Aircraft combat lacks balance

[srk123]

The battlefield based play for this game is good but the air combat is grossly unbalanced. The aliens have pretty much total supremacy making getting ahead almost impossible. Why are you allowed to only field three fighters against an alien craft even when you have four or more and the aliens have an absurd firepower advantage? Personally I don't get it.

[Dranak]

I found the air combat in the experimental build hard at first, but then I realized the Foxtrots still beat everything. It's just a matter of learning the steps to beat each combination of UFOs, and then repeating it over and over. Also always rush energy source -> explosives upgrade.

[Mytheos]

You can kill everything up to cruisers at least with 3 foxtrots and never take a loss or any damage as long as your explosives research isnt really behind.

I'd just say search through the forums for some info on how to do it.

There are several that explain how to do various combinations of planes vs various combination of enemies.

But essentially...

3 Foxtrots.

Lower speed to minimum. Shoot off missiles = win

vs Fighters add - Click red one missile, (So it doesnt fire) and then wait for it to dodge the first missile and then quickly fire the 2nd = win

Vs a single target you cant take out with 3 Foxtrots due to lacking explosives research = Lower speed to min, fire missiles, pause. Click retreat from combat button and hit and leave on afterburners = No damage no loss. Then send in more Foxtrots to finish it off...

That should get you started at least.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Mytheos

[Dranak]

Air combat is in a really weird place balance wise now, because it's basically trivial to those of us that have it figured out but completely brutal to those that do not. That almost makes me want to argue in favor of further streamlining/simplification to make it more approachable for everyone (and let the ground combat shine more, as it should without air play being the huge distraction/driver that it currently is).

[thothkins]

There was serious talk about autoresolve. So:-

1) You can do it manually and take your chances. Experienced players may get away without damage or any losses.

2) you auto resolve, resulting in at least some damage in most cases and sometimes a loss.

In latest build all aircraft are indestructible really, and get returned to base within three days from anywhere on the planet.

They are returned by recorded delivery, so make sure you have someone on the Xeno-Door to sign for them. The last thing you want to do is get into more air combat trying to get to the depot to get the last lot back.