Air Ships

[Knowltok]

Played a couple of games where I got to Physics early. These things kick you know what. you can knock down city defenders ( or anyone else) a few pegs at zero risk. Start with a few of these and your expendable siege weapons last longer, and your attack units mostly survive.

Plus, no risk recon.

Then there's the fact that they are really good against naval units, where combats are more likely to be on an even footing. Frigate vs. Frigate is tough, but soften the thing up with a Zepellin, and your winning percentage goes up big time.

Any thoughts in addition, or to the contrary?

 

[madscientist]

Played a couple of games where I got to Physics early. These things kick you know what. you can knock down city defenders ( or anyone else) a few pegs at zero risk. Start with a few of these and your expendable siege weapons last longer, and your attack units mostly survive.

Plus, no risk recon.

Then there's the fact that they are really good against naval units, where combats are more likely to be on an even footing. Frigate vs. Frigate is tough, but soften the thing up with a Zepellin, and your winning percentage goes up big time.

Any thoughts in addition, or to the contrary?

I would say it is overpowered. There needs to be a way to combat them before rocketry, flight, or combustion (destroyers will defend aganist them).

Airship are one things in BTS I really do not like. Sure I use them, but it is the only unit that has no counter for a very long time.

 

[futurehermit]

I never use them, guess I should start

 

[Knowltok]

Actually, thinking of it, and the icon, getting physics shouldn't be enough to get WWI Zepplins. Those required combustion, and the ability to seperate Hydrogen, which, and I'm no scientist, I believe happens with Electricity. Run a current through water, right?

I don't even know how you get Helium.

Good point on them being overpowered. Hell, I'm going to war with red-coats, catapults, knights, and zeppelins. :crazy

 

[johnny_rico]

Agreed. This unit is a backbreaker for those late middle ages wars where your opponent(AI) has a similar army. Great scout, and an insanely effective way to soften up tough defenders without risk.

 

[lilnev]

Helium is formed at a very low rate due to certain nuclear decay reactions. Small amounts are often present in natural gas deposits, which is where we get it.

I agree that airships are kind of dumb, and show up way too early. I think that they should have a small chance of spontaneously crashing every mission. Maybe 3% for recon missions and 6% for combat missions.

peace,
lilnev

 

[AnsonMage]

I don't agree that airships are dumb, quite the contrary, they are pretty awesome for several years if you get them out right away.

As for lilnev, definitely not! There is no reason for the spontaneous crashing! I flew and performed crew operations with several blimps and I know for a fact that there is no reason why an airship would EVER just spontaneously combust. One Hindenburg with a few injuries and few casualties and suddenly everyone expects that airships just blow up on their own!

For starters, to really get into airships, you'd have to have a new resource or two, such as rubber or helium. Hydrogen could work, but like Knowltok said, it requires electricity to separate from water.

Personally, I like airships but can never seem to make them in time because I always go straight for flight right after physics and they're almost instantly obsolete.

 

[UncleJJ]

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I agree that airships are kind of dumb, and show up way too early. I think that they should have a small chance of spontaneously crashing every mission. Maybe 3% for recon missions and 6% for combat missions.

Perhaps we should have aircraft crashing too and ships getting shipwrecked and knights falling off their horses. What % should they have?

 

[Sjaramei]

They suck. Super medic makes your army ignore their pitiful damage. Hammers and research are better spent getting to steel and rifles/infantry instead.

When I get fighters they are just funny free xp.

My research path neglects physics for a long time so I've never had them with a non-gunpowder army. (don't like getting Scientific Method too early) I prefer getting the hard military techs instead of some shiny blimps with arrows

 

[CivDude86]

To me the airships in the game represent the hydrogen powered ones, not helium so the spontaneous combusting would make some sense.

 

[dermoth]

The other great thing about Airships is that they only cost 80 bucks to upgrade to Fighters, so although they become obsolete fairly quickly, you can usually pick off a couple of cities while you're researching flight, providing the funds to upgrade your airforce immediately.

At the levels I play, it seems that being first to Physics all-but-guarantees you massive air domination for a very long time.

In summary, then - I love them.

 

[CivMcNut]

Airships get my vote as a useful unit, but how many are usually good to build?

 

[Echo of Celts]

Airships get my vote as a useful unit, but how many are usually good to build?

4-12... then upgrade to fighters and expand to 20-24 fighters, then hopefully start working on my bomber fleet.

I put alot of stock into Air Superiority.

In most games I find it as important or more important than army superiority.

Sure they may have twice as many units, but if they all have half health, who has the advantage?