Worker-Built Airports - can they trade resources?

[Camber]

1. When a worker builds an airport, can it connect trade routes? I'm wondering if an airport built on a lone island can bring in coal and iron to allow me to build railroads out there. 2. Also, would a resource located under an airport automatically be connected, or would a road be necessary as well? 3. Lastly, can air units be upgraded at these airports? Thanks.

 

[Gumby78]

1. When a worker builds an airport, can it connect trade routes? I'm wondering if an airport built on a lone island can bring in coal and iron to allow me to build railroads out there. 2. Also, would a resource located under an airport automatically be connected, or would a road be necessary as well? 3. Lastly, can air units be upgraded at these airports? Thanks.

1. No.
2. Road would be necessary. The road counts as the trade route the airfield doesn't.
3. No.

 

[Camber]

Thanks, that is disappointing, but good to know.

 

[bingen]

1. This might work, why don'y you test it?

 

[vmxa]

If you build an airport in a city, it is connected to other networks, if there is an airport on that landmass. I do not know what the effect of those worker ones are, never built one.

 

[Elrohir]

They're pretty useless. I mean if you don't want to found a city on some worthless rock but would like to be able to launch bombers/tactical nukes from that close, or from a mountain or something, then they are ok, but most of the time I don't use them at all.

 

[Tomoyo]

They're *not* uesless! AI bombers will target your cities first, destroying your planes! You have to have your planes in airfields to save them! (Also, they costs zero turns to build, compared to at the very least, two, for an airport)

 

[Turner]

I don't use them much, but can't you build them in enemy territory? Granted, you'd need some heavy defense there.

 

[misterrat]

They can be useful when invading another continent. Carry a worker along with your invasion force. After capturing or settling a beachead city, use the worker to build an airfield that will allow you bring in reinforcements on the same turn it is built. You do need enough airports or airfields in your empire to airlift the troops from, and you should airlift anti-air units to defend it. This tactic needs preparation and can be risky, but it's fun to airlift modern armor into an airfield built on a mountain. As Tomoyo said, the AI will hit the city first, so basing planes on the airfield is a plus.

 

[BlackBetsy]

Having airfield cost only a worker - which can be a slave worker at that - and being built in 1 turn is a real absurdity given their value. IMHO, airfields are critical to two-continent invasions. Since airfields can RECEIVE unlimited numbers of units, I typically will build enough airfields in my home continent to transfer all of my produced units per turn. Voila, the continent I've got a beachhead on might as well be my home continent.

This is especially valuable if the AI has built an absurd navy (which it sometimes does).

It's funny how people are good at different areas of the game. Once I get modern armor, I will beat any AI in about 10-15 turns given a normal map, even though I am pretty poor in early combat (archers vs. spearmen) and late industrial combat (artillery/infantry vs. infantry).