Q: Capturing VP's: Airplanes

[vexiliant]

Is there anyway to capture a VP with an airplane?

For a scenario i'm working/experimenting on, an Airplane of some sort has to capture an Airfield. Is that possible (in some way)?
Since, I tried on a testing map, an Airplane did not manage to capture a VP from a Town, assuming the Airfield has the same function as the Town.

If that doesn't work, what other ways are there to capture a VP without basing the scenario on mainly the ground forces?

[Zekedia222]

No, not really. You could do a trigger where you check to see if an airplane is in that hex, and then change control of that hex to the other side, but that wouldn’t look too good, and it would probably result in the hex being retaken, as (in my experience) if a VP is captured, but the flag isn’t fully raised, any adjacent unit will flip it back.

[vexiliant]

No, not really. You could do a trigger where you check to see if an airplane is in that hex, and then change control of that hex to the other side, but that wouldn’t look too good, and it would probably result in the hex being retaken, as (in my experience) if a VP is captured, but the flag isn’t fully raised, any adjacent unit will flip it back.

Hmmm, what I can try and do is make the AA on static defense (but I think they move if i'm not mistaken, will have to test that) because all of the units your controlling only need to bomb towns and capturing airfields.
Does that make any sense? Or am I just forced to use ground forces to make sure they're captured?

[Zekedia222]

You could, using a trigger detect when an aircraft is over an airfield. This could then use something to change the hex owner, and deploy an AA unit, as you said, to another team on static defense. “Static defense” is as the name states: static. It won’t move. Hopefully That helps you

[vexiliant]

(but I think they move if i'm not mistaken, will have to test that)

UPDATE: They do move 1 hex per turn. (IF! It's your unit, it wont move on static as I assume)

You could, using a trigger detect when an aircraft is over an airfield. This could then use something to change the hex owner, and deploy an AA unit, as you said, to another team on static defense. “Static defense” is as the name states: static. It won’t move. Hopefully That helps you

Yes this would help me, thank you very much , but I do have to ask another question regarding your sentence,

and deploy an AA unit

After hex owner, deploying an AA (a British one) on the captured airfield wouldn't make sense to me (since the AA is referring to the German AA's surrounding the airfield, should've specified that ) if you just deploy it there, since, it would be in enemy territory. Is it necessary to land an AA there without reasoning? (Since the Airfield is far away and surrounded by German units.)

[Zekedia222]

I think so. If the airfield is directly bordered by enemy units, it would be reverted back to enemy controlled, unless there is a unit in the hex, at least from what I remember in boot camp

[vexiliant]

I think so. If the airfield is directly bordered by enemy units, it would be reverted back to enemy controlled, unless there is a unit in the hex, at least from what I remember in boot camp

I probably have succeeded with the experiment, I haven't tested it fully though, just having a problem!

[timberwolf15]

Is there anyway to capture a VP with an airplane?

For a scenario i'm working/experimenting on, an Airplane of some sort has to capture an Airfield. Is that possible (in some way)?
Since, I tried on a testing map, an Airplane did not manage to capture a VP from a Town, assuming the Airfield has the same function as the Town.

If that doesn't work, what other ways are there to capture a VP without basing the scenario on mainly the ground forces?

Ok your desire is to Capture and airfield with an airplane - the following is one way to do it.
(First of all as you know create a scenario, on the alliances tab make two opposing forces I picked Germany and Poland, then I made all the hexes ownership to Poland except for 3 rows of hexes at bottom of map which I made Germany, [so the airfield is in Polish hex ownership] , Place an airfield in one of the Polish owned hexes. On the German Units choices place the plane you want to capture the airfield I placed a FW 200 Condor. The final thing to do is to set up the Trigger.

In setting up the Trigger the airplane flies to the airfield controlled by the player so the German player flies the FW 200 Condor towards the airfield then when it gets close the hex ownership changes so now the airfield is captured in addition the plane can also land. Since the basic info known is that you want a plane to capture an airfield then mission is accomplished. Notice the pics which also explain the trigger.

plane 1a.png (640.35 KiB) Viewed 2544 times

FW 200 shown on map airfield to capture shown on map north of plane

plane 1 b.png (416.96 KiB) Viewed 2545 times

Plane flies near airfield but is still not captured plane is controlled by player - playing the German side

Plane 1d.png (780.25 KiB) Viewed 2542 times

Plane is in close proximity to the airfield - airfield is now captured notice it can now even land on the airfield ...

[timberwolf15]

Here is another way to do it using a flag ... but NOT using a Primary or Secondary flag just a regular flag this enables the player to see actual hex ownership change ... Finally the trigger will be explained and shown ...

plane 2 a.png (378.67 KiB) Viewed 2540 times

Plane again flies near hex - hex is still visibly in Polish control ...

plane 2 b.png (251.08 KiB) Viewed 2539 times

Plane gets closer to airfield hex instantly changes ownership during the same turn it also can still land in the same turn ..
Here is the trigger:

planetrigger1.png (489.58 KiB) Viewed 2538 times

Generate a Trigger name it something in this example "Airport Captured" choose ANY EVENT for Trigger Event choice - Choosing something else may not work or it might but from experience some things do not work if for example combat event is chosen anyway ... NOW CHOOSE A CONDITION - Choose "Check Units near Hex" (Important now you must choose the TARGET HEX which is the airfield then the UNIT which is the UNIT you want to capture the airfield then the distance which means how close the unit must be - how close the airplane must be before the Condition is met wherein the airplane causes the next part of the trigger to occur which is the EFFECT. So the plane gets within 1 hex and the effect occurs for Effect choose CHANGE HEX OWNERSHIP this causes the hex ownership to change on in other words the hex to be captured. YOU MUST UNDER EFFECT CHOOSE THE HEX THAT CHANGES OWNERSHIP. Do this by clicking on where it reads "Target Hex" this brings you to the map and click on the airfield.
YOu can even add pop ups or notifications make additional effects to wherein another hex also changes ownership giving a ground unit supply etc.
Not sure what your end game is for doing this but you could have units spawn there when it gets captured you could have other planes fly boarded units to it you could have an engineer unit spawn and have the player put down land mines .. You could have the plane land and refuel then when and if the hex gets captured maybe flying the same plane hear it could change it back ..

[timberwolf15]

Uh, if ya put escarpments this prevents any unit from getting to the hex except maybe para units or a plane ... one pic shows escarpments surrounding each hex border of the airfield second pic shows escarpments placed further away. One could use mountains or water or neutral ownership borders etc. ...

excarpments 1.png (391.25 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

excarpments 2.png (731.32 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

[vexiliant]

Escarpments are a great idea, but it wouldn't fit in the scenario's theme that I am making. [It's either beside the ocean or a river.]

But! Do I put the distance to 0 to make sure that they don't cap. when outside of the hex?

Because your picture states that when putting Distance to 1 will make it so that you need to be 1 hex away from the VP to change hex owner.

[timberwolf15]

Sorry about finally seeing this post I have been afk ... ok let me play test this ....
Ok so the trigger needs to be tweaked a little so here is the result
The below pic shows plane is 1 hex away from airfield and nothing happens

planenear.png (389.07 KiB) Viewed 2493 times

I had to redo some of the stuff cause I only had a partial save of this "scenario" but it all works out ...
ok next pic the plane MUST be ON the hex (flying above the airfield hex ) for the airfield to change ...
This is done by tweaking the earlier trigger some but not much at all - below is the pic

planeontop.png (584.64 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

The German flag is hard to see but it changes ONLY when plane is over the airfield hex .. ok now the Trigger here it is the only change being ...

newtrig.png (569.74 KiB) Viewed 2491 times

I had to recreate the trigger from scratch but it is I think the SAME EXACT TRIGGER as the one shown above EXCEPT as you mentioned the Distance is ZERO there are two Distances one under CONDITIONS - Check units near hex and one under EFFECTS - Change hex ownership ..
The main one to have the distance at zero is the one under Conditions Check units near hex in the above trigger pic the number 1 is present in this trigger its 0 - Under "FW 200 Condor" it reads Distance 0 - so what about the distance 0 number under Effects I think this tells it to change how many hexes to the specified ownership meaning if you have a 1 it will change each hex touching the airfield hex to the German ownership ..

[timberwolf15]

If you have 1 for the distance number under effects this affects how many hexes have their ownership changed - the main hex (the airfield) and then 1 means a distance of 1 hex from the airfield but this has NOTHING to do with what you are trying to do ..

1 hex.png (475.29 KiB) Viewed 2484 times

Plane is near airfield all hexes remain Poland

effects to 1 hex.png (137.77 KiB) Viewed 2484 times

Effects are set to change airfield hex AND 1 hex away from airfield which means in all directions flags will indicate or show proof ...

many hexes.png (492.56 KiB) Viewed 2482 times

Effects putting it to 1 changes the amount of hexes affected by ownership

[vexiliant]

So does it have to be an exact model plane to capture it?

Also does it have to be "Any Event" or "Capture VP Event"?
[Since what i'm seeing is that it works without the Trigger Event "Capture VP Event", even though it's in it's name.]

[timberwolf15]

Any unit in the world can do this but you mentioned wanting to do this with an airplane ... notice the Trigger pic below in this trigger pic under CONDITIONS - Check Units near HEX when you choose this Condition this trigger allows to you click on the Unit you want it to refer too..

checkunits.png (166.71 KiB) Viewed 2445 times

ok so under conditions you select the condition of Check Units near hex and you see this ... below

target unit.png (184.69 KiB) Viewed 2442 times

so the first thing you can do after this pops up is choose the Target Hex Button and click on the airfield this is because you want this trigger to refer to this airfield among other things ..
then you click on the unit [THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY PLACED ON THE MAP PRIOR TO CREATING THIS TRIGGER] you click on the unit you want this trigger to refer to which for you is an airplane but as mentioned you can choose any unit SO click on the TARGET UNIT button and then choose the unit on your map then WHAM you see this below ..

aunitselected.png (217.44 KiB) Viewed 2440 times

Ok one thing to notice is that it shows the name of the unit you selected ALSO notice it gets rid of all the other choices you could have made in this Condition if you scroll down you would have seen other choices .. anyway in this example I clicked on a tank so it shows this ... the 38 t thing so you can choose ANY unit when this unit gets near this hex it triggers something ... now in this example it shows distance of 0 but as noted above in other posts this can be changed .. zero means this unit the 38 t tank thing must be in the hex you selected not just near it ..also realize once this trigger is set up you can click on a different unit even remove the hex and choose a different hex ..
Regarding ANY EVENT this seems to work with any event I have had problems getting triggers to work properly when I used Capture VP Event but still I use this sometimes I have found ya always need to test a trigger once you make it but it will work with Any Event .... The reason it reads Airport Captured this is because I choose what to name this trigger that I made from Scratch I could have called it trigger one but it helps to custom name your triggers so when you have 50 of them you can remember which is what .

[timberwolf15]

This is taken from the Scenario Editor Manual ... starting on about page 19

create trigger 1.png (324.09 KiB) Viewed 2432 times

create trigger 2.png (186.75 KiB) Viewed 2431 times

So after you make a trigger you click on the arrows to choose something such as Any Event notice it reads [Those / These] setting ONLY determine WHEN triggers are activated HOW they are activated which YOU choose under Conditions determines the requirements which must be met ...
SO !!!! Choosing ANY EVENT means this trigger will happen anytime you or the AI does anything this is great to ensure a trigger occurs .... whereas if you choose Capture VP Event the documentation states ... that this trigger ONLY occurs AFTER a Primary or Secondary VP hex changes ownership. Ok so this means a lot of things ONE of the things it means is that the hex must then be a Primary or Secondary Objective so it must have a flag on it - I was able to change the airfield hex ownership even with out having a flag on it ALSO and just as important since your desire is to change a hex ownership if you choose Capture VP EVENT then it seems this trigger would never generate because you must first I assume capture the hex before this trigger is even activated - BUT what you want to do is to simply have this hex change ownership [which means its captured] you want this hex to change ownership NOT by being captured but by having a particular unit - an airplane unit fly over the hex .. which as we know air units do not capture hexes when we fly over them BUT with this trigger we make it happen !!! whoo hoo ask more questions if ya need to ..

[timberwolf15]

Now I feel horrible so sorry I did not think to figure out about this Capture VP Event - Trigger Event choices the thing does not work so DO NOT USE Capture VP Event this does make sense that it does not work considering the above explanation below is a pic I edited the trigger we made to where the Trigger Event was changed to Capture VP Event what happens is the plane can no longer capture it notice the pic ..again, this makes total sense as the documentation explained that ● Capture VP Event (a primary or secondary VP hex changes ownership) when using Capture VP Event this is a trigger that is ONLY generated AFTER a VP is Captured - whereas you want a hex to change ownership once a plane flies over it - again, any hex that changes ownership is "captured" Also remember when using Capture VP Event [ which you are NOT using but if you ever use it ] that a Flag must have been put on any given hex for it to be a VP hex. The ONLY way a hex becomes a VP is when a flag is put into it ... but this is something you do not need to consider right now. For now forgetabout the Capture VP Event choice ...

no cap.png (517.05 KiB) Viewed 2420 times