Why build Airports ????

[Megabyte]

Hi everybody !

i wondered if i am the only one who thinks that building airports is a waste of
production and time ?! I usually play on emperor, and usually use the captured slave-workers to build airfields(at least 20-30). The only thing i then have to do
is to secure a neutral spot on the enemy continent/near the enemy territoy and
to build a airfield there.And then the Invasion begins...
i never read anything about this in any thread or the war academy, so i wondered ....

have fun !!!

 

[TedJackson]

Cities with Airports produce veteran aircraft


Ted
p.s. welcome to CFC

 

[Theoden]

They produce veterans and act as link in the trade network.

I usually build airports in half of my core cities and in faraway cities with no water or road connection.

And welcome to CFC

 

[Yaype]

Airlifting units is a great attribute as well.

 

[truckingpete]

They are very useful...I build airports but not airfields unless I really need to....

 

[fret]

i wondered if i am the only one who thinks that building airports is a waste of
production and time ?!

It depends.

If you are still facing a serious enemy by the time airports come around (which you shouldnt be IMO because I'm a warmonger through and through ) there is a fantastic attack trick to play with them -

1 - build airports in all your core cities
2 - eastablish a beach head on the enemy continent.
3 - build an airport there
4 - every turn you can transport as many modern armours as you have airports at your core into the enemy beach head.

Two words: Devestating Annihilation

 

[Dease]

I make em in all my cities(unless they have terrible production) and I use 'em for airlifts instead of crossing the ocean (more efficient that ferrying them over) and for producing veteran air units

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

@fret (and others): Everything you suggest can be done with Airfields as well, that's what the original q was about.

I built a few Airports for Fighter production in my core, maybe one or two more to connect cities, and go with Airfields on every unused tile in my core.
Plus, Airfields are far superior to Airports in battlezones - if you base your interceptors there to cover cities, they are not targeted by AI bombing runs, which would take out Aircrafts first. However, the AI usually only bombards cities....

That said, I hardly have more then 5 Airports on a standard map, and agree with the assumptions in the first post.

 

[JMK]

Airport allow you to get Veteran Aircraft, but also you will be able to upgrade Fighter, an Airport will act as a Barrack if one of your aircraft needs to be 'repaired', but the most important is that it will allow trading.
One more thing regarding airfield, (not sure) but I thing that when you build an Airfield it distroy the improvement done on the tile, and the latest game I played, i had no tile on my island i could spare to an Airfield, so I would rather build the Airport (No cost with Smith's).
So I will build Airport in my core, Airfield in the attacking zone, or just behind.

 

[Longasc]

I do like Fred suggested.

The problem is, I usually conquer as communist - so I cannot money rush Airports in new cities. But communism makes them productive so that I can wait, but building an airfield with workers is way to go.

I think it is easier and more convenient to launch from airports in cities to the newly conquered city or continent - you can LAND them all on ONE airfield, but you need several to start from!

You also get Veteran Fighters and so on, Trade Link and well... you are right, lots of airfields can be almost AS effective and cost nothing, but I think it is easier and more convenient to have them in the city.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

The Airfield will destroy the mine/irrigation (not the road/RR), but you can immediately rebuild it and keep the Airfield
(but you cannot have a fortress, radar tower etc).

I do agree that Airport are slightly better for your core, but they have a quite hefty cost if you're not MIL. But never base your interceptors there.

 

[alamo]

Air transport for invasion is the main reason, for sure.

Isn't it easy to loose an airfield to arty?

I usually don't have a bunch of extra workers near the battlezone.

 

[Vizurok]

You can get slaves easily from razed cities, but I cant see the point of building airfields, you can base your planes in a city without airport, and that's safer then storing in the battlefield.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

you can base your planes in a city without airport, and that's safer then storing in the battlefield.

The opposite is true. If you put a nice stack of defenders on the Airfield (which are often automatically there, because you fly in reinforcements every turn), the AI will never target the AF. Especially not with Artillery.
However, any air raid over a city will hit aircrafts first. That's why putting 'City' Fighters on Air Superiority is pointless unless you use a lot of them - they will be destroyed before usually. Best defence against AI Air Power is ploping an AF next to a city, station 5 Inf there, and base your planes there.
Of course, this is only an issue if the AI has Air Power , otherwise, true, AF aren't worth it, station your planes in cities. Level-dependant, obviously.

btw, WW2 with China is a god example to see the power of Airfields...you'll lose any plane that spends an interturn in a city for most of the game.

 

[Vizurok]

That's why I respect you, Doc!

You're right, a Conquest feature... hard to learn them!

 

[Megabyte]

Hi folks !

thx for the comments to everybody.
To explain my strat a bit: I usually fight wars in the ancient times,so
i have a kontinent for myself.Then i go rep-dem-kom in peace through middle and industrial age. Especially since patch 1.15 the corruption model for kom is
the best for the LARGE empires i like to build (only playing huge maps,like Accipiters Map or Marla Singers World Map).
In the industrials, i begin my World Wars( normally only Space-Race,Conquest and Domination victory activated ) ,when most of my cities have doubled prod by factories and Hoover Dam .
I like to give the AI some time to build up their kingdoms, so there is something to smash there.Therefore it is part of my normal late-time war-strat to use airfields as a backbone of the invasion force. I have forgotten/overseen that cities w/airports prod Vet. Aircraft....ops. And i am not sure if airfield also connects cities to the trade network ??
Mainly the airfields seem much less expensive to build, and i hate those lame
slave workers so i have no problem using them as airfield-builders.But i must admit that it is not wrong to build some airports in the core, especially if one
likes large stacks of bombers.
I havent thougt about the detail that the AI would rather attack a city than a airfield , but i think it is right (stupid AI..).
In my now ongoing game, i have added the Reaver Titan from Muffin (great unit !!) and surely it´s far too heavy to be airlifted so i am looking forward to use new strats this time....

Have fun everybody !!

 

[BassDude726]

Unfortunately I'm using vanilla civ now, so I have to use airports instead of airstrips. They're worth the cost for overseas transport in one turn.

 

[Rammstein]

Airports are worth every penny on remote islands or little enclaves on continents or islands otherwise controlled by the AI. I usually rush build them as soon as possible and then airlift galore.

 

[Aggie]

Airports are worth every penny on remote islands or little enclaves on continents or islands otherwise controlled by the AI. I usually rush build them as soon as possible and then airlift galore.

As said before: this can be done with airfields as well and it only costs you one slave

I hardly build airports, apart from where I intend to build bombers. If I want a trade route, I would rush a harbor instead (a lot cheaper).