Have choppers always been this strong?!

[Alonz]

Hey Folks!,

I was under the impression choppers could attack three times.

However, I was playing a game on a higher difficulty than normal, and relatively early on Miriam and Yang eliminated the other factions (making it a rather lonely game actually) and I was on the back foot for a large portion of the game. I eventually manged to build a 'shard copter', and was amazed that it had one attack for each point of fuel! I managed to send them in as a vanguard, clearing out bases by themselves, averaging 5 points each!

Maybe it's just been a while since I've played, but is this all down to having the Cloudbase Academy?

 

[Petek]

As far as I can recall, choppers have always had one attack for each remaining movement point (MP). The Cloudbase Academy grants air units two additional MPs, which does indeed make choppers more powerful.

 

[History_Buff]

No, choppers have always been like that. And they're crazy powerful because of it. And sadly the AI doesn't really understand how great airpower is.

 

[Alonz]

And sadly the AI doesn't really understand how great airpower is.

Maybe not choppers themselves, but I swear, this game has been incredibly difficult due to the fact that Yang just kept pumping out shard needlejets when my weapons technology was far, far behind.

I ended up with my frontline bases empty quite often, as these needlejets would swarm in and kill all the defenders, but he didn't seem to have the ground troops to capture them!

 

[History_Buff]

Really? I'm impressed. I've seen Yang (and only Yang actually) do that in a few Let's Plays and AARs, but I've never experienced it myself.

Sounds like you need (I think) Advanced Military Algorithms and AAA. I think if you combine AAA and ECM on your defenders, you'll get both bonuses against air units, which really evens the odds.

Also, choppers with air superiority. Since they can attack multiple times per turn, you can use them to clean out all the stacks of needlejets Yang probably has next to your bases. Just don't use them on ground targets.

 

[Alonz]

Sounds like you need (I think) Advanced Military Algorithms and AAA. I think if you combine AAA and ECM on your defenders, you'll get both bonuses against air units, which really evens the odds.

Ah, okay, good tip! Didn't think of combining those two for some reason. I've reduced his advantage with 'Locusts of Chiron' of all things, but he's got wise and now sends all the needlejets to wipe out one base at a time in hit and runs.

Forgot how much I love this game, and how much time it sucks up, as well as how good the AI can be! It would be so easy for me spend ages writing down and documenting all the interesting turn of events that have happened in this game alone.

 

[History_Buff]

Ah, okay, good tip! Didn't think of combining those two for some reason. I've reduced his advantage with 'Locusts of Chiron' of all things, but he's got wise and now sends all the needlejets to wipe out one base at a time in hit and runs.

Yeah, build a few choppers with the interceptor ability, strap on the best gun you have. Since armor on air vehicles is so expensive, it's rare to see them armored, and when they are, it's usually only 3. If you keep, say, three chopper interceptors at nearby bases, you'll be able to take them all out the turn after he hits you.

 

[IdaGno]

sadly the AI doesn't really understand how great airpower is.

untrue!

playing as the Gaians, Yang gave me my first lesson in the destructive power of helicopters

(I hadn't yet figured it out)

 

[Horizon]

While i don't remember seeing choppers much (though the AI use them in my games), in term of airpowers i clearly remember many times in which the AI was assaulting my bases with waves of needlejets.

Though it was late game each time, i don't remember if they did that as soon as they could field aircrafts

 

[Ermelloth]

Choppers are OP.
Mind / Machine Interface is a game-turning technology overall, imo, and AI tends to neglect it most of the time.