Airships: Why are they even in the game?

[Peng Qi]

Wiki Article

Read that and tell me why airships are in the game. Wouldn't it have been more interesting if they had added biplanes with the same effects as airships have now, plus interception capabilities? Airships in the game are kind of silly; they're un-counterable super short-range airstrikers that can do substantial damage to units, which is just about the opposite of what they really were. It really seems like, if they wanted to do airships, the sensible thing would be to make them just scouts; no airstrike ability at all. This way you can avoid the silliness of stacks being constantly harassed by devastatingly effective airship strikes with no way to counter it. That, or just add biplanes, too, so there could be a counter to them, or let artillery intercept air units or something.

I mean, when I first saw airships were in the game I was all excited; I think dirigibles are just about the coolest things ever, but they're just not done justice in this game in my opinion.

 

[marioflag]

I agree a biplane would have been a better choice.The simple idea of having these big balloon as weapon is not something i like.
BTW they are a balanced weapon they just need a counter which in any case shouldn't underpower too much Airships.

 

[Shawnosaurus]

If they could auto recon, instead of manual, then that would be an acceptable trade off to losing bombs. I'd happily build a recon only unit if it was automated.

.

 

[bonafide11]

Airships should have a chance of not surviving each attack long before rocketry/flight. There doesn't even need to be a counter, they should only return from maybe 75% of their missions because they were not reliable.

 

[Spearthrower]

Agreed with everything - as military vehicles, they're rather useless in reality.... as reconnaissance, they are fantastic. The game should follow this, not just because of reality, but also because the game mechanics are focused on the "counter" system. Airships have no counter for too long and are therefore too powerful.

They shouldn't get any bombing missions, but I am happy with the time they arrive.

Firaxis also needs to put back in some automated features.... auto recon missions, auto bombing missions, auto bombard for artillery and ships.

 

[con]

yea they are too powerful in the game, they should double the cost and make it recon only unit.

 

[L4zXX0r]

maybe these are magical Hinderbergs that can crash, burn, do damage, and then fix themselves miraculously.

 

[Blaarg]

just imagine they're biplanes...problem solved.

You could have a mod guy change the orginal game to call them biplanes, if he's good you can get him to change the icon too.

 

[Peng Qi]

just imagine they're biplanes...problem solved.

You could have a mod guy change the orginal game to call them biplanes, if he's good you can get him to change the icon too.

Except they can't intercept other biplanes for some reason.

 

[Minmaster]

or give infantry/gunpowder units chance of intercepting them.

 

[Polycrates]

Because zeppelins are so incredibly fricking cool. I for one am happy to accept any excuse to have them in the game. Agreed that it would be nice to have some sort of early counter or at least risk, though.

 

[Spearthrower]

Agreed that it would be nice to have some sort of early counter or at least risk, though.

Archers with flaming arrows !! If they're close enough to drop things on people's heads accurately, they're close enough to shoot!

 

[DemonMaster]

I have no problem that Zeppellins are in the game, or on which tech that allows them. Just as a unit of fighters represent a squadron or so, a Zeppelin represent a squadron or so. So if an attack starts out to go to hell, I don't think the entire squadron still would make the attack, they will flee. Z. aren't very strong, actually they are very week, okey they can be used to do some minor damage here and there, but thats all. If you get those Z. early depends mostly that you have directed your science that way. I can agree though, they could/should be weaker, because, you/AI can always send 10 Z. on a bomb mission and they become useful (would have been fun to see that many Z. over a battlefield at the same time).

It's not that "historical correct" that you only have science on one area at the time either, so something has to be researched "too early" and something researched "too late".

I would love to have Biplane though, but I think they will be to close to fighters.

 

[vilemerchant]

Can anyone tell me how to delete this pathetic unit from the game?

 

[BYC]

As I have said before, I hate this unit. The lack of counters if the problem.

 

[DemonMaster]

One problem is that the AI overdo certain things. This weekend I was bombed by 22 bombers, that was more bombers than he had cities (he had 6 cities) and I had no oil (I lost that war). One solution would be that all civs can build a certain number of fighters for example and then the civ can build (alot) more with oil.

 

[MrCynical]

In gameplay terms airships are a solid and well balanced addition. The AI even knows how to use them properly. In terms of realism they aren't ideal, but their position in the tech tree is too early for even world war 1 style aircraft.

 

[sabo]

ummmm, because the look cool? Good question Peng but that's the only thing I can come up with.

 

[Dennis_Moore]

Yeah, airships are stupid. Stupid Airships!

 

[Soneji]

Come far too early, have no counter and should auto-recon!