transport units air

Mirada2000 · February 15, 2001, 16:39

Can one transport units air ?

buster · February 15, 2001, 20:46

Only on transport ships with aircraft carrier special ability.

Foosplayer · February 15, 2001, 21:58

I think the question is: "Can you use air units to transport troops?"

AzNtoccata · February 16, 2001, 01:21

I think you can. Just 1 unit at a time, and aircraft doesn't fly as far. Ineffecient, but gets things done if you have spare minerals.

Clear Skies · February 17, 2001, 01:50

Bump.
Only one unit at a time, and only unloadable at bases or airbases.
[This message has been edited by SMAC Fanatic (edited February 16, 2001).]

MariOne · February 17, 2001, 09:43

They're *supposed* to unload only at (air)bases.

Actually, you just receive that onscreen message if you attempt to activate the transported unit with a click on the tile map (as you'd order the unit to get down).
If you attempt to activate the units clicking on its small icon the the bottom screen row, you don't even get the message - nothing just happens.

But... try to tell the *transport* to unload what it has on board: it works normally, both from the menu or with the Shift+U shortcut.

Observe that being transported does not consume moves: thus after the transport has unloaded the unit, this can still move. Unless it consumed its moves before being loaded, of course (i.e. move a unit into base and issue L command from within the base window, an air transport is able to pick it up in the same turn).

OTOH, there is nothing that can be done (afaik) to force a unit to get on board outside a base/aribase.

IMHO, the existence of the onscreen message, and the impossibility to Load on the filed, shows that if that not a bug, at least it proves some inconsistency in the implementation of this feature.

Whether this is another jewel of the outstanding FurXs programming skills, or they just couldn't make their mind about what thye wanted, of even it's due to lack of team coordination and communication, I don't know.

Those who believe that the intention of the designer was to forbid unloading air transports outsid of base/airbase, may have a point.

As I see it, the inconsistency should suggest that the players of each specific pbem have to agree in advance whether to allow it, lest arguments and discussions may arise in the middle of a game.