Realistic Rocket and Sattelite

Sorry if I'm just rehashing something that's already been discovered...

I was thinking earlier about a way to realistically use the sattelite unit posted awhile ago (I forget who made it). So I decided to make a very simplistic rocket to transport it into position.

This is very simplistic and easy to make. Simply copy all the files from the ICBM folder into a new folder called "Rocket" in the original units folder. Then copy all the files from the ICBM folder in the PTW units folder into the same "Rocket" folder (say yes when asked to overwrite the original INI). Rename the INI file to "Rocket" and adjust the PediaIcons file accordingly. Also download the Sattelite unit.

Then add a new unit, Rocket, in the editor, giving it Icon 28, 55 shield cost, transport 1, operational range 362, Immobile, transports only foot units, Air Unit, Unload, Airdrop, and Rebase commands, and Air Transport AI Strategy. Then add sattelite, making it a land unit, 45 shield cost, and giving it the load action, and flagging it as Foot unit, radar, invisible, immobile, and hidden nationality.

Then when both are in the same city the sattelite can be loaded into the rocket and launched anywhere on the map. It will stay there for the rest of the game unless deleted by you. No one else can see it, find it, or destroy it. Almost exactly like a real sattelite.

However, you will be able to transport any foot unit on the rocket, which is slightly unrealistic. I'm sure some more playing with the flags will make it work properly. I'll mess with it later, it's late right now.

Of course, the AI will not use the sattelite unit, and I don't know how to make it AI compliant. Oh well.

EDIT: I just realised I spelled "satellite" wrong through the entire post. Whoops.

Originally posted by GEChallenger
It will stay there for the rest of the game unless deleted by you. No one else can see it, find it, or destroy it. Almost exactly like a real sattelite.

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Actually, I believe that the AI just loves to hunt down hidden nationality units, even if they're invisible. It's just one of those things "wrong" with the AI . It might work better in multiplayer, where both humans know how to use it and can't detect it.

Two things...

Originally posted by GEChallenger
...This very simplistic and easy to make. Simply copy all the files from the ICBM folder into a new folder called "Rocket" in the original units folder. Then copy all the files from the ICBM folder in the PTW units folder into the same "Rocket" folder (say yes when asked to overwrite the original INI). Rename the INI file to "Rocket" and adjust the PediaIcons file accordingly. Also download the Sattelite unit.

Click to expand...

Don't bother copying any files; it just wastes your disk space. Instead, create a Rocket folder and Rocket.ini and reference all the files relatively such as "DEFAULT=..\ICBM\ICBMDefault.flc"

...Then add sattelite, making it a land unit, 45 shield cost, and giving it the load action, and flagging it as Foot unit, radar, invisible, immobile, and hidden nationality...It will stay there for the rest of the game unless deleted by you. No one else can see it, find it, or destroy it. Almost exactly like a real sattelite...

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In my experience, the AI can see invisible, hidden nationality units and will hunt them down with a vengeance. Of course, if you give it zero defense, the AI can't actually kill or capture it because of a bug, but it still tries.

What if you give it both Foot Unit and tactical missile flags... Then if you give the Rocket the transports only Foot... and transports missile flags it should only be able to transport units that have both of those traits, like your satellite.
Haven't actually tried this but I think I've heard similar things work.

Interesting. A spy satellite. Just a pity the ai can't use it.

I also inserted the spy satellite in my game, but I made it an air unit with a de facto unlimited operational range (PTW only) and gave it only the reconnaisance mission flag.
Of course it can be intercepted, but the stealth flag will hopefully make this a rare event.

Note: I didn't yet playtest the satellite, because for quite a while I didn't play any game till the modern age.

you can also use it as air unit wich is flagged as a foot unit. This allows it t fly over water and "walk" around, but if the enemy tries to take it, it will be destroyed at once, it wont care about attack, defence values...

make it a cheap Recon probe.

The recon thing works, that's what I do as well, and it can't be intercepted.

Originally posted by TVA22
The recon thing works, that's what I do as well, and it can't be intercepted.

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Do air units on recon missions generally not get interceptet?

Infinite range and recon would make for a good spy satellite.

you cant have infinite range on it unless its a tactical missile...

I wanted to have my satellite with unlimited operational range as well, but as far as I knew, only "bombard" can be infinite. However, in PTW, the "Beta Tester Mod" has the operational range for the stealth units higher than 8. In the editor, it gets mad if you try to make range more than 8, does anyone know how these BTM people changed their operational range? Much thanks in advance.

YOu can have range of 255, which is good enough.