AI Improvement: Move air units away from land unit harm.

[Tanaka]

As it is now they just sit there to be destroyed by land units?

Example pic: This air unit just sits there on the frontline several turns allowing me to attack it over and over until destroyed. Why not fly away out of harm to be reinforced?

[Numdydar]

I've actually had air units survive two tank attacks and hold their positions. I guess the tanks were slowed down by having to move around all the wreckage lol.

If an air unit is attacked by any ground combat unit it should immediately rebase after taking damage.

But this behavior has been around for years in the SC games so it does not look look like this will change anytime soon. [:(]

[Tidavis]

This is my first experience with the ST game system. I was a bit shocked that there isn't a separate layer for air units and a requirement they be on hexes that are designated air bases.

The reasoning could be that at this level, air units do have a sizable land element of ground support, security, etc, personel, and that is what is being dealt with instead of actual aircraft.

Maybe one of the designers could weigh in on this?

[Numdydar]

Except that we are talking about a tank corps attacking. As an ex-airman I do not think I would be pulling out my side arm to try and stop tanks overrunning my airfield lol.

[BillRunacre]

If an air unit is attacked by a tank unit then if the expected combat result is that it will take a hammering (as it probably will unless the Tanks are in as bad a state as Napoleon's Grande Armee in the retreat from Moscow in 1812) then the air unit has a 50% chance of retreating per attack.

I could increase this chance to retreat to 100%. But this won't always benefit the attacker, because if you've reached the air unit with the last of your Action Points, and it survives your first blow (normally greatly weakened) if it retreats then you won't be able to finish it off as you've no movement left.

This is why I've hesitated to make it 100%.

For two tank attacks not to destroy the air unit must be very rare indeed, as their air attack values are high (higher than they were in the recent-ish past because I remember increasing them a year or two back).

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: BillRunacre

If an air unit is attacked by a tank unit then if the expected combat result is that it will take a hammering (as it probably will unless the Tanks are in as bad a state as Napoleon's Grande Armee in the retreat from Moscow in 1812) then the air unit has a 50% chance of retreating per attack.

I could increase this chance to retreat to 100%. But this won't always benefit the attacker, because if you've reached the air unit with the last of your Action Points, and it survives your first blow (normally greatly weakened) if it retreats then you won't be able to finish it off as you've no movement left.

This is why I've hesitated to make it 100%.

For two tank attacks not to destroy the air unit must be very rare indeed, as their air attack values are high (higher than they were in the recent-ish past because I remember increasing them a year or two back).

Thanks Bill I've turned off retreats in my game for various modding reasons. Was just hoping the air AI could be improved in flying away from land units.