Airships Bombers and fighters.

[Ste71]

In the main this game is great. Some of the more recent adjustments made the game far more fair like the ability to build artillery and ships for some of the minor countries. The increase in ammunition maximums allows for more sustained bombardments and I think that the inclusion of extra fortresses helps bolster the Russians where they needed it. In fact, most of the changes are good and improve playability.

2 things stick out however.

The first a minor one small garrisons, I don't understand why they can't be moved by rail. For the Russians especially it is a drag moving each one individually one hex at a time. Secondly and more importantly aircraft, have damaged the integrity of a very good First World War game.

Second, I have played a number of recent games where the use of Airships to destroy with impunity aircraft and artillary. Early fighters have can't shoot them down, even later ones have no chance as each defending fighter can be hammered by any number or airships (In one game I faced over 20 of them). Being able to pick on a single aircraft without being intercepted by other defending fighters is not balanced. Even where other units artillery, cavalry, infantry, etc are attacked by airships and defending fighters will intercept the attack value of the airship is far to high. Airships were very expensive to build, extremely vulnerable by the mid war due to being filled with Hydrogen gas, also the bomb payload they could carry was very small. They should not be a viable way of attacking military targets. Zeppelins were used almost exclusively to bomb cities and for reconnaissance. For these reasons the ability of airships to destroy anything but pp should be virtually zero throughout the war.

Although bombers superseded Zeppelins and were a much more promising weapon. Later in the war they should become better at attacking ground targets. Aircraft in 1914 however were not capable of effectively able to be described a bombers. The game however allows some powers to produce them from the very start. Bombers should need to be researched. Also the issue of being able to attack aircraft units without the risk of being intercepted allows a player to pick on individual aircraft targets and analyte them.

I don't have a problem with bombers (or even airships) attacking enemy aircraft at all but if there are nearby fighters which haven't intercepted then the attacking bombers should take the pain from interceptors before they make their attack. It seems friendly fighters will intercept for friendly infantry, artillery, etc but not other friendly fighters.

The main point of my argument is that the First World War was fought on land by armies millions strong supported by massive artillery bombardments not by super zeppelins and bombers which could sit off like a super deathray picking off individual prime targets such as artillery, cavalry or fighter units. I beg that you take these points on board and save this game because as it is it has become Zep wars.

To review.

1- Rail allowed for small garrisons
2- Airships range and visibility is fine. They should have virtually no attack factor but still be useful for recon and strategic warfare.
3- Bombers should need to be researched for all countries in 1914.
4- Fighters need to be able to intercept against attacks against all units even friendly aircraft.

Cheers Ste.

[Turbo624]

I agree with your assessment of the airpower in CTGW as have a lot of people. It is so dumb, that I end up quiting the game and playing something else. Unfortunately, the designers don't appear to be changing this dumb feature so we are stuck with it.

[kirk23]

For game play patch 1.6.0?

All Air warfare with the new improved patch I'm working on has been toned down a bit,Balloons/Zeppelins are little more than Recon units,they are still good a targeting Submarines,but have very little impact on Ground units,until upgraded via research,early Fighters are also,not much of a threat to Land units,apart from Efficiency damage to target units,as for Air combat they need to upgrade before they do much damage,Bombers have also had there effect reduced,again until better research kicks in.

On a side note,level 1 Artillery also are not to effective,dealing little more than efficiency damage on units,and only causing actual strength damage to a target unit,when that target unit is already reduced in combat strength,from any previous combat encounters.

[krogo]

in v1.6.2 the bombers and airships still destroy any economy within a year. solution: stats to adjust in data/scripts/units.lua

at zeppelin:
costPP = 50, (30 is ridiculous. perhaps little more?)
turns = 6, (or more, but not more than 13 that's half a year)
upkeepPP = 2, (representing the expensive gas)
stratattack = 2, (so 5 can cause 1PP damage to a city, not counting the upgrades, i do not suggest value of one, because of the terror effect)

at bomber:
costMP = 1, (i do not get why should it be 2...)
stratattack = 5, (so 2 can cause 1PP damage to a city)

moreover, the stratattack values of the surface sea units should be reduced to around 2 of cruisers and 3/4(5?) of dreadnoughts (little efficiency, but the horrorfactor...)
the artillery stratattack value is alright on the basis the ammunition consumption and the number of heavy guns in an army group as well... :p