but I take your word for it. When I mentioned slowing the game speed, is just my preference, the fighters are too fast for me to be able to enjoy the action.
Now to your main concern:
About the fighter just lining up behind your ship is as you said. I have tried many configurations in the past about this but found no solution. Moving or total stop, single fighter or all together, they just line up no mater how many times I tried. The only way that I could get them in was by commanding them to go into formation, and then recalling them, then I stirred the ship toward at least one of them to force them in, just as you mentioned on your first post. Sometimes by forcing at least one the others load in, in other times I had to do the trick with each one. It is definitely a bug. Having the fighters collide with each other or the carrier as they are launched, is definitely another bug, at least they should have some time of damage delay as the mines do as they are launched.
Some of cargo too close to the planet, sometimes you can get close enough to pick it up, in other occasions the ship does hit the planet, yes another bug. By the way, bug that I exploited to simulate starbases be on the surface of the planets touching them, yet no damage. Picking cargo too close to small planets is bad, on the bigger ones is easier, is a radius thing as 'douglas' explained. But yes a bug never the less.
The problems you mentioned are very common on the game, you are not the only one who sees them, so you are not alone, and if you can talk to the big guy and have them fix that would be great!