Modern Age Air Power Question

[Boris Gudenuf]

If there is going to be an AA unit, I would put it on the tech tree as an automatic upgrade to walled districts. This would also lessen the imbalance in games where the player gains an air advantage, where in 6 the steamrolling began. Interestingly the AI in 6 had the capability (buried somewhere) to conquer cities using bombers and land units, getting into a rhythm of capturing a city every turn or two, but I only saw it deployed in an all-AI game with various tweaks to their decision weightings. If not actively disabled in the coding of 7, I suspect that if the AI builds the units, they will use them.

A ground AA Addition, representing the combination of heavy and light gun batteries (and later SAMs), RADAR, Acoustic and human air spotters, command and control nodes, et al should be available as an Upgrade at pretty much the same Tech as the (Heavy) Bombers. But it should be an expensive Upgrade: in WWII Germany is estimated to have had over 1,000,000 men and 1/3 of their artillery production dedicated to ground air defense by 1944, in addition to a huge share of their 'artillery' ammunition production.

Representing the different nature of ground versus air defenses, though, I would make the Upgrade available to any Urban District. It would provide a significant defense against any kind of air attack, and a small addition to any defense against ground attack (batteries, battalions and regiments of 20 - 37mm automatic cannon and 75 - 128mm high-velocity cannon are not insignificant defensive measures!).

Assuming, of course, all of that is warranted by gamer interest . . .

 

[chrisgatt7]

Strategic bombing and AA guns absolutely need to be added back. Strategic bombing almost plays a bigger role than ground combat in post-WW2 warfare irl. War should be a tool to disable the enemy without actually taking cities.

I agree 100% this and the information era lol

 

[chrisgatt7]

A ground AA Addition, representing the combination of heavy and light gun batteries (and later SAMs), RADAR, Acoustic and human air spotters, command and control nodes, et al should be available as an Upgrade at pretty much the same Tech as the (Heavy) Bombers. But it should be an expensive Upgrade: in WWII Germany is estimated to have had over 1,000,000 men and 1/3 of their artillery production dedicated to ground air defense by 1944, in addition to a huge share of their 'artillery' ammunition production.

Representing the different nature of ground versus air defenses, though, I would make the Upgrade available to any Urban District. It would provide a significant defense against any kind of air attack, and a small addition to any defense against ground attack (batteries, battalions and regiments of 20 - 37mm automatic cannon and 75 - 128mm high-velocity cannon are not insignificant defensive measures!).

Assuming, of course, all of that is warranted by gamer interest . . .

LOVE THIS !!

 

[MasterPaw]

As part of the general simplification of mechanics in the game compared to earlier Civs, they have apparently left out not only ground-based air defense, but also strategic air attack. At least, I have not seen any example of air units attacking buildings, structures, districts, railroads or other 'fixed' infrastructure.

Not sure how I feel about that. Only the USA and Britain actually formed and maintained strategic air forces in WWII, and it took an immense amount of resources to build the forces to mount 1000-plane raids that devastated German cities, but not having the option at all removes another strategic/grand strategic decision from the gamer in the Modern Age.

Yeah that is a nice option

Although they did add more aircraft types with fighter, close air support and strategic bomber

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Yeah that is a nice option

Although they did add more aircraft types with fighter, close air support and strategic bomber

All the more reason to make the distinctions between them real.

Let the player make the IRL Decision to concentrate on a Tactical Air Force of Fighters and Dive Bombers or a Strategic Air Force of Heavy Bombers and all the support for them, which in turn requires their opponents to decide whether to invest in City Air Defense against the heavy bombers or tactical fighters to defend against the dive bombers.

And note that in the conception I posted, that decision has to be made because for the most part, City Air Defense doesn't help the field forces defend against enemy aircraft, and Dive Bombers are (or should be) mediocre when attacking cities.

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

I never really liked messing around with AA guns and am interested in seeing how it will change.

I thought it was dumb in 5 and 6 that a gun could only repel one air unit per turn, when really it should have given a passive defense effect to all adjacent units.