(3-17) Proposal: Move around the Air Unit Policy Bonuses

[pineappledan]

Current Imperialism Finisher:

Unlocks the Pentagon​

Can buy Admirals with Faith​

Naval units gain the Ironsides Promotion (Units become stronger as they take damage).​

Each Air unit stationed in a city increases the City's Defense by 3, and reduces Unhappiness from needs by 3%.​

​

Current Air Superiority Tenet

Free Airport in all cities​

+25% towards Air units​

Can build Zeroes​

​

The problem:

• The Imperialism finisher often unlocks before you even have flight, and the air unit bonuses on it are really awkward
  • Cities start with only 2 air slots, and don't get more until airports/Pentagon, much later
  • Air units require SRs, and they are expensive. You aren't likely to have that many of them
  • This is one of the last places that still has % Needs reductions in the game
  • This is not why people build airplanes anyways; it's a tiny bonus that never factors into any decision-making.
• Air superiority got nerfed recently
  • This policy is still really good, but airports don't give the major % boosts to tile culture and GWs that they used to.
  • Their Finest Hour gives +25% towards air units too. Combined with Total War, Autocracy has +50% for air units, which is a bit much.

Solution:
Current Imperialism Finisher:

Unlocks the Pentagon​

Can buy Admirals with Faith​

Naval units gain the Ironsides Promotion (Units become stronger as they take damage).​

Air units gain the Interrupter Gear Promotion (+20% on attack)​

​

Current Air Superiority Tenet

Each Air unit stationed in a city increases the City's Defense by 3 (doesn't affect needs)​

Free Airport in all cities​

Can build Zeroes​

(removed the +25% for air units)​

​

A clean, straightforward boost to air units in a time when they are just coming out, and have limited uses makes more sense.
The Air Superiority tenet feels as if it was made for a bonus on stacking air slots. It gives extra air slots to all cities for free, and gives access to a SR-free air unit to fill them with.
The addition of the defense bonus doesn't majorly affect the policy, but it fits with Autocracy's existing kit of weird abilities, and if that bonus is going to exist somewhere, this tenet is the best place for it.

 

[DeAnno]

Even with Airports nerfed Air Superiority is a pretty ridiculous policy all by itself. The ability to take a city and then immediately move 6 planes into it even if you intend to puppet it and/or raze it later lets you drive forward incredibly fast, the main limiter is just totally gone. And on the other side the Oil limiter is gone too, though usually with Autocracy that won't matter too much anyway due to the various bonuses to Strategics.

And is Autocracy really the type of tree to focus on defending its cities? I feel like this might have a better home on the B17 policy in Freedom (Their Finest Hour, maybe as an alternative to the raw CS bonus for cities it gives now?), but I confess my knowledge of the lategame is pretty lacking.

 

[pineappledan]

Yup! That’s another good place for it. It’s thematically stronger since that policy is referencing the Battle of Britain, a protracted defensive air battle. It also gives 2 free air slots in all cities.

Another thing I was thinking of was the air units could just get the same promo as ships (stronger while damaged). We could just call it something more general like “For the Emperor!” or “Banzai!”

 

[GeneralAmadeus]

Yup! That’s another good place for it, since that policy is referencing the Battle of Britain. It also gives 2 free air slots in all cities

I thought it gave one slot? Also I agree that a defense bonus fits better in Freedom and Air Superiority is fine as is. Also Autocracy defends its cities by grinding to dust anyone who can threaten them.

 

[GeneralAmadeus]

So are you going to leave Autocracy without air unit % bonus? In that case should Freedom stay at 40% to air (Arsenal of democracy, Their finest hour)?

 

[Stalker0]

I also think this would be better for freedom than autocracy. Being able to slap down 6 air units and airlift a full suite of units upon city capture is already pure gold, but adding an extra 18 cs on top is just too much.

 

[GeneralAmadeus]

Is there a way to make the vote have both the current and the previous version of the proposal (with Air Superiority remaining unaltered) or do I have to make a counterproposal for that?

 

[pineappledan]

it’s late in this proposal phase. Maybe we should suspend these proposals and make a discussion/poll to design a proposal?

 

[GeneralAmadeus]

Honestly I think that the Imperialism finisher is good and there is actually no major disagreement there. The problems seem to come from the alterations to the other policies. So I would suggest to just submit the Imperialism part and do a followup proposal for the other things next month. At least we would have purged the %.

 

[Legen]

Is there a way to make the vote have both the current and the previous version of the proposal (with Air Superiority remaining unaltered) or do I have to make a counterproposal for that?

We're now in the counterproposal phase (days 16-18 of the month). You should be able to make a counterproposal, as long as it is clearly related to it.

 

[pineappledan]

I sponsor this

 

[Recursive]

Proposal sponsored by pineappledan.