True, I'd have loved it to be changed to "Fighter Escort" where instead of 3 holo-starships, you get a flight of 5 or so Peregrines to assist you until the end of the fight. (Although that starts to tread on carrier territory )

Everybody gets Fleet Support at RA(lh)/3. The tac "equivalent" to Photonic Fleet is "Go Down Fighting" (damage buff proportional to hull damage). Engineers get "Miracle Worker".

I personally love photonic fleet. but it all depends on your builds. I fly a star cruiser, and have a bunch of my skill points in places that buff photonic fleet like hull repair and photonic theory. I regularly out DPS escorts in star base 24.

Photonic fleet is granted via leveling. The DS9 hologram is a holographic disguise for YOUR ship.

yea, i know some people like photonic fleet. i personally hate it from the bottom of my heart. why not build starbases with massive photonic generators and just project fleets to defend them ..... sorry but .... that would just screw over anything trek so bad ... and what bout all that equal rights for hologram stuff ... what .. ships have personalities now ? i mean if you create a ship that shoots at other ships ... etc etc BLEH, would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you could perhaps choose some of your personal powers, and less of this holographic nonsense ..... well .... its highly personal i guess ...

You are not alone, the holostuff got ridiculous stupid with Voyager and sadly it got transplanted into the game as well.
So antimatter is not able to be replicated, but a holoship can shot actual photon torpedoes which contain antimatter ...
The hirogen developed a gun that can perma kill a hologram ...
ugh ...