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Air unit movement

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:57 am
by MarcA
I am wondering how the game handles the use of aircraft after transfer between air bases.

For example, if I move an air unit to a different air base such that it consumes 10% of it's total movement points, when it arrives if I set it to air superiority for example, does the air unit become immediately active or does it remain inactive for 10% of the turn to represent the time in transit?

Similarly, does the game recognise time to target for air units, so if you assign a bridge target 40% of it's movement points away does it burn 40% of the turn.

RE: Air unit movement

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:13 am
by golden delicious
No and no.

Aircraft in TOAW function very much like extremely long-ranged artillery. So long as they are acting passively, their remaining movement points are not considered. They are assumed to reach their targets instantly, neither consuming time nor risking interception anywhere except over the target.

Moreover the movement values have nothing to do with the speed of the aircraft or indeed any other variable. They are only varied by supply and readiness, and are otherwise arbitrary. They only come into play a) if you run out of move for transfering the aircraft or b) if you assign them to attack an enemy hex directly.

This is obviously a bit of an abstraction, and requires some thought on the part of the designer.

For example, in an Iraq 2003 scenario, with 6 hour turns, it is possible in TOAW for a heavy bomber unit based in the continental United States to make several raids over Iraq during the course of the turn. Of course in reality the flight to the target alone would take at least two turns. The designer compensated for this by reducing the number of assigned aircraft dramatically- essentially each attack was being made by different aircraft.

Alternatively you could rationalise it as the same aircraft making several attacks in the course of a single sortie. This is especially valid if you've also used a high attrition divider, which is common in scenarios with such short turns.

Note that the above is an extreme example. In most situations, this problem is sufficiently marginal that it can be ignored.