Problems with planes attacking?

[axisworks]

I was playing a game last night where I had four cities full of jet fighters, trying to attack an enemy destroyer that had come up to my coast and was destroying my fishing/clamming boats. I was able to attack the destroyer down to about 1/2 strength for two turns, then the next turn came around and none of my fighters were allowed to attack. I kept trying to right-click them on the destroyer and I'd just get the red "no action allowed" circle. I tried putting them on intercept and then trying them again to attack, I tried selecting the actual "attack units in this square" option and attacking, I tried re-basing all of them and attacking, but none of those actions changed anything... they still can't attack. It wasn't a strength issue, either, as all of them were fully healed. Needless to say, I was a bit pissed. Has anyone else run into this problem?

[Shr3dZ]

I dont think you are allowed to bombard any unit past 50% health...

[axisworks]

Is that really true? What would be the point of that?

Overall, I've been pretty disappointed with the performance of planes regarding units in Civ4... they don't appear to do anything other than take units down fractions of a percent in strength. It takes dozens of planes used several turns apiece to destroy one destroyer, for instance. I'm not sure what the logic is, there. Planes appear to be mostly good for intercepting and (bombers) bombing city defenses.

[proviisori]

Originally posted by axisworks
Is that really true? What would be the point of that?

Because of the game balance. Bombers were too powerful.

[Simplicity]

Planes *should* be able to take on navies.
It's fairly stupid that they can't.

I understand planes not being able to kill land
units, but not being able to take out ships? That's
just silly.

[Caligula 37 AD]

Originally posted by axisworks
Is that really true? What would be the point of that?

Overall, I've been pretty disappointed with the performance of planes regarding units in Civ4... they don't appear to do anything other than take units down fractions of a percent in strength. It takes dozens of planes used several turns apiece to destroy one destroyer, for instance. I'm not sure what the logic is, there. Planes appear to be mostly good for intercepting and (bombers) bombing city defenses.

I find Bombers and especially Stealth Bombers to be a very useful tool in late game warfare. They are as you state yourself very good at taking down cultural defence, but even better at making collateral damage to a well defended city before your ground unit makes it to the siege.

Another great use is pillaging (or destroying is perhaps a better term) tile improvement. If in a long war, you can absolutely diminish your opponent by taking out his (or hers) strategically resources. Later destroy the mines, mills etc. After some turns with this treatment, your opponents ability to make new units is next to zero. Both fighters and bombers could be used, and they are even often successful when the tile is defended.

Plan a little ahead, load up 3-4 Carriers with fighters, escort them with 3-4 battleships, and send them to the far side of your opponent's area. Together with your home base, you will reach most every tile of his realms. If they are shot down (intercepted), replace them from home by simply pressing rebase and point the carrier stack. At least one ship in each should have Medic I promotion, escorts need Flanking (redraw) and First Strike.

If they were able to kill units, imagine what damage they could make? You wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end, would you?

To take out ships, you need a navy. Not very real life, true, but game balance needs to be first priority. Personally I’m glad CIVII’s Cruiser Missiles are history. Ships are expensive; they shouldn’t be easy to destroy with safely based units out of reach to counter.

Well my opinion anyway.

[Shr3dZ]

Originally posted by axisworks
... they don't appear to do anything other than take units down fractions of a percent in strength.

Thats b/c they are only wounding a unit a little less each time right? I cant remember how much dmg a plane does with its bombard but say it does 10% dmg then on a 20str unit the first hit is 2 dmg, then the second only does 1.8 dmg and so on and so on...

at least I think so...

the fact that planes are pretty cheap and can bombard a unit like 8 tiles away, over and over until that unit is in position for an attack and now its at 50% health is pretty good... kinda.

hey wait, arent planes -50% against bombarding ships? that would be like 1 dmg against an ship then.

[axisworks]

I mis-quoted... I meant an armored infantry, not a destroyer. I had four jet fighters attacking a single armored infantry unit at one point, and its strength was only taken down two notches out of 40-something (granted, I do think the unit had a +10% bonus). I was a bit shocked, though... if two armored infantry units can take out one enemy unit easily, why can't two airplanes? I do realize I'm flogging a dead horse here, but I'm hoping they designers will address some of this in a future patch.

[Calvin Vu]

I belong to the camp who think bombers are too powerful already at a fairly cheap cost. My invasion force usually consists of 30-something bombers to remove the cultural defence as well as damaging the defensive units to half strength. I can capture several cities per turn this way.

BTW, I don't really care if my bombers get intercepted. They rarely ever get shot down and if any of them get damaged I just let them heal for a few turns. Yeap, at the receiving end of these bombers would be very ugly !!!