Air Defenses Prevent Paradrop

[Morganstern]

Okay, what's with this message anyway? Even when I'm trying to insert paratroops at the edge of an opponent's territoy, having emptied out the base with my air units, which are hanging there right next to the base, somehow the AI still has the air superiority to prevent my drop into the base. In the meantime, the situation can be reversed, and the AI can drop in just about anywhere, regardless of location or my relative strength with the AI opponent. And oh by the way, in this latest game I even had the new SP that gives you air bases at all bases (Cloudbase Academy?).

Now, I realize the program has to indulge certain variances to maintain balance, but this seems so blatantly one-sided as to be distracting. Indeed, one must wonder why he should undertake the effort to build such units at all, if they can't be used for their most important purpose. On the other hand, perhaps there's a key to this to enable my drops that I'm just not getting. I'm up for suggestions or insights into this recurring scenario.

[WhiteElephants]

I think it's the aerospace complexs that prevent the airdrops, not the presence of needlejets. From what I remember the only way around this is to have the project that allows orbital insertions.

[Earwicker]

Yes, it's the aerospace complexes, and the CBA ought to work the same way for you in preventing enemy attackers with drop-pods.

Still, you are only excluded from dropping into a two-square radius around the protected base. Plenty of room to drop in nearby and just walk into the base. That's where the Xeno Dome truly comes in handy, since you can drop into those undefended fungus patches and slip into the back of the base.

[Bella Hella]

i don't think it's aerospace complexes

well, i get the same message despite the fact that sven has no aerospace complexes. at first i thought it was because he had planes/helicopters in there, but that wasn't it either. maybe it's his AAA garrisons? i think that might be what it was...???

actually, i think i was STILL unable to drop into his territory even after i killed off his defenders! i can't quite remember, though.

forgive my retardation, i really don't know, and i'm confused about it too!!!

also sucks that my drop probies can't drop into an enemy ZOC because they're not considered military units...

[nickersonm]

Give your probies synthmetal armour, and then they will be considered millitary units.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by nickersonm
Give your probies synthmetal armour, and then they will be considered millitary units.

Are you certain of this as it was not my experience. Armouring probes meant they defended normally against conventional attack BUT they were still probes and would die with the last conventional unit if stacked. My probes would never move after drop and always were barred from enemy ZOC on the drop. If your experience is different please elaborate since I would have to go back and test this again.

[knowhow2]

As for as I remember Non-combat units can't drop inside enemy land even WITH armour but you can drop a military unit first and then probes at the same square. That works.

The Secret Project referred to above is of cause The Space Elevator, also a well debated phenomenon in a related thread.

,,,,,,

[Sikander]

Regarding the problem dropping into Sven's undefended bases, if they are sea bases you can't drop into them no matter what. This may have been the problem you were having.

[Scipio Centaurus]

Originally posted by knowhow2
As for as I remember Non-combat units can't drop inside enemy land even WITH armour but you can drop a military unit first and then probes at the same square. That works.
,,,,,,

Here's a cheap workaround for that little problem. Just implemented the idea in a game I finished today.

Get yourself a hovertank chassis and select the probe enhancement for its weapon. Then tack on some drop pods and armor to taste. Drops unassisted right into enemy territory, though it still can't slip past the aerospace complex defenses. [I wonder if Blink displacer would allow a unit to bypass air defenses? Has anybody tried that?] Anyway, my "Drop Mechanized Spec-Ops" unit [I went unarmored, BTW] performed infiltrations and tech thefts just like a regular probe team. One even managed to swipe a size 10 base from Dierdre

- Scipio

[Bella Hella]

Sven and the Paradroppers

actually the bases in questions were not sea bases. i had already tried that and it didn't work .... svennie boy took over an island right next to my continent and had 3 bases on it, which were the ones i was trying to drop near. well, it doesn't really matter at this point - i sent some choppers over there, killed his defenders and then dropped into a non-base square and took over the bases. i just don't know why i wasn't able to drop into a base square (by base square i mean one that's in the base's production radius), even with a regular military dude.

i'll have to try it again and see if it works, and if not, see what all he has in the base - AAA guys, planes, choppers, aerospace complex, etc....

ever notice how sven doesn't care too much about his land bases? he seems to not build them up or give them good defenders. they were pretty easy to take over.

[Earwicker]

Sven and the Landlubbers

Originally posted by Bella Hella
ever notice how sven doesn't care too much about his land bases? he seems to not build them up or give them good defenders. they were pretty easy to take over.

Sven is a dope. He will build all of these sea bases right next to great land areas, and will even terraform the land so that his production depends upon them. But will have no land bases to claim the land itself. To strangle his production during wartime, just send in a needlejet colony pod to the island, and suddenly half his units must disband for lack of mineral support. Very much fun!

[Method]

just reporting a bug while its on topic. i was trying the "upgrade the crawler to a more expesive model" thing to speed an SP, and the model i upgraded it to had drop pods. "Hey! look at that! i can just drop it into the base instead!" i said. little did i know that my own air defences were preventing the drop. has NE1 ever seen this before?

[Morganstern]

Thanks for the insight on the aerospace bases, I do remember something like that now, but I'm not altogether certain that applies in my scenario. I'll have to check it out.

[vitamin j]

On a related note... Did you know that an air transport can drop a unit with drop-pods anywhere, regardless of aerospace complexes and interceptors? A chopper transport gives you the best max range, but will return with high damage. Of course, if you don't care if it returns you can really reach out and touch someone! This is probably common knowledge, but I had to find it out for myself. Now if I could just land a loaded air transport on a carrier deck!

[Ned]

If you are reporting that you cannot drop into even your own bases due to air defenses, this is a bug that was fixed in version SMACX v.2.0.

I have not been able to drop a probe team of any chasis or armor configuration into enemy controlled territory.

I think the presence of either defensive airpower or the presence if an airbase prevent airdrops.

I further think a plane in airbase made by a former will similarly protect up to two squares radius.

The Space Elevator has no effect on any of the above in my experience.

Ned