Air Squadron, split and reform

[SioxerNic]

I'd love the ability to - mid-air - split a squadron, if for some reason several UFO's appear, and all of my fighters are currently enroute.

Secondly, I'd like Squadrons to be able to reform, basically able to rendezvous with fighters or dropships enroute and continue the escort.

(Obviously the fuel level would drop to the lowest amount if that is going to be an issue)

I think this would add more to the game, and also means that if you have long range fighters out, and they engage an enemy UFO you can have them rendezvous with the dropship you may have moved by itself half-way.

[thothkins]

It's come up a few time before >fails to find link quickly< The air combat is probably as complex as it's going to get, which is still pretty much the best in X-Clones.

[SioxerNic]

I'm not talking about the actual combat, I'm talking about on the Geoscape, to be able to split and reform squadrons would be fantastic.

As I said, I have several times during the start sent out my two fighters, then follow up by sending my Dropship behind it.

Now when my fighters downed the UFO I would like the squadron to be able to "reform" with the dropship, to basically escort it.

[thothkins]

It may be much the same answer. You could substitute "interception" for "combat".

Escorting the Chinook used to be much more of an issue. Like an overprotective parent, I wouldn't let it leave the base without being escorted. That was when the alien ships dropped out of nowhere (well, orbit) and targeted it. It's not something I see too much now. If no one else gets those as much either, it may have a bearing on whether or not it's likely to get looked at.

[SioxerNic]

Well it's just something I would love though

If they have time, they should do it, otherwise, nah.

Because again it can be done by just manually flying the fighters in close proximity anyway, although I'd still like the squadrons to be able to split at least.

[thothkins]

Back in those days of fear, I spent ages selecting way points for interceptors to see the chinook safely home. Even with craft from two bases involved.

There were also cargo craft, that this would have been very useful for. But they are >sniff< gone too.

[SalsaDoom]

There were also cargo craft, that this would have been very useful for. But they are >sniff< gone too.

I had no idea there were cargo craft once, I had actually wondered why Xenonaut shipping is so safe. It would make those fighter squads buzzing around far more annoying. It would be a nice touch if that was put back in IMO. Even the Aliens don't mess with FedEx I guess.

They probably use them to ship things between their bases too.

[thothkins]

You used to put those precious Alenium deposits on one and transfer it to another manufacturing base (back when you could afford more than a stapler). Only to see it shot from the sky.

Nowadays with immortal aircraft, you could just send the guys who keep retrieving your Condors, from the bottom of the sea, to collect the Alenium. Back then it was a tragedy. So it was dropped

[SalsaDoom]

You used to put those precious Alenium deposits on one and transfer it to another manufacturing base (back when you could afford more than a stapler). Only to see it shot from the sky.

Nowadays with immortal aircraft, you could just send the guys who keep retrieving your Condors, from the bottom of the sea, to collect the Alenium. Back then it was a tragedy. So it was dropped

That's actually too bad... I think this would have been pretty cool to occasionally have to escort some cargo. Would be a good mod if possible, for the players who like it anyway.

[thothkins]

Escorting the Chinook added to the tension (until you realised you needed 3 interceptors to do the job). Losing cargo planes was always really annoying. How dare those aliens be effective? But that was mainly because I did such a poor job of escorting them.

Thinking about the balance, the number of interceptors needed to take down UFOs, escort cargo, escort Chinooks in addition to those being replaced, under repair and spare hangers for aircraft manufacturing was always prohibitive.

You'd need a squad of interceptors, over a number of bases in order for it to work effectively. Because when it fails you've just lost a squad (well, picking survivors out of the ocean) or vital resources. For a game focusing on the Battlescape and dependant on research those are pretty big costs.

The sort of thing you'd like to see as an option in a "Are you mad?" difficulty option.

[Wormer]

I second this. I would like to split and merge squadrons on geoscape. Sometimes I split interceptors to patrol distant areas, but when an UFO is detected I want to merge them and engage. Also this.

[Zekram Bogg]

I dunno, I think if there was an option to escort cargo to ensure a speedy delivery, that'd be fine.

Basically, when you make an item transfer normally, the 'nauts use back channels to get everything delivered via a thousand different services and such and so it isn't trackable, but it takes longer (and you can beef up the transfer time by a couple days here).

But when you absolutely need something (someone?) delivered quickly? Call in you cargo plane and set up a direct flight. The hazard then is of course, you bring in the fact that that UFOs can shoot it down.

Boom! Best of both worlds!

[thothkins]

yes, those are decent options.

[nailertn]

Considering the short range and low ammo capacity of early fighters, the long refuel times that don't even start while the craft is being repaired and the fact that UFOs come in big waves rather than one by one, finer control over interceptors such as this is an absolute must. I'm sure the lack of this feature makes sense from a coding standpoint because it certainly doesn't in any other regard.

[Elydo]

Can the aliens split squadrons?

I ask because I had a flight out to intercept a scout, and they can't have been more than a couple of hundred miles out when a heavy fighter arrowed into them from the scout's marker. Quite a co-incidence if it wasn't intentional, though I'll admit I don't think there was any escort in the initial detection notification.

[thothkins]

I've never seen them splitting. I have seen fighters appear out of nowhere to attack returning interceptors as well as Chinooks and cargo planes going about as far as the local supermarket for a pint of milk. It's no fun when they just sit in orbit waiting

[Elydo]

It just wasn't that fighters day then... Beginning with boredom and ending with the ground.

>: )