Air defense vs Drop Pods

[overcome]

What facility or SP prevents units from making Drops into enemy territory? Also, I have taken over bases from an enemy and have been prevented from dropping my unit from my city to a conquered enemy city. Why does that happen? I have done some testing, but can't figure it out.

[Christantine The Great]

I don't think there is anything to prevent you from dropping into enemy territory. About the last part, I'm not sure why it didn't let you jump. Are you sure you were in range? Was the unit under the influence of the Space Elevator or did it have a singularity? You might have been out of range and not using a black hole. The Singularity allows units to make Orbital Insertions and so does the Space Elevator.

[Sikander]

I believe there are two things that can disrupt drop troops:

1) A aerospace complex controlled by the enemy.
2) Enemy aircraft.

Perhaps your base was within the radius of one of these factors, and you were thus unable to make the drop. Usually I get a message explaining the situation when I make the attempt.

[overcome]

I trimmed down my game to a few restricted bases and tested the theory, with the help of the scenario editor for fine tuning. I tried to drop a unit and came up with the message "Air Defenese in X City prevents drop operation". There was no Aerospace Complex, nor air units. There weren't even any units with AAA or Air Superiority.

[big_canuk]

I believe that the inability to drop into a captured base that had an areospace complex, is a bug. I have also had this experience. It took me an extra turn to build the SP at that base, cause I had to drop outside the influence, and then move in.

I wonder if it lasts forever, or if it diappears when the base changes to your picture. Maybe you could recycle the areospace complex to avoid the problem, unless you had the CA.

I also have a new question on the same topic. Is the area of defense the production area of a base or the whole 5x5 base area. ie, are the corners missing or not?

edit: overcome: I just saw your post. I guess it is a bug with all captured cities??
[This message has been edited by big_canuk (edited January 01, 2001).]

[WhiteElephants]

The game might consider the entire 10+ square radius of a needlejets range as "protected" from air drops.

Just a thought...

[Aredhran]

As mentioned before, Aerospace Complex and Interceptors (jets/copters with SAM ability) in a base will prevent drop.

By extension, the SMAX Cloudbase Academy project (which grants an Aerospace Complex in each of the owner's base), will have the same effect.

There is a known bug in SMAX V1 that will prevent air drops even in your own bases when this SP is built.

Download SMAX patch V2.

Aredhran

[LoD]

I would just like to correct big_canuk that the discovery of Graviton Theory is what makes Orbital Insertions possible, and not the presence of singularity reactors on board of a unit.

BTW, do land SAM units also have the effect of preventing air drops?

------------------
---LoD

He, who comprehends the past, shall conquer the present and rule the future.

[Aredhran]

I have never checked, but I don't think so.

[overcome]

To clarify, my faction has the Cloudbase Academy and I have had already had that patch loaded.

[Misotu]

Overcome, it still might be worth reinstalling the game and patch. This is an old bug, and it is definitely fixed with the patch. It may be that, for some reason, your patch did not install correctly.

[big_canuk]

quote: Originally posted by LoD on 01-02-2001 08:31 AM I would just like to correct big_canuk that the discovery of Graviton Theory is what makes Orbital Insertions possible, and not the presence of singularity reactors on board of a unit.

LoD:

I must have been clear as mud. I meant the Cloudbase Academy (CA) would give areospace complexes, which would block drops. These would not be able to be recycled. I'm not sure how you got Graviton Theory.

Nice to know the bug was solved with the patch. The game I played way back when, when I had the problem must have been before I installed the patch.

Again, does anyone know whether the zone of protection against drops is the 5x5 base area, or the 21 square productive area?

[Aredhran]

5x5

[Misotu]

Yes, for sure 5x5. I know this from most *recent* experience

[big_canuk]

Mis: Were you the dropper or the droppee?