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Author Topic:   Airbases, anyone ever use them?

sandworm posted 04-10-99 03:50 PM ET
I've never even tried to build an airbase in SMAC, only rarely used them in Civ2. Does anyone use them? If so, in what situations do you use them?
trippin daily posted 04-10-99 03:59 PM ET
They have airbases? I guess that answers your question.. i mean the range of needlejets gets to be so far at the end of the game, u dont really need them.. other than to save u the time of moving them back and forth.. and that can be done with a command.
ApcJK posted 04-10-99 04:06 PM ET
I use them either to bomb enemy cities on far islands or to drop units (also probes) there. Once about 18 probe teams beacame obsolete because I got the Hunter-Seeker. I equipped them with drop pods and sabotaged enemy production or destroy their improvements (btw how come enemies can destroy hive perimeters? blast their way right through to the underground base?)
dbrodale posted 04-10-99 06:13 PM ET
Weighing in, I'd have to say that I never use airbases ... it is far easier to contruct a base in one turn with a needlejet colony pod in a forward area than to get some kind of former out front to take the time constructing an airbase.
The only use [personally] I can find for airbases would be in cases where you need to offer landing pads for choppers and their more limited range ... although this, too, has never been an issue in a game yet. Perhaps AI opponents make me lazy ...
d.brodale
Mcerion posted 04-12-99 12:40 AM ET
When I have a strategically located base that is being continuously bombarded by missles, I will build an airbase and a bunker next to it and keep the majority of my units there. The AI will pummel the city and ignore the air units in the airbase and the units in the bunker. If necessary I transfer the entrenched units back to the city.
Plato90s posted 04-12-99 12:55 AM ET
At higher levels, the inefficiency penalties for large number of cities gets to be a pain. Sometimes, I just want to use an airbase, not a city. The fastest way is to just make a Drop former, and you can make airbases at just the right drop radius. Until you get orbital drop technology, this is a really good way to move those drop troops around the world quickly.
Sparrowhawk posted 04-12-99 09:35 PM ET
But why not just use carriers? (Apart from the obvious "They can be destroyed!"... I mean, if you don't garrison an airbase properly it can be destroyed easily too!) Carriers are more mobile than your fixed airbases, and furthermore are practically invulnerable to drop-based attacks. And if you have the Maritime Control Center, things can get fun.
P.S. Is there a way to order your fighters to "stand down" or something so they'll attempt to intercept inbound missiles and bombers?
K posted 04-13-99 06:56 AM ET
Needlejets "on alert" will attack any air unit within MOVEMENT range.
sandworm posted 04-13-99 09:14 AM ET
Including missiles?
dbrodale posted 04-13-99 09:24 AM ET
Don't think so ... it has been a while since I've been in that position though [i.e., getting hit by an opposing missile] so my memory may be faulty on this point.
If so [no air intercept of incoming AI missiles], would it be a by-product of the "teleportation" routine the AI uses to move missiles in to strike an opposing base?
d.brodale
Sinapus posted 04-14-99 09:40 AM ET
I've had fun using a drop former and a bunch of other drop units using orbital insertions.
Send the combat units to wreak havoc on a faction (usually the Believers or Hive if they aren't my neighbors) while the former builds an airbase in an unsettled area of the continent. (A sea of fungus when you have Centauri Psi is good.)
If (when) the enemy sues for peace, or if you get bored, you can use the airbase to send your units back home.
Another method is to use a drop former to build airbases to make relay points for choppers. If you are really ticked off at that faction on the other side of the planet, that is.
Plato90s posted 04-14-99 10:30 AM ET
The AC engine has special subroutines to deal with missles and PBs. Air defense choppers or needlejets will not respond to a missle attack, even within the 2 square limit.
The good thing about ver 3.0 is that the PB teleportation routine doesn't work any more. I was able to track the movement of a Hive PB from the home base it was built as it moved to a frontier base to get ready to bombard me. I, of course, immediately bought the frontier base to deprive Yang of the PB.
On another note, I found it interesting that in a recent game, Lal actually threatened me with his possession of a PB, similar to the Civ2 threat about nuclear missles. Didn't faze me, as I had 9 orbital defense pods up already, but still the first time.
googlie posted 04-14-99 02:50 PM ET
In current game have built an airbase within 5 tiles of Hive den of 5-6 cities and staffed it with needlejet penetrators and interceptors (about 6 of each)placed on alert.
They interdict any ship movement out of Yang's bases and have been useful in keeping reinforcements away from 2 cities that I missiled and occupied, then gifted to Santiago (I'm Dierdre, in an unholy pact with Miriam and Santiago).
Yang totally ignores my airbase (AI doesn't see it as a threat I guess, like a troop stacked city or a PB or SP producing city)
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Author	Topic: Airbases, anyone ever use them?
sandworm	posted 04-10-99 03:50 PM ET I've never even tried to build an airbase in SMAC, only rarely used them in Civ2. Does anyone use them? If so, in what situations do you use them?
trippin daily	posted 04-10-99 03:59 PM ET They have airbases? I guess that answers your question.. i mean the range of needlejets gets to be so far at the end of the game, u dont really need them.. other than to save u the time of moving them back and forth.. and that can be done with a command.
ApcJK	posted 04-10-99 04:06 PM ET I use them either to bomb enemy cities on far islands or to drop units (also probes) there. Once about 18 probe teams beacame obsolete because I got the Hunter-Seeker. I equipped them with drop pods and sabotaged enemy production or destroy their improvements (btw how come enemies can destroy hive perimeters? blast their way right through to the underground base?)
dbrodale	posted 04-10-99 06:13 PM ET Weighing in, I'd have to say that I never use airbases ... it is far easier to contruct a base in one turn with a needlejet colony pod in a forward area than to get some kind of former out front to take the time constructing an airbase. The only use [personally] I can find for airbases would be in cases where you need to offer landing pads for choppers and their more limited range ... although this, too, has never been an issue in a game yet. Perhaps AI opponents make me lazy ... d.brodale
Mcerion	posted 04-12-99 12:40 AM ET When I have a strategically located base that is being continuously bombarded by missles, I will build an airbase and a bunker next to it and keep the majority of my units there. The AI will pummel the city and ignore the air units in the airbase and the units in the bunker. If necessary I transfer the entrenched units back to the city.
Plato90s	posted 04-12-99 12:55 AM ET At higher levels, the inefficiency penalties for large number of cities gets to be a pain. Sometimes, I just want to use an airbase, not a city. The fastest way is to just make a Drop former, and you can make airbases at just the right drop radius. Until you get orbital drop technology, this is a really good way to move those drop troops around the world quickly.
Sparrowhawk	posted 04-12-99 09:35 PM ET But why not just use carriers? (Apart from the obvious "They can be destroyed!"... I mean, if you don't garrison an airbase properly it can be destroyed easily too!) Carriers are more mobile than your fixed airbases, and furthermore are practically invulnerable to drop-based attacks. And if you have the Maritime Control Center, things can get fun. P.S. Is there a way to order your fighters to "stand down" or something so they'll attempt to intercept inbound missiles and bombers?
K	posted 04-13-99 06:56 AM ET Needlejets "on alert" will attack any air unit within MOVEMENT range.
sandworm	posted 04-13-99 09:14 AM ET Including missiles?
dbrodale	posted 04-13-99 09:24 AM ET Don't think so ... it has been a while since I've been in that position though [i.e., getting hit by an opposing missile] so my memory may be faulty on this point. If so [no air intercept of incoming AI missiles], would it be a by-product of the "teleportation" routine the AI uses to move missiles in to strike an opposing base? d.brodale
Sinapus	posted 04-14-99 09:40 AM ET I've had fun using a drop former and a bunch of other drop units using orbital insertions. Send the combat units to wreak havoc on a faction (usually the Believers or Hive if they aren't my neighbors) while the former builds an airbase in an unsettled area of the continent. (A sea of fungus when you have Centauri Psi is good.) If (when) the enemy sues for peace, or if you get bored, you can use the airbase to send your units back home. Another method is to use a drop former to build airbases to make relay points for choppers. If you are really ticked off at that faction on the other side of the planet, that is.
Plato90s	posted 04-14-99 10:30 AM ET The AC engine has special subroutines to deal with missles and PBs. Air defense choppers or needlejets will not respond to a missle attack, even within the 2 square limit. The good thing about ver 3.0 is that the PB teleportation routine doesn't work any more. I was able to track the movement of a Hive PB from the home base it was built as it moved to a frontier base to get ready to bombard me. I, of course, immediately bought the frontier base to deprive Yang of the PB. On another note, I found it interesting that in a recent game, Lal actually threatened me with his possession of a PB, similar to the Civ2 threat about nuclear missles. Didn't faze me, as I had 9 orbital defense pods up already, but still the first time.
googlie	posted 04-14-99 02:50 PM ET In current game have built an airbase within 5 tiles of Hive den of 5-6 cities and staffed it with needlejet penetrators and interceptors (about 6 of each)placed on alert. They interdict any ship movement out of Yang's bases and have been useful in keeping reinforcements away from 2 cities that I missiled and occupied, then gifted to Santiago (I'm Dierdre, in an unholy pact with Miriam and Santiago). Yang totally ignores my airbase (AI doesn't see it as a threat I guess, like a troop stacked city or a PB or SP producing city)