Single unit short range lifter

[mrvn]

Hi,

I've seen the thread about unit transports but that is about big transports. I'm thinking of quite the reverse:

A single unit short range lifter.

The unit would be about the size of a regular unit, be able to attach itself to a single unit and airlift that unit for a short range, maybe 10 tiles max before it must land, detaches and must recharge its batteries. The only use for this would be to lift units up/down a cliff or rescue units that have painted themself into a corner. The unit would not be capable of transporting large armies into the heart of enemy territory or to cross oceans, although it can cross rivers (see range limit above). The lifter would be a VTOL vehicle and would be designed like any other vehicle. But instead of veapons the lifting gear would be selectd.

Capabilities should varry depending on tech, design and circumstances:

- Each lifter has a maximum lifting weight. Small lifters can't lift big units.
- Lifting heavier units takes more power so the range is reduced.
- Lifting up/down should count as range too.
- The lifting capacity increases with the efficiency of the VTOL engines. (research more -> lift more)
- Recharge time could be reduced with more research.

MfG
Mrvn

[JDW]

We need more out-of-the-box thinkers like you. Overall a nice idea, but I would change just one thing,

... and airlift that unit for a short range, maybe 10 tiles max before it must land, detaches and must recharge its batteries.

The battery recharging every 10 tiles would be an annoyance on bigger maps, IMO, maybe increasing the limit would help? Just a thought.

EDIT: Oh, but your idea is only to rescue them, not chauffeur them around. Well, in that case, maybe 10 tiles is not a bad limit.

... or rescue units that have painted themself into a corner.

I assume you're talking about the Truck. Well, if they can paint themselves into a corner, they can also demolish their way out of it. This is a problem that I've come across very often, and demolishing my way out seems like the only simplest solution. Perhaps someone else here has a better solution?

[Wolftrak]

Something like the n642ev?
http://www.helis.com/h/h54_2.jpg

[JDW]

Evergreen CH-54A does something similar too. However, I think CH-54A is just another name for the n642ev.

Watch Evergreen CH-54A Maiden Flight on youtube

EDIT:

Erickson Sky Crane - S-64 Skycrane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTvu_y_u ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQCC_n_5 ... re=related

[mrvn]

We need more out-of-the-box thinkers like you. Overall a nice idea, but I would change just one thing,

... and airlift that unit for a short range, maybe 10 tiles max before it must land, detaches and must recharge its batteries.

The battery recharging every 10 tiles would be an annoyance on bigger maps, IMO, maybe increasing the limit would help? Just a thought.

EDIT: Oh, but your idea is only to rescue them, not chauffeur them around. Well, in that case, maybe 10 tiles is not a bad limit.

Yes, this isn't ment as faster mode of travel. Alternatively to limiting the range the speed could also be prohibitive slow for any large scale travel plans. The idea it to drive up to a river or mountain range, lift the unit accross and then drive the rest again.

... or rescue units that have painted themself into a corner.

I assume you're talking about the Truck. Well, if they can paint themselves into a corner, they can also demolish their way out of it. This is a problem that I've come across very often, and demolishing my way out seems like the only simplest solution. Perhaps someone else here has a better solution?

Yes, it happens with trucks and demolishing what you just expensively build, moving the unit and rebuild again is a pain.

In the campains I also had the case that after a transport mission some returning units got dumped on a ledge they couldn't get down from. Or in a skimish game a unit drove down a steep incline but couldn't get back up again.

It would also allow nice sneak attacks where, instead of coming around a mountain pass, you go over it or attack from an elevated position. On large maps going around might even take longer than manually lifting the units across, at least for small groups.

MfG,
Mrvn

[JDW]

Yes, it happens with trucks and demolishing what you just expensively build, moving the unit and rebuild again is a pain.

In the campains I also had the case that after a transport mission some returning units got dumped on a ledge they couldn't get down from. Or in a skimish game a unit drove down a steep incline but couldn't get back up again.

It would also allow nice sneak attacks where, instead of coming around a mountain pass, you go over it or attack from an elevated position. On large maps going around might even take longer than manually lifting the units across, at least for small groups.

Yes, this would be a very useful feature to rescue stranded units. Either that or the game engine has to make sure that the it does not allow units to be stranded in the first place.

As far as sneak attacks go, it will be a heavy micromanagement to carry over each unit one at a time over the ledge. And units are more often than not useless if not managed in an army.

[Assault Gunner]

Unfortunately, the game engine is incapable of making sure units dont get stranded.

[mrvn]

I could be better at avoiding painting itself in a corner, as in building 4 turrets around a tuck so it is stuck in the middle where there isn't even space for the truck to stand in the first place. Before building the last turret the truck should first move to a free tile. It should also pick a tile so that other structures queued up for building are reachable (if it has a choice of tiles).

MfG
Mrvn

[Assault Gunner]

If that is possible, then yeah, its a good idea. My personal fix is to use Combat Engineer cyborgs and cyborg transports.