What about the stealth fighter?

[Cookie Monster]

Has anyone used the stealth fighter to any effect? What are some of the strategies you use them for?

Their ability to bomb only marginally more effective than jet fighters coupled with the low chance of being intercepted must be useful somehow. Since they can't intercept, which is probably realistic, they can't be used as super air defence platforms.

[Solver]

But what is good about them? Stealth Bomber can bomb much better, and also has a nice chance of surviving. IMHO, Stealth Fighter has no use.

[Jawa Jocky]

I've never built one and I've never seen the AI build one. They're just long range artillery.

Does the guided bomb actually work? I've never tried that either.

Personally I like to use stacks of ground units to speed thing along, so I really can't imagine why a redundant unit that requires more human intervention would be usefull.

[Solver]

Nah... artillery and airforce can be useful, but not the Stealth Fighter.

[Jawa Jocky]

I hate complain in the stategy section, but this is another example of the Modern Era's defiency. This era is full of problems. Useless units, an uncreative tech tree, and the games usually abrupt ending. I was upset to learn that it wouldn't be fixed with PTW. Oh well, its a great game and I still love playing it.

[Solver]

I agree. Modern Era needs a huge remake, hope they fix it. Sure, it needs a remake, and if Firaxis won't fix, we will be able to (improved Editor).

[Jawa Jocky]

The player1 mod had some good changes.

He made the stealth fighter an interceptor (really the only bad change he made IMO). But harder to build SS parts and different tech order were a plus. I'm looking forward to the improved editor too. It would be nice to see everyone agree on one mod as the offical version. I have memory issues when it comes to playing all these different mods. My CRS keeps me playing the officially released version.

[Cookie Monster]

Agreed, stealth bomber is much more effective in the bomber role than the stealth fighter is.


Still, I'm trying to keep an open mind, Firaxis put that unit in there for a reason. I hope the stealth fighter wasn't just put in the game just for fun. I remember the stealth fighter in the CtP series as being a very useful plane. Was Firaxis merely trying to fluff up it's own game, or does the stealth fighter have a usefullness.

That's the question I guess.

[Catt]

Originally posted by Haupt. Dietrich
Was Firaxis merely trying to fluff up it's own game, or does the stealth fighter have a usefullness.

That's the question I guess.

Can't speak for the designers, obviously, but I always believed that the stealth fighter was simply a cheaper (120 shields vs. 240 shields) stealth bomber, with correspondingly (not exactly pro rata, of course) less firepower. Not unlike the destroyer / battleship duo (although those come one tech advance apart).

Catt

EDIT: To be clear, I think its usefulness is that it is simply a cheaper unit -- if the player feels he/she needs bombers quickly (and worries about AI jets on AS missions), then those fringe cities churning out 70 shields each can build a stealth fighter in 2 turns, or a stealh bomber in 4 turns. The presence of the SF in the build list allows the player a (small) tactical choice.

Another EDIT: I have captured a few AI SF's but don't think I've built more than one or two in my entire Civ 3 experience.

[The_Hawk]

I agree with everyone. The Stealth Fighter just does not make any sense, especially coupled with being available at the same time as the Stealth Bomber. The Stealth Bomber has longer range, bombs better and even looks cooler!

To me, I could see the Stealth Fighter being more useful if it were an upgrade to the Jet Fighter. Its Stealth capability might give it a higher rate of interception during Air Superiority campaigns against other Stealth planes and especially against Bombers. However, Stealth Fighters can't even run Air Superiority missions. they just suck all together and I never build them. I tend to exclusively build Stealth Bombers for offensive strikes (especially cool when they can do precision strikes) and Jet Fighters for defensive purposes (Air Superiority). If I build Bombers at all I use them on coastlines as long-range artillery.

[Jezz]

I always build them. The price difference is a big deal if you're neck deep in fending off 7 civs coming at you from everywhich where. In the time i build one SB, i can build 2 SF, and send them off on different fronts. With the way Civ3's bombing missions work, the more times you attempt bombing, the better chance you have of hitting. Or atleast it seems that way to me.

[Franses]

I am surprised that so many of you have experience with these units. I never had the chance building any of them, no matter what level I play. Now, I must admit I do not play out the game if it is obvious I am going to win. It gets so boring after that.
I hope to use these units against human players with PTW so this thread was very learnfull. Thanks.

[Cypselus]

Never used one. I don't think I built one in CtP, either, but in CivII, they were exceptionally useful, probably the next best unit after howitzers. But for some reason in Civ3 they based them on the F117 rather than the F22 that inspired the CivII plane. A rather unfortunate place for the designers to become slaves to realism, I think. What were they thinking?

[Solver]

Price isn't that much of a difference. Rate of failure for the SF is so much higher than for Stealth Bombers, you better have 10 Stealth Bombers rather than 14 SFs.

[Zanzin]

Agreed, it seems pretty useless. By that stage of the game, my cities are so productive that if takes 3 turns to build a SB, over 2 turns for SF...well, there's just so little difference, you've gota go with the SB each time.

Why'd Firaxis put it in there? I guess they thought they were obliged to or something..."gotta have a stealth fighter, right guys?" Pity it's bombardment stength is on par with that of a catapult!! (okay, it's got a 2 ROF...but that doesn't count for anything if it's never going to hit anything because it's so weak in the first place!)