Science Advisory: Do we want Tanks or Bombers first?

[joncnunn]

In a few turns we will complete the Theory of Evolution and be granted Electronics and Radio for free.

By that time, there is a good chance the AI will have finished reseraching Steel so we can directly reserach Combustion.

After Combustion though, there is a choice between Flight (Fighters, BOMBERS, and Air Ports) and Mass Production (Battleships, Carriers, and leads to Mobile Warfare for TANKS).

In the first case, we get Flight 4 turns after Combustion completes, the first Airport built 2 or 3 turns later with the first Bomber 2 or 3 turns after that.

In the second case, we get Mobilie Warfare 8 turns after the completion of Combustion, with the first Tank in 2 or 3 more turns.

Which do we want first?

[joncnunn]

In my own games, I put off Flight for as long as possible, but that's because I always build the Colossus which also expires with Flight.

But since we don't have the Colosus in this game, it's not so clear weather Bombers or Tanks would be more useful.

[GodKing]

tanks...... duhhhhhhhh

[Kuciwalker]

*BIG sigh*

manually add +1 to discover Mobile Warfare ASAP

duh

[roadcage]

You can't put bombers in an Army

[Thud]

Ok, ok, I know you were all waiting for me to return to give you advice on this one. Well, it is a toughie, but I would say mobile warfare. Of course, you don't have to listen to me.... ah, good. You obviously did.

[Kloreep]

Arty seems to be working fine, so Mobile Warfare.

[Aidun]

Our ground armies could do with new techniques. Flight is not yet needed. Bombers can't occupy an enemy city, tanks can. Weakening units in cities can also be done with the huge artillery regiment we have. We don't need bombers for that.
With battleships we could make coast bombardments when we would decide to attack the Zulus or the Romans.
I vote for tanks.

Aidun

[Shiber]

Bombers can do what our artillery is already doing, only that they have greater range, but they require an airport to base in. All in all, bombers are better than artillery in some points and weaker in others.
However, tanks are wholly different from cavalry. They are much stronger and they blitz, and although they're slower than cavalry, they certainly make up for it with all of their tactical advantages. I vote motorized transportation!

[E_T]

I almost always get Flight last, but I also have the Colossus. Both have their Good & bad points. But it all comes down to what can be done with this version Patch, compaired to later Versions.

Bombers (and other Flight Capable Units) are hampered by somethings that were fixed in 1.29 & PTW. Where as, Tanks aren't.

So my vote is tanks first. It won't be much longer until we have the other tech.

E_T

[Aro]

Tanks! Hundreds of them! Thousands!

[Kuciwalker]

Actually, bombers don't require an airport to make bombing runs IIRC. Airports are just air barracks and air harbors.

[joncnunn]

Science Advisory updated to reflect overwhelming desire for Tanks first.

Well, Bombers can be built without an Airport, but that makes them merely Regulars instead of Vetrans so I always build Airports first.

[Kuciwalker]

What's the point of veteran air units? Hit points have no effect on aircraft IIRC, because they either get shot down or they don't, they don't just lose hit points.

[Shiber]

They do when an aircraft performing an air superiority mission attacks another aircraft... I think.
Anyway, for a while most cities will not have or will not be able to build SAM sites. During that period, the AI's only defense against our air bombing runs will be fighters performing superiority missions.
The same goes for us of course, so we better build veteran air units if we want our units to survive or properly defend against AI planes.