Lets talk about Air Combat!

[Stalker0]

So with the manual we now understand how air combat works.

Its pretty similar to Civ IV but with some great improvements in my opinion.

1) You can only rebase within your range. Probably one of the biggest abuses of air in Civ IV was the ability to rebase air units any where on the planet. Now the position of air bases is much more important.

2) Improved Interception System. The interception system is more dynamic with the ability to cancel interception with your own sweeps or to set up defensive screens of your own.

3) Much better guided missiles. Guided missiles are both cheaper and (much more important) do not require resources. This means that any modern air force is incomplete without some missiles at the ready...just like true modern air forces.

I am quite pleased with the changes over all, can't wait to give it a try!

 

[Auncien]

Yeah it was incredibly lame that you could rebase around the world in one turn and be in the fight the next. I like the change.

 

[Tennyson]

Given that a turn was at least six months I didn't have a problem with rebasing.

 

[Conspirator]

Yeah. Plus it's going to be impossible to rebase on the new continent on a terra map now. How weird.

 

[Semmel]

if your modern jet fighter burns all its fuel after 1000 miles, how would you rebase it in RL ? You would put it on a transport and ship it over. which can be done using aircraft carriers in civ. But I must admit, is a bit lame if you take the embarkment ability into account.

 

[Akar]

Id r ather not talk about it now.

 

[Schuesseled]

Yeah. Plus it's going to be impossible to rebase on the new continent on a terra map now. How weird.

youll just have to use aircraft carriers.

 

[Tennyson]

if your modern jet fighter burns all its fuel after 1000 miles, how would you rebase it in RL ? You would put it on a transport and ship it over. which can be done using aircraft carriers in civ. But I must admit, is a bit lame if you take the embarkment ability into account.

An unarmed fighter can carry a lot of gas. If an air unit could rebase to, say, twice it's effective range, that would take that into account.

And if bombers and modern jet fighters have both been unlocked, you can assume in-air refueling is available, giving you an enormous range boost.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for simplicity. People can always make mods if they want more complexity.

 

[Olleus]

A unit should always be able to rebase to twice its range even if its carrying weapons. Think about it.

If I'm bombing something 8 tiles away I have to go there and come back. Thats a total of 16 tiles travelled. If I'm rebasing i'm only doing a 1 way trip, why can't I go 16 tiles??

Also, I see a problem with stealth bombers not being able to be carried on carriers - how do you get them to a new continent?

 

[mattpilot]

Need airport tile-improvement. NAO!

 

[guczy]

Need airport tile-improvement. NAO!

Absoultely, i think its really stupid that its not in the game

 

[Tennyson]

If I'm bombing something 8 tiles away I have to go there and come back. Thats a total of 16 tiles travelled. If I'm rebasing i'm only doing a 1 way trip, why can't I go 16 tiles??

Good point, but in that case rebasing an unarmed unit should be at least 24 tiles, if not 32, to accomodate drop tanks.

 

[Conspirator]

I can foresee a lot of limitations will probably be patched out or changed in the expansions like Civ 4. I mean Civ 4 used to have ranged bombardment as well, but that was changed in one of the expansions wasn't it?

 

[mmmfloorpie]

Will jet fighters on air superiority still fly around the cities?

 

[Ahriman]

I don't care about a lack of airport tile improvement (Ai is never likely to use that well), but having very short ranges on rebasing is likely to be very frustrating, particularly across continents.

I hope you can give an eventual destination a long distanceaway, and the aircraft will move towards it 1 city at a time each turn. Annoying MM requirement otherwise.

 

[Tennyson]

I can foresee a lot of limitations will probably be patched out or changed in the expansions like Civ 4. I mean Civ 4 used to have ranged bombardment as well, but that was changed in one of the expansions wasn't it?

Civ 3 had it, I don't recall Civ 4 having it.

 

[Ddude97]

Civ 3 had it, I don't recall Civ 4 having it.

Civ 4 only had it in mods

 

[Helmling]

Given that a turn was at least six months I didn't have a problem with rebasing.

Amen.

 

[Schuesseled]

I hope you can give an eventual destination a long time ago, and the aircraft will move towards it 1 city at a time each turn. Annoying MM requirement otherwise.

Agreed, also agree with the guy who said that they should have double range for a rebase, as they can go to and back to bomb at that range.

 

[Greizer85]

There's unlimited stacking of air units in cities... Can you say unbalanced?! I can, and in big letters!