This is an idea for all cruisers/ battleships, and destoyers that can carry a recon plane or helicopter. This should not include carriers. Give these ships the Recon ability with a range comensurate with that of a recon plane. This eliminates the hassle of giving them an aircraft to carry.

Sounds like a good Idea. I have been planning to implement that in my mod. Though the range of the Recon would have to depend on the Technology of the day. For example, a World War I Recon plane would have a much shorter range than its WWII counter parts. For Modern Warships, I would give it the highest number advalible (To represent Spy Sattlites and GPS) so that it would be like an infanate range.

Well for a modern ship just use what a helicopter would give you, and they only have a limited range anyway.

As for the WW1 ships its a no brainer. If you have a dreadknought with a rinky dink biplane on it, the range would be much less than that of a ww2 era scoutplane would it not? They dont have to be long range, just enough to see a few square past the fog.

But you would also need to give the ships blitz so that they would not use up their turn just taking pictures.

grand idea- I had something like that for ages for that PPS Radar guy, never thought about having it for a ship :)

Well I'm just full of ideas, or just full of something.

My next "revolutionary unit" will knock your socks off. Some have already been told, no squeeling Winter.

...But you would also need to give the ships blitz so that they would not use up their turn just taking pictures.This seems too powerful IMO, you'll create another problem...
recon is powerful enough, just remember to use it at the end of your turn. ;)

my lips are sealed :p

I read something earlier about aircraft and Carriers. It dealt with that some bombers shouldn't be able to land on carriers.

What do you think of enabling the "transport foot units only" for bombers (most probably the stlth bmb) to disable them from basing them on carriers?

Haven't tried it yet but if it works for choppers, it should work for bombers.

Let me know if some one has already tried this.

PS Great idea Wyrm!

PS2 with a transport capacity of 0 ofcourse!

That's what I did for my mod.
another trick, for a WWII scenario only :
Make fighter "tactical missile", and make escort carrier able to carry tactical missile only.
This way, you have small carrier with fighter only, big carriers with bombers.

Or give bombers a carrying capacity of one with "carry tactical missiles only" and make tactical missiles immobile. This means that you need to use your bombers to transport nuclear missiles while the bombers will be unable to travel on carriers.

Or give bombers a carrying capacity of one with "carry tactical missiles only" and make tactical missiles immobile. This means that you need to use your bombers to transport nuclear missiles while the bombers will be unable to travel on carriers.
So you'd have it that the nukes would have to paradrop into enemy territory, then bombard on the next turn? And what if an enemy Spearman happens to walk over that nuke and you loose your 300 shield investment to stupid programming?

Screw Carriers. That topic on how to keep bombers off has been discussed for the upteenth time.

This topic was about to how realistically portray recon aircraft on ships WITHOUT putting any planes on them.

Sorry about diverting your idea to another topic.

It's a good idea, it could also be used for radar/observation units. Using modern spy satellites and stuff. Probably been used already though...

satellites could have a long range recon- yet would the AI build and use them- and if so alos properly- I doubt so ? I know it uses the PPS radar unit well - and I really like the initial idea of giving ships carrying recon planes/helis or later CVs a similar ability

Hold on!
Quite some time ago, when using recon, my fighter got shot down. Wouldn't this happen to your ships? Or has this been eliminated in C3C?

Ive NEVER seen a recon shot down. There is no animation for it. You must be mistaken.

Well, I guess it would use the usual death animation...

I think recon units can get shot down, as can parradrop or helicopter units or planes relocating to another city, but only if they fly very close to an enemy interceptor.

That's just what I mean. So if your recon fighter can get shot down, this would also apply to ships with recon right?

Well I'll ask in the main forum if anybody has seen this happen.

I don't think a plane doing a recon mission can be shot down, I've never seen it, you don't see any animation at all, for the recon, the area just becomes visible.

I doubt the AI will use this, though

That's obvious, Don't think the AI uses Recon at all.