Manual Air Management
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:21 am
I'm at a loss to understand what's going on with the air war. Having re read the manual I see that the automatic ground attack management assigns air units not just according to range but the ground units they are supporting. But I don't want to use the automatic management. When you set the % required to fly, you have no idea whether that % includes bombers and/or escorts, and unescorted bombers are a frequent consequence of this method. But the manual support just doesn't work either.
Clearly, if you designate a hex for manual air attack, the computer does not know with what ground units you will follow up the attack. Is it trying to guess, and if so, on what basis? The units made available to automatic attacks are quite different from those appearing on the manual Ctrl + R click list. Frequently air units that should be available to a manual attack (same nationality of ground units in close proximity to attack hex) are not, and vice versa. I see no consistant logic to the computors choices. This has nothing to do with air doctrine.
Further, I suggest a de-coupling of the "% required to fly" from the manual targetting routine. It would be better to provide the % of air unit available on the unit selection list so players can make an informed choice of unit to select. Constant moving up and down of the "% required to fly" number is a pain in the neck and failure to do so results in unwanted subsequent air support.
Edit: In fact, if the aim is to restrict the availablility of air support according to the nationality or organisation of the ground units attacking a target, surely the manual air unit allocation should cease to be an independent action and instead be coupled with the ground attack itself. This way, with an "air support allocation window" opening with a ground attack, the computer will not have to guess which ground units the air attack is supporting.
Clearly, if you designate a hex for manual air attack, the computer does not know with what ground units you will follow up the attack. Is it trying to guess, and if so, on what basis? The units made available to automatic attacks are quite different from those appearing on the manual Ctrl + R click list. Frequently air units that should be available to a manual attack (same nationality of ground units in close proximity to attack hex) are not, and vice versa. I see no consistant logic to the computors choices. This has nothing to do with air doctrine.
Further, I suggest a de-coupling of the "% required to fly" from the manual targetting routine. It would be better to provide the % of air unit available on the unit selection list so players can make an informed choice of unit to select. Constant moving up and down of the "% required to fly" number is a pain in the neck and failure to do so results in unwanted subsequent air support.
Edit: In fact, if the aim is to restrict the availablility of air support according to the nationality or organisation of the ground units attacking a target, surely the manual air unit allocation should cease to be an independent action and instead be coupled with the ground attack itself. This way, with an "air support allocation window" opening with a ground attack, the computer will not have to guess which ground units the air attack is supporting.