mid-air refuelling - ??

[barocca]

Mid-Air refuelling - can it be done??

this is paraphrased from information from John Possidente's Civ2 complete guide to scenario building

I have done some "low grade" testing, I would appreciate more experienced modders/scenario builders playing with it further,
(i got some odd results - see observations below)

Rules.txt
Attributes
attribute 8
; 000000010000000 = Can carry air units (carrier)

give this attribute to a unit of any domain but give the receiving unit NO HOLDS AT ALL
(no carrying capacity)

EFFECT
1. an air unit ends it's turn when it enters a square containing a unit with attribute 8 set to 1.
2. the air unit has it's range reset as if it had landed on a carrier or on an airbase
3. "refuelling unit's" cannot carry air units around, if the refuelling unit moves the air unit remains behind and begins it's journey again.
4. if the refuelling unit moves BEFORE the end of the turn the "refuelling" cycle is interrupted

OBSERVATIONS (from my limited testing)

I DID NOT test fighters on ANY of these.

1. Sea units (domain 2) who have refuelling capacity but no holds can still carry air units with a range of 1 (missiles). They Do refuel all others.
2. Air units (domain 1) with "refuelling capability" seems to manage only one space per turn and themselves never seem to run out of fuel. (no matter how much range and movement i gave them)
3. Land units (domain 0) function as expected in John description, they can refuel air units, they cannot "carry" the air units.
4. Hovercraft (domain 3) function as expected in John's description, they can refuel air units, they cannot "carry" the air units.

??

POSSIBILITIES
Use Domain 3 units as mid-air refuellers!!!


B.

[Boco]

You have a copy of Possidente's book? Keep posting excerpts!

Here's some more info on Domain 3 Units (by Stefan Härtel).† Between reading the recovered threads and quotes from your book, I realize how much about designing that I've forgotten!

Going off on a tangent. If you give "conventional" aircraft the trireme flag, while not giving it to VTOL aircraft, you can create "oil platforms" at sea (airbases on ocean squares). The land-based air can't use them without risking elimination (the odds can be adjusted in @COSMIC). Unfortunately, AI fighters will land safely on oil platforms , usually only after defeating the occupants, even if they are triremes.

†Another gem recovered thanks to Markos with not a little persistence by Merc.

[barocca]

neat info

i will post excerpts as i read them,
but i need time when i do, i search the forum first to see if the knowledge is already known.

what this little piece of info about attribute 8 means is

you could create an airship in domain 1, it would move slowly (1 space per turn) but could provide inflight refueling to friendly air units or a space station (aka death star, battlestar) etc etc

you could create land based (domain 0) refuelling tankers or mobile (temporary) airbases for friendly aircraft, this would work very well if the aircraft were VTOL (harriers)

you can (using domain 3) create airborne refuelling tankers, i saw a falklands scenario where this would have been most usefull,
(the only drawback is the unlimited range of domain 3 units) but then who would leave vulnerable units close to enemy air units?


AS AN ASIDE
domain 3 could be used to create hot air balloons!!
(ideal really!!)
or those little spyplane drones,
or awacs aircraft
or hovercraft - pity domain 3 cannot carry units though

B.

[Eivind IV]

If you hit ctrl-n mid-air before it's used up all it's moves, it will have another range next turn. But note that all units with movement left will have their moves nilled for the rest of that turn. So, if you save the airplane as the last unit to move, it would have the desired effect.

[curtsibling]

Where can I get a copy of JP's book/notes?

Is it for sale or downloadable...?

[barocca]

the copy i have was a gift to me from a long time friend who was given it as a gift by some friends of his who go to a lot of sci-fi conventions and it was on sale in the "op shop" section

there is no publication date in the book
BUT the scenario disc that came with it is copyrighted 1998


Civilization II - the complete guide to scenario building
John Possidente

they have a website - not sure if it is still active

https://www.gamewizards.com

ordering :-
The WizardWorks group, Inc.
2300 Berkshire Lane North
Plymouth MN 55441 USA

toll free 1 800 229 2714

ISBN 1-56893-904-3

Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 98-64117

B.

[Boco]

I got 8 hits with Bookfinder.com search for ISBN 1568939043.

[barocca]

3 copies sold - 5 remain

GMT is 4:57 AM 14 March
Apolyton Time is 23:57 13 March

B.

EDIT
Amazon.US (which was not in the list when i searched the first time) have SIX copies alone!!
which means there should be plenty to go around,
prices start from $4 US
(it lists 22.95 on the search engine, but amazon site lists $3.95+)

[Elok]

I don't have Civ2 available (home for spring break)....do aerial carriers (domain 1) remain unassailable, provided they aren't helos? I.e., could you have a bomber remain out of its city forever and still be untouchable by units without the fighter flag? It could be combined with the paradrop ability to overcome the slow movement to an extent. Dunno what you would use it for though.

You could also make it a fighter (range 1), so it could attack multiple times per turn but not move quickly. A literal flying fortress.