On a side note, actually there is workable theory for producing faster then light travel. It is based on moving space rather then trying to move within space. Of course its just theory because it would take levels of power and types of energy that we can only imagine at this point but the theory works within all the laws of physics as we understand them.

As for photonic fleet doing damage.
A laser beam is only light but it can burn through just about any material we know of. They use lasers to write on diamonds so I don't see any reason why a ship made of light couldn't do damage. If they can create the levels of energy required to bend space I'm sure they would have little problem making holographic ships do damage.

I think the question was simply, if your ship has enough power to materialize a photonic torpedo for your photonic ship to fire, why wouldn't you just skip the middleman and shoot the thing out of your own ship? And further, why bother making it torpedo-like in the first place, instead of just blasting the raw energy out in a beam?

Bingo. Producing enough energy for Beam Overload shuts down the weapon system...but we can pump multiple of times more energy throuh a holo-emittor with no problem?

How do we have all this excess power available to put into a holo-gram, but cant use all that energy for another weapon syste, to boost shield HP on our ship, etc, etc?
Why are we building holo-emittors to be able to handle more energy, and project it better than any other system on our ship, excluding perhaps the deflector dish and warp engines?

Why are we fielding fighters with expensive materials and man-power when we can obviously build a Carrier with super garde emittors and just build holo-squadrons? Why is my shields dropping if this much power on tap? Etc, Etc...the most reasonable use of the Photonic Fleet is a diversion, not a weapon.

Because its Star Trek not Cocoa Trek. j/k

I'm sure a creative sci fi writer could come up with some explanation that would create a viable explanation.

Personally, I think it has to do with subterfuge. One ship is less likely to attack 3 ships then it is one and 3 ships are less likely to attack 9. We know they are photonic, in the world of Star Trek they don't. Unless they have some better form of sensors or they are Q or many other possible extra terrestrial possibilities.

Maybe it's several shuttle craft staffed by redshirts? The holo emitters mounted on the hull.

A diversion is all the skill should provide. An opening for the user to distract the opponent(s) to allow them to disengage(opponent runs), or in hopes the holograms will draw the opponent's fire long enough for the player to finish them off.

But the Holograms should deliver minimal damage. Certainly no torpedo level damage.

Gameplay's Funfactor crits your Immersion for 4900 Photonic Torpedo damage.

Cryptic should describe them as being isomorphic projections instead of holograms.

Technically it's a "Photonic Photon Torpedo".

Really, I think on that skill as a "call for reinforcements". The Photonic fleet, can be a "decoy" but is too dificult make those "artificial ships" and powered his attacks, when we only have the energy from "our ship".

Just I say, I prefert consider it as "reinforcements" arrived from warp.

We play, we decide XD.