Cruise Missiles

[gunkulator]

Too bad cruise missiles can't be launched directly from ships. That's how they're typically used nowadays.

Cruise missiles should really be air units and have an operational range, instead of ground units with bombard. That way they could be rebased without all the fuss of loading them on and off transports. That's a lot of nuisance for a one-time use unit.

[Mace]

I use cruise missiles on a limited scale, mostly to take out fortified units on mountaintops (like the ones guarding radar towers).

occasionally I will build enough cm's to actually use them en masse to destroy enemy fleets, or soften up cities...but in most games, just about 10-20 cm's used to get radar towers is about it.

On higher diff levels, I find myself building them less and less though...

[bobbo008]

I have a question, I thought of tagging cruise missiles as tactical nukes so nuclear subs (and anything else that is modded to carry them) can carry them, but I'm not sure that since its tagged as a tactical nuke, would that make everyone declare war on you as if it were a nuke or actually turn it into a nuke or what? (didnt wanna waste whole game to find out)

[Dis]

Originally posted by Solomwi
Cruise missiles are great for keeping down WW. Where those 100 MA are going to lose a few units, adding to WW points, the CM allows you to wipe out defenders without any risk to your own troops. Basically a one shot stealth bomber that can never be intercepted, never hits an improvement and never lowers population, for 60 shields. Also, if handled properly, they never cost upkeep, even in democracy.

wow, maybe I'll try these next game. very useful in democracy I'd imagine.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Solomwi
I does provide no unit support. The best way to use cruise missiles is to build them the same turn you fire them. IIRC, unit support is deducted from the treasury at the beginning of the production phase, meaning that new units don't cost upkeep until the first turn you can move them. Remember also that the production phase happens after the movement phase. To give an example:

Movement, 1950: 1 turn left on CM, upkeep at 100 g, no other new units being built (for simplicity's sake).
Production, 1950: 100 g deducted from treasury (almost unnoticed, since it also does the other empire wide financial dealings).

Movement, 1951: Unit support now at 101 g. You fire the cruise missile, and unit support is back down to 100 g before it's deducted again.

The key is simply never having a CM in your arsenal while in the production phase. This works for 1 or 100 of them.

vmxa: I know you aren't worried about WW, but some are. I'm not portraying the CM as a one size fits all solution, at least not meaning to, but pointing out that there are benefits and times when it is the best solution.

the problem with this strategy is you wouldn't be able to wage quick wars. As you couldn't build up a sizable cruise missile inventory and avoid upkeep.

[Solomwi]

That all depends on map size. I play huge, and by the modern ages, will have anywhere from 20-40 cities between 60 and 99 shields, and another 50 or so producing 30-59. This means, on average, anywhere from 45-65 CMs a turn, if I were to truly dedicate to it. Depending on the type of war I'm waging, this may or may not be plenty. The best use I've found is to supplement bombers with CM and artillery. Basicly, I'll run my RA, especially, up to the border and try to knock off as many hp as possible until they're exhausted. Then I finish off as many units as I can with CM. A 4 tile range, with AI city spacing, isn't going to let you get to the second level of cities, so your targets are pretty limited already. Five AI cities on the border, each housing four redlined defenders, post artillery barrage, means you really only need 25-30 CMs that turn plus whatever can be used on invading AI units and radar towers. You won't wipe out your enemy in two turns using only non-upkeep CMs, but isn't that the tradeoff that makes the game fun?

For clarification, when I said handled properly above, I meant properly with respect to upkeep, not to imply that building and using the same turn is the only proper way to use them.

Admittedly, the no upkeep scenario is only an ideal situation, but depending on empire size and, more importantly, the role you have in mind for them, it's attainable.

[bobbo008]

My problem with this is my ego. I like to have my huge fleet of stealth bombers and artillary, making and losing the cruise missiles means I don't get a huge army to feed my bloated head (oh, come on, everyone knows that a democracy in this game is still a despotism with increased revenue).

[Last Conformist]

You can load them into ships - just park the ship next to the coast, and move the CM into.

(Assuming they've not closed this loophole since last I checked.)

[spy14]

I believe you can fire them from AEGIS Cruisers and Nuclear Subs.

However for some dumb reason you cant load them into transports.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by spy14
I believe you can fire them from AEGIS Cruisers and Nuclear Subs.

Not unless you mod the game.

[spy14]

I always have my settings allowing them to be carried by transports. This way I cant fire at sea but I can land them as an aid to any invasion force.

The trouble is I dont then put this into practice, as the AI cant seem to take advantage of the settings

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by spy14
The trouble is I dont then put this into practice, as the AI cant seem to take advantage of the settings

If that's the way you feel about it, than why are you even using artillery?

After almost 3 years of seeing AI ineptness at artillery usage, I have DELETED all ground artillery units, replaced by "siege" and "assault" units:

Take an offensive foot unit, add the cost of 4 contemporary bombard units, give it the attack strength of DOUBLE of its attack or defense strength (whichever is higher). No blitz, no offensive bombard, but defensive bombard of the artillery. Use the graphic of a multi-unit (available at CFC).

The AI will be quite happy to build and use these. I have even seen an AI Army* containing 4 Mech Assault Infantry (ADM=36.16(12).2).

* C3C, where an Army is created every X turns by Military Academy, with reduced Army shield value

[spy14]

I lack the inclination to do all that. I used to make great use of bombers in PTW when the AI used them properly... in C3C they just seem to attack cities and not improvements.

[bobbo008]

if you tag cruise missiles as tactical nukes (so you can load them onto nuclear subs), will the AI get pissed at you for using the cruise missiles as if they're nukes?

[spy14]

Presumably as you've effectivly turned the flag on to activate that response. Try it and see