Making airpower as effective as artillery

Akaoz · May 15, 2001, 07:08

Is it possible to change the game around a bit so that air attacks count as artillery attacks?

-Alex

Aredhran · May 15, 2001, 08:05

I don't see how. But then again, I'm not the greatest expert in alpha.txt changes... Maybe you could find a way to grant the artillery to air chassis

Aredhran

Akaoz · May 15, 2001, 16:07

That shouldn't be a problem, but... I want to make it mandetory(sp?) for all planes.

-Alex

Aredhran · May 15, 2001, 18:44

If you're using SMAX, you can try this:

As I mentioned before, edit the chassis to allow artillery ability on them
Edit each faction file to include the FREEABIL bonus

You might want to check the alphax.txt file and for example the pirates.txt file for details, or ::shudder:: use the infamous facedit.

Good luck
Aredhran

Akaoz · May 15, 2001, 23:08

Sonds like a good plan

What exactly does the free ability thing do again? I never plat facs with that one

Will the AI just automaticly include it or does it have to? (or will it be semi-random?)

-Alex

Aredhran · May 16, 2001, 04:49

As the name implies, it gives a free ability to a unit (duh) - once you have discovered the required tech. The reason I told you to look at the Pirates, is that they have the Marine Detachment to every unit.

Aredhran

Chowlett · May 16, 2001, 05:15

Won't that also force artillery onto every unit - or still allow needlejets to remove the ability if wanted?

Aredhran · May 16, 2001, 10:30

Good point Chowlett. Quite frankly, I've never tried this I was just theorizing

Come to think of it, I don't think the FREEABIL is chassis-specific, so it's quite likely that all units will end up being Arty.

Oh well
Aredhran

Clear Skies · May 19, 2001, 17:07

Not a good thing - I absolutely hate using artillery! I think they're worse than useless - I'm always careful to instantly retire any artillery units from service.
I just don't use arty in SP. I hate it. I also absolutely detest spore launchers - especially when they sit just offshore in their IoDs bombarding away all my terrain improvements!
Grrrr...

Akaoz · May 20, 2001, 11:12

The point is I want to make air-power _less_ usefull. And I also feel it is more 'realistic' that air-units not be able to destroy other units... Would designing premade units and disabeling the needle jet work?

-Alex

WhiteElephants · May 20, 2001, 20:38

I see your point, those laser guided Tomahawk missles in The Gulf War were largely ineffective.

This ain't the 1920's, this is the new millenium baby!

[This message has been edited by WhiteElephants (edited May 20, 2001).]

Akaoz · May 21, 2001, 10:22

That may be so, but it's still rather hard to completely vipe out a military formation from the air. I feel air-power in SMAC is a bit unbalanced. Making it behave like arty is in IMHO no the most un-realistic way of curbing it. In the gulf the USMC still had to mop up on the ground. It's not hard to kill units that have only 10% left

-Alex

John Paul Jones · May 25, 2001, 02:52

Air units too powerful ? Have you seen the chopper unit in action -9+ attacks in one turn - now there's a unit that needs some serious downgrading...

Akaoz · May 25, 2001, 09:57

I consider Choppers to be air units

Akaoz · May 27, 2001, 14:29

No ideas huh?