why land based transports?

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Just out of curiosity - how do you put AAA on an unarmed unit ?

Actually, shouldn't your post read "how do you put AA on an unarmed unit? " , cuz you can put the defensive AAA on an unarmed (i.e. no offensive capability) unit....


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[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Darsnan


Actually, shouldn't your post read "how do you put AA on an unarmed unit? " , cuz you can put the defensive AAA on an unarmed (i.e. no offensive capability) unit....


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Erhm, no, you can not put AAA on formers, CP's, transporters SC's and probes - just tested it in SMAX .

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Erhm, no, you can not put AAA on formers, CP's, transporters SC's and probes - just tested it in SMAX .

I can.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Darsnan


I can.

Fiddling with alphax doesn't count

[Darsnan]

I didn't! Double

Actually, I fiddled with the Faction file.....

Over at CGN I put together a couple of games where I gave the aliens free nerve gas. The "X" then showed up on all units, including Formers, Probes, Transports, etc... The same concept can be applied for AA, AAA, Empath, etc....


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[BlackCat]

doesn't make it better

btw, I've seen CGN a couple of times but google gives 809.000 hits that I can't make myself look through - what is it ?

[Darsnan]

https://www.civgaming.net/forums

Hosted by buster. Damned good SMAC(X) site!


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[Senethro]

Oh darsnan, what files won't you edit?

CGN seems to be down right now. Some good SMACX resources but the 'poly is the best (only) active forum.

[#endgame]

Well, you could make the transport a combat unit by giving it synthmetal armor. I don't think it's possible to upgrade to one, but if you build a commando synthmetal one, you could then monolith it.

As to unloading in air, it's a bug. I think with the rightclick menu you can force an unload from the air, but you're only meant to load/unload in cities.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by #endgame
Well, you could make the transport a combat unit by giving it synthmetal armor. I don't think it's possible to upgrade to one, but if you build a commando synthmetal one, you could then monolith it.

As to unloading in air, it's a bug. I think with the rightclick menu you can force an unload from the air, but you're only meant to load/unload in cities.

Quite right. That's the reason you should not use all of the transporters movements, that gives acces to the Action - Unload option wich you loose when fully moving the unit.

If it's a bug or not may be a matter of definition. IRL unloading of even heavy armoured units from an areoplane is actually done - I think that the French has made that a speciality of theirs. From a chopper, it should obviously be possible.

[Dis]

I don't know how cost effective drop pods are, but I use them all the time.

I wouldn't even think about messing around with transports for my infantry units. I'll just slap drop pods on them.

like I said, I haven't looked at the costs. But drop pods seem like a better way to increase movement.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Senethro
Oh darsnan, what files won't you edit?

The Terran and Terranx files, because I can't!

Originally posted by BlackCat
IRL unloading of even heavy armoured units from an areoplane is actually done - I think that the French has made that a speciality of theirs. From a chopper, it should obviously be possible.

Think Apocalypse Now where a Heli flew in the gunboat!

Also, over at CGN I set up a game whereby I staged an orbital assault onto a Planet using the Missile chassis with transport capability: the missile hits one target, eliminates that, then releases its clutch of assault shock troops which can then immediately go into combat. I loaded up a bunch of these missiles with Drop Assault troops and launched them against a heavily defended planet. Note that this game also included Usurpers with the free nerve gas ability for all their units. Cool stuff!


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[Petek]

Here are a few past threads in which land transports are discussed. As was previously mentioned, Ogie Oglethorpe is a great advocate of these units.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113066

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105356

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58837

[BlackCat]

Somehow I think that this discussion is past the point where cost/benefit is an issue. I have difficulties in imagining that transporters are an advantage compared to choppers and drop units unless it's so late in the game that it doesn't matters.

The same with drop CP's - they are quite effective, but they are not available when they can make a critical difference. For me the stratetic battle is long over when airdrop is achieved, after that it is "just" a tactical issue.

[dacole]

ok so now there is a unit I have haveing trouble visualising even in the sci-fi world of alpha centauri. Exactly how would the units being carried in the missle survive the impact of the missle...? Had never thought of that idea though man what an interesting late game strategy will have to remember that!