Helicopter Thread

[Wahsayah]

I use the ASW Choppers by assigning them as an aircraft and a tactical missile, then I use a helicopter carrier to transport only tactical missiles and aircraft, and now I have some ASW helicopters that operate from a ASW carrier. I've even had the AI understand how it works.

What's all this talk about having them fly around as a sea unit or people not liking how they work in game? I think they work just magnificent for how I got them to work.

 

[nick0515]

I use the ASW Choppers by assigning them as an aircraft and a tactical missile, then I use a helicopter carrier to transport only tactical missiles and aircraft, and now I have some ASW helicopters that operate from a ASW carrier. I've even had the AI understand how it works.

What's all this talk about having them fly around as a sea unit or people not liking how they work in game? I think they work just magnificent for how I got them to work.

So you use them as an aircraft to conduct bombing runs? The AI knows how to do that. That doesn't change the fact they can't be used by the AI for multiple roles. They still can't extract wounded troops. A transport still can't be transported. There are still many limitations the way I see it, with only limited work arounds.

 

[Wahsayah]

So you use them as an aircraft to conduct bombing runs? The AI knows how to do that. That doesn't change the fact they can't be used by the AI for multiple roles. They still can't extract wounded troops. A transport still can't be transported. There are still many limitations the way I see it, with only limited work arounds.

Those are about two unfortunate things you cannot do in Civilization 3, yes. However using ASW Helicopters as a cheap bomber with a limited range that can detect submarines and blow them out of the water makes them a fairly capable Anti-Submarine component in any navy or coastal defense force. However they're susceptible to being intercepted by enemy aircraft during mid flight of course which is reasonable.

Otherwise, the extraction is fine for me without. Less freedom to exit means that I'm forced to use alternative methods of achieving my goals and if my resources are exhausted and I lose the unit, then I had learned from my mistake and make sure to not make it happen a second time. Then again; I've always been the to be thrilled when I realize there's no way out of a plan I underestimated only to try and beat the odds and in some cases; I do. Then again, using Asymmetrical Warfare can be an exhilarating way to play if it pulls through.

 

[Civinator]

I use the ASW Choppers by assigning them as an aircraft and a tactical missile, then I use a helicopter carrier to transport only tactical missiles and aircraft, and now I have some ASW helicopters that operate from a ASW carrier. I've even had the AI understand how it works.
What's all this talk about having them fly around as a sea unit or people not liking how they work in game? I think they work just magnificent for how I got them to work.

However using ASW Helicopters as a cheap bomber with a limited range that can detect submarines and blow them out of the water makes them a fairly capable Anti-Submarine component in any navy or coastal defense force.

Wahsayah, "your" setting for ASW helicopters was the most common setting for that kind of unit until it was noted, that the "detect invisible"-flag for air units in a Civ 3 air-unit reccon function is only working if the reccon-mission exactly hits the tile with the location of the submarine.

This means, the ASW-heli with an reccon-air-mission is covering only one tile where it really can detect a submarine, while a moving sea-unit with the radar-flag and the "detect invisible"-flag covers many tiles where the unit can discover submarines. That´s why many modders set ASW-helis as sea-units. So Wahsayah, please post, if you have tested, if this setting now really covers the detection of subs in every tile of the reccon-window a reccon-air mission has.

If the detection of submarines for every tile of the reccon-window is still not working, there is another setting for ASW-helis, that could be tested:

If the "immobile-flag", characterizing normally air-units in Civ 3 is removed, the air-unit can move over the map like a sea- or land unit and with the radar-flag and the detect immobile-flag it should discover subs like a sea-unit. The backside is, that this unit can be destroyed by any unit that only has to draw on the tile with the location with the mobile air-unit. That unit could even be fitted with the "rebase"-flag and the "blitz-flag". If the movement of the mobile air-unit is set to the "All-tiles as road"-flag with a lower movement rate and the AI would use the last move of the blitz-option for rebasing that unit, this could be an interesting setting for an ASW-heli. I haven´t tested this setting, but I´m more than sceptical, that the AI would use this setting correctly.

 

[Wahsayah]

Wahsayah, "your" setting for ASW helicopters was the most common setting for that kind of unit until it was noted, that the "detect invisible"-flag for air units in a Civ 3 air-unit reccon function is only working if the reccon-mission exactly hits the tile with the location of the submarine.

This means, the ASW-heli with an reccon-air-mission is covering only one tile where it really can detect a submarine, while a moving sea-unit with the radar-flag and the "detect invisible"-flag covers many tiles where the unit can discover submarines. That´s why many modders set ASW-helis as sea-units. So Wahsayah, please post, if you have tested, if this setting now really covers the detection of subs in every tile of the reccon-window a reccon-air mission has.

If the detection of submarines for every tile of the reccon-window is still not working, there is another setting for ASW-helis, that could be tested:

If the "immobile-flag", characterizing normally air-units in Civ 3 is removed, the air-unit can move over the map like a sea- or land unit and with the radar-flag and the detect immobile-flag it should discover subs like a sea-unit. The backside is, that this unit can be destroyed by any unit that only has to draw on the tile with the location with the mobile air-unit. That unit could even be fitted with the "rebase"-flag and the "blitz-flag". If the movement of the mobile air-unit is set to the "All-tiles as road"-flag with a lower movement rate and the AI would use the last move of the blitz-option for rebasing that unit, this could be an interesting setting for an ASW-heli. I haven´t tested this setting, but I´m more than sceptical, that the AI would use this setting correctly.

No but you can base them on a coastal city or airport and use them for coastal detection of submarines, kinda like a sonar unit I guess. Sure it's not perfect but because a helicopter can't negotiate loading onto a unit because since it would be a sea unit; would be seeing it as impractical to operate a helicopter carrier. I use subs as picket ships to help establish a perimeter around a fleet and the AI attacks the Destroyers first, then I counterattack with the ASW choppers and blow the subs out of the water without needing to use the jets on my aircraft carrier to do the job. Because honestly it just makes me feel guilty having to use a jet fighter to knock a sub out because I'll have one less unit to intercept bombers for the fleet. Which when attacking a civ; can be rather vital for your carrier's survival.

 

[Wahsayah]

So it's 100% by any means however; I don't mind how it works for me.

 

[Wyrmshadow]

gwen should be checking his inbox soon. Just sent him about 100+ megs of hi quality models that should keep him busy for a while.

 

[Balthasar]

gwen should be checking his inbox soon. Just sent him about 100+ megs of hi quality models that should keep him busy for a while.

I'm happy to hear that.

 

[Civinator]

A "thank you very much" to every civer who is involved in giving the Civ 3 community such nice units.

 

[Ozymandias]

A "thank you very much" to every civer who is involved in giving the Civ 3 community such nice units.

Another ditto

-Oz

 

[gwendoline]

So, what disturbing me
Can anybody find pics of Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (or any its variants) equipped by some weapons? I want to mount mgun on it for self defense, but really not sure which and where would be better.
Didn't succeed in finding proper pictures by myself, or just didn't saw the target

 

[Ozymandias]

So, what disturbing me
Can anybody find pics of Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (or any its variants) equipped by some weapons? I want to mount mgun on it for self defense, but really not sure which and where would be better.
Didn't succeed in finding proper pictures by myself, or just didn't saw the target

The only reference I could find for armaments on this bird is: "In 1956, the French Air Force experimented with arming the H-19, then being superseded in service by the more capable Piasecki H-21 and Sikorsky H-34 helicopters. The H-19 was originally fitted with a 20-mm cannon, two rocket launchers, plus a 20-mm cannon, two 12.7-mm machine guns, and a 7.5-mm light machine gun firing from the cabin windows, but this load proved far too heavy, and even lightly armed H-19 gunships fitted with flexible machine guns for self-defense proved underpowered."

The closest I could find to an illustration is of an H-34: similar configuration; IMHO just copy where the armaments are.

Best,

Oz

 

[cemo1956]

After a long silence
You pop these latest

The Jolly Green Giant ,Mi-6 Hook and then some I see as I write .....
and even some sub-hunters like Westland Wasp.
TEN or more of these fine choppers

GREAT STUFF to be sure
Just look at the torpedo attacks wow

THANKS

Now one just have to find a good use for them. Sad AI can´t really handle them correctly

 

[Ares de Borg]

Cool additions. Thanks for sharing. I'll do the sounds eventually but right now I'm quite busy. I did not forget about the other units, though.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

Awriiiight, I got uses for these!

 

[Ozymandias]

 

[Don Pepito]

A great wide arrange of copters, THANKS!!!!!

 

[Balthasar]

Gwendoline: I'm extremely grateful for the new helicopters...and they look great. Let me remind you that if I wasn't already monitoring this thread, I'd have missed them: you and other unit makers need to remember to use the Announce your new/updated Civ3 files for front-page coverage! and the Monthly Competitions Submissions Thread IV to get the word out to the broader community. In that respect, the competitions thread is not just a vanity thread; it really helps to keep the community informed of new creations; that's one reason why I've removed the limit on submissions for upcoming contests (see the new rules in the first post for details).

 

[nick0515]

Outstanding work Gwen! Thank you so much for the much needed Helicopters. I'm particularly gratful for the NH90s which I have been wanting for a long time for my New Zealand scenario I'm slowly putting together.

 

[Wolfhart]

I've been putting these birds into a couple of different scenarios, and I must say that they look absolutely splendid in-game. Like nick0515 I'm especially fond of your NH90s, and I want you to know how much I and most other modders appreciate that you take the time to do different versions of a unit. Thank you most sincerely!