Potential Air Force Suggestion

Suggestions
1

I know it has been discussed previously and with the removal of ground fighters in the upcoming version, I thought I would throw out my suggestion for possible implementation of Air Forces.

My suggestion is predicated on using the existing ground force framework rather than something new; and for it to present interesting force composition choices to the player.

  1. The new air units utilize the existing base unit types excepting infantry/static.

  2. Air units are distinguished from other units by using a ‘flying’ capability.

  3. The flying capability will be expensive (2.0 cost or more) - this will keep the amount of the air units, particularly the larger and more capable versions, lower due to their cost.

  4. Other capabilities can be added such as High-G, Low-G, Extreme #. Obvioulsy genetic, boarding, and other ground types are not usable for these units.

  5. Flying units can only be engaged at full strength by AA weapons. Autocannons can be used at x0.5 modifier, and all other weapons at x0.1 modifier. Weapons fire from flying units will be applied at the regular rate. This will inspire purpose made AAA units to be constructed - it will also diversify aircraft types with dedicated air to air fighters and air to ground units. Bombardement/Artillery cannot be used on flying units.

  6. Flying units use supply at an increased rate in excess of other unit types. This increases the ‘cost’ of maintaining air units in combat.

  7. Flying units have a unique ability to target units in the front, support, and rear positions. They can be assigned in direct support to a front line unit like artillery current is, but otherwise they will pick a unit during the targeting phase and attack it with a bias towards other flying units and AA units.

This is the rough outline of my idea. I think it creates some interesting choices, particularly in composition. As in real life, if you have air superiority and facing a foe without air cover or triple AAA, you are going to do a great deal of damage to a decisive degree. However, if the enemy has a substansial investment in air power and/or AAA forces, than it is going to be rough go even with aerial forces.

4 Likes
2

This is very similar to my past suggestion(s) on the topic. I think the only major differences were that I suggest that flying units have extra evasion, which AA components ignore (vs. your point #5) and I have never suggested the increased supply use (I don’t know that it’s needed, but it’s not a bad idea either).

Anyways, supported.

1 Like
3

I would personally prefer to be able to field flying infantry, but that’s just me (Valkyries! Jetpacks! Geonosians!), though that feels like a separate tech from vehicular flight…

If it weren’t so clunky and cluttering to have five different “flight” abilities in the capability list, it could be interesting to have to progress through LVH flight → VEH flight → HVH flight etc., though, again, that might be getting too granular.

4

I would probably add to the list above that units with flying capability don’t add to the occupation/garrison value of a world (or they do it at a fractional rate) so as to further incentivize keeping ground forces around. An Infantry Battalion SHOULD count more for providing security rather than Aerial Squadron.

5

This is already the case. Infantry provide better security than vehicle classes on account of being smaller and, usually, cheaper per individual unit. Flight capability would only increase that difference by being more expensive.

6

I like how you have the different weapon types working, I never thought of them having different modifiers.

I was thinking that maybe air units could have their combat effectiveness (maybe their chance to target a unit / chance to be targeted) multiplied by the atmospheric pressure, or some formula related to the atmospheric pressure. This simulates flying units actually using the atmosphere to fly, and also means you have to think strategically about which units get deployed where. I figure that if your vehicle doesn’t need an atmosphere to fly, then it should just fly in space above the range of AA, which just makes it an orbital bombardment vehicle.

I have a similar idea for sea units (using hydro extent) which I was about to suggest on the old forum before it went down. I’ll make my own thread for it soon.

Me too. Maybe a kind of power armour that gives evasion (like nuclearslurpee said) or breakthrough or something?

7

Not all ground battles happen in Atmo though. Battle for Luna for example…

Adding a capability/modifier to vehicles should work fine, then the existing modules would be easily ported as well. Want a Air Dominance Craft, Med Veh - Flyer MAA -LAA, want an A-10 Hvy Veh - HAC-HAV-HAV double the cost, reduce max armor by 1 level (So Med would have Light Vehicle Armour, Light Vehicle would be akin to Infantry) and no Fort bonus possible.