Airports, Airfield, and Rebasing options

[Louis XXIV]

I'd like to pretend that this is a suggestion for Brave New World, but, given the release date, they're almost certainly beyond the idea stage and into the implementation and polishing stage. However, it's still an idea worth bringing up and maybe I'll inspire a patch or DLC. Think of this as a sequel to my overhaul of air units topic, but it also works as a standalone. Some of these have been mentioned before, but I'll mention them again.

I miss Airfields from Civ2 and Civ3. Even the option of using forts for this purpose (Civ4) could work, but I prefer something separate. For those who didn't play those games, you could build an airfield as an improvement. This improvement let you rebase planes even when you had no city around. You could even build them in neutral territory or enemy territory, which would allow you to extend your range of operation for air units.

As an addition or, at least, an alternative to this suggestion, allow the re-basing of air units to allied city-states. I realize city-state influence is ephemeral, but you can always have it so the air units are automatically rebased to the closest city if you lose allied status. Allowing you to base air units fits quite well with modern history (the US, after all, has airbases in territory of allies all over the world). And it would expand strategic options for the game.

Finally, I can't start a topic like this without suggesting Airports. With the new trade mechanic, the ability to open up an additional trade route would make quite a lot of sense. I'm going to pass on that topic for now since I don't have enough information to know how it would work (but I will say having planes constantly flying into cities would look cool). Instead, I'll focus on two other things:

• The first is Domestic Trade Routes. Assuming they're still in game, an airport would allow you to connect two cities simply by each having an airport regardless of road or harbor.
• The second is air lifting. It's an old civ staple, so it would be nice to see. The simplest mechanic would be to allow one airlift per turn provided that the target city is empty. I'm borrowing the mechanic from buying units, so that's my justification for needing the other city to be empty. The act of airlifting would end the unit's turn. However, it would allow you to efficiently move a unit great distances without road or viable sea route as long as you have two cities.

Anyway, I'm not sure all these ideas are feasible for BNW. The simplest would be re-basing to City-States. But I do think they'll add strategic depth for the modern era without being overpowered. Given the focus on the expansion, I think this would fit in quite well.

 

[DudewiththeFood]

Rebase aircraft to citadels instead of a separate improvement. Considering they are usually built in strategic locations and harder to get than forts, I think this would be the best way.

 

[Naokaukodem]

I tried to build missiles one day and found odd I could rebase them to some only cities around. As if the missile were doing the travel alone on its own fuel, lol.

Of this I think that it may be good to have unlimited range while rebasing. But then, I feel there's a need to respect a minimum realism, if other units have limited movement, why should we be able to teleport instantly (at the cost of only 1 turn) air units ?

I think there should be two factor intervening here : autonomy of transport plane in a given era, and of course the number of turns an air move takes.

I think the autonomy should determine how long a travel something can do between cities. If the thing is too big (like a tank or a space vessel part), you would need another technology to build giant air transporters.

Then, provided you have the required autonomy, you can travel through the map at a given speed to another city or airbase, requiring the good amount of turns. Unless Firaxis decides that a plane round-trip can easily take less of one turn everytime, as turns are minimum one year, and just take into account the autonomy.

Additionnally, I think that we should be able to transport planes by railroads, that should be usefull especially in early times of flight with planes of low autonomy. (WWI)

Rebase aircraft to citadels instead of a separate improvement. Considering they are usually built in strategic locations and harder to get than forts, I think this would be the best way.

Lol, no. Citadels are key strategic position, you can't build as many as you want. Airbases should be virtually infinite. An airbase is not something big. It's just basically a landing strip, fuel stocks and hangars. They do not need a great general or else to be built, otherwise it would be a nightmare.

I think there should be the choice of transporting air units by air (moving by themselves from cities to cities or airbases except strategic missiles and things like that) or railroads (even roads?) if we have them in the desired area and don't want to lose time building an airbase between two cities for example. Otherwise we could still use enemy's airbases.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Rebase aircraft to citadels instead of a separate improvement. Considering they are usually built in strategic locations and harder to get than forts, I think this would be the best way.

Well, the point is to have them built far away from your territory and Citadels can only be build adjacent to your territory, so that wouldn't work. The idea here is projecting power far from home. If it were just Citadels, I would just put them in the city.

 

[DudewiththeFood]

How is having airbases in neutral territory going to help? Is it yours or an enemy's? I understand keeping them with friendly/allied city-states but why should I be able to take a worker and infantry next to enemy land, build an airbase and attack him on his front step when I'm on the other side of the world?

 

[Louis XXIV]

Because it happens historically and because it's good strategically. Such an airfield would be vulnerable to attacks from enemy civs (you put your planes in there, but it'll still only be defended by one unit on top). In addition, it isn't instantaneous. Not even just the fact that you still have to build it with a worker, you also have to deal with rebase range.

 

[DudewiththeFood]

So if it was ungarrisoned, what stops an enemy from using it?

 

[whoward69]

you could build an airfield as an improvement.

A bit like this then - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=483254

PS: The Airlift mechanics are still in the game core and there is another mod around (can't find it at the moment) that lets you airlift units from one city to another

 

[Louis XXIV]

Very cool. I may have to dip my toes back into the modding community at some point.

 

[Blitzscream]

I too missed Airbases. I think bringing back airbases would definitely bring a since of overall strategy when it comes to need of an Air Force in later periods.

 

[Blitzscream]

So if it was ungarrisoned, what stops an enemy from using it?

I suppose a ground unit would have to move onto tile the airbase is on and then you would gain control or the enemy would. And to solve the problem with no multiple units on a single tile that ground unit would technically not have moved stay in the same position or move in the general direction of the base. (moving over two tiles instead of one)

Then you could re-base your planes.