Flying Idea

[Ekolite]

Ok, I don't know if this is possible but I think iut would be really cool for the 'flying' promotion to work like this.

Units like dragons, griffons, angels etc are primarilly walking but they have a new flying promotion. This allows them to basically cast a spell for them to 'take off'. They can then fly for a certain amount of turns, maybe different amounts depending on the unit. It would be cool if their animation changed so it actually looked like theey were flying.

Whilst they are flying they can't be attacked by ground units but they can attack ground units themselves. After x amount of turns they have to touch down again, maybe with the fatyigued promotion or something which means they have to wait a turn or two before they can fly again.

What do you think?

 

[Civkid1991]

...It would be cool if their animation changed so it actually looked like theey were flying...

ive heard this is really really hard to do... it probably isnt likely there would be an animation if the promotion was used.

 

[EugeneStyles]

I think it would be sweet for flying units like Griffins and Dragons that can also walk to work like normal units, but also have "air strike" missions available like fighters and bombers do. I like how birds are implemented in this game, but it seems kinda weak for those to be the only flying units.

 

[[NWO]_Valis]

Search this board for a threas started by Qes IIRC. There was a whole dispute about flying units and their implmentation.

 

[EugeneStyles]

If you mean this one: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=181548

It's kind of short, and didn't seem to end up in too much of a debate or with anything decided.

 

[[NWO]_Valis]

Yes and no. Maybe I had in mind some other thread were Qes was wery active and corelated it with this one.

Well, I remember that it was Qes coming up with the ideas couse I used it in my civilisation design for 2 new civilisations.

Here is what Qes proposed finally after a long debate.

Alright another stab.

Based on H. Grenadefrenzy's Idea, I'm wondering about a "base anywhere" situation for units.

Most flying units would be able to "base anywhere" literally on the map. Then they can attack "From that spot" just like divebombing and the like does now.
The big difference is, when where they are based is attacked, and there are no other units defending the Flying unit would simply function like a land unit. That is, it has strength, does damage, its just your average combat. This of course is assuming that it has the most (or least in the case of marksman) strength in the tile.

Think of your griffin. Let us say it has a "range" of 3.

This would mean that it can REbase - to any location allowed by land units, within 6 tiles that turn. On "attack runs" it can attack anything within three tiles (and then return).

This mechanic (while sloppy) uses preexisting AI, and mechanics, that would not have to be altered drastically to produce the desired effects.

For "uber flyers" (world units, expensive airships, flying islands) I think the promotion idea works. Two would be needed. "Airborne" and "Flyer" Airborne would be "permanently in the air - and have dominion over the land below (no movement through the tile). Airborne units can only be attacked by other airborne units, and Flyers. Flyers would use the mechanic above. In this, Flyers can be attacked by ground forces (where they've landed to rest), and flyers can still attack the airborne.

While not the prettiest type of flight, it would add a third level/dimension to the combat tactics employed in FFH (I consider this a heavy plus), and much needed flavor to the world of dark fantasy (high/dark fantasy without fliers seems to be just...well, wrong).

-Qes

EDIT: On the AI - It strikes me that the AI for vanilla is at least aware that it needs an airforce. And I'm sure it has notions of where "hostile threats exist". In this, does the AI not already place its airforce units (base them) close to the areas in which it expects to be attacked or attack from? If so - it should follow that the Flyers an AI produces would/could be found along the boarders of AI nations, especially in times of hostility - considering any/all tiles are options for basing. Then, would it be difficult to incentivize the AI to attack hostile units (instead of rebasing) as often as possible? I know a conditional would eventually need to be added so that based units that are going to get killed arn't ignored - but this may be a first step

And here is what I added:

- Make at the beginning of the game every title on the map a base except water titles, volcanoes[if they are planed J ], etc. Maybe a Base I type and Base II type, so some units can use high mountain pikes and some not.
- Archer units and Gunpowder Units can attack airborn units also, as airborn units are very seldom, usually national units and come late game so there would be no problem with defending cities with them, a city with a dragon on top of it should not be captured without siege engines and archers/musketeers, it just shouldnt
- Make every flyer a weak defense, now with the new x/y system it is even more doable, like Griffin 4/1 [strong due to his diving attack but weak when caught resting on the ground without the time to get the right height and angle]


I think some flyers (not all) should be able to access Peaks. These would be ideal - also perhaps the peaks should give flyers +2 or +4 range (1 or 2 attacking radius). Again, this is not for ALL flyers - just those accustomed to being able to perch, or exist on uneven terrain.


- Make bombing an ability only available for some units[make it collateral damage], for the rest make a special attack like a targeted spell that would take the off value of the attacker and def value of the defender, no river crossings bonuses are needed, the terrain still does matter, it is more easily to dive in on someone in the desert than in forest, I would even suggest to double the +/- bonuses from terrain

I hope the above things are possible to achieve with the current mechanics.

As an alternative I can suggest that there is a title improvement buildable with would work as a base – nests for griffins, steam workshops for dwarwen steam copters . Something like a fort [or even ad the ability to forts cause I see the so rare] This way building it near the borders would make it defensive measure. It wont work for attacks very well if we do not implement any carrier unit but that is also a possibility.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5169390&postcount=450