Community Mythbusters - Setting the Record Straight

VorlonFCW wrote:

@ChiefMauser If you can't get a stack like this to merge I would like more details? It must be a bug if so, perhaps a certain level or quantity of some plane you were using?

VorlonFCW wrote:

I am able to merge all the air units in various combinations, including rocket fighters.

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Today's episode of Community Mythbusters will focus on:

Patrolling Planes, and Vanishing Airbases!

An often raised question is what happens to planes on patrol if their airbase is captured. There does seem to be some variability in the results, so as always use this info at your own risk. Community Mythbusters will not be responsible if you try this at home.

At the start of our experiment here my ally Germany has three planes patrolling out of Stuttgart. My theory has always been that if an airbase is damaged or captured that a plane can only switch to a base that is within it's green patrol zone. If you are unfamiliar with the green patrol zone: With a plane on patrol you can select patrol again and move it anywhere in the green shaded zone without refueling.

So the planes we are experimenting on today:

The 4th patrolling over an airbase at Nuremburg with an airbase within it's patrol circle.

And the 8th patrolling an area with no other airbases in the green zone, but between two other airbases.

And finally the 21st off towards Switzerland patrolling away from any other airbases

Now I am going to declare war on my ally, with a barrage of level 2 Rockets, All in the name of science of course.

For future reference there was a level 1 airbase there, and a level 1 infrastructure. I fired 8 level 2 rockets as a group of 3, a group of 3, and a pair in close succession. This combination damaged the airbase to 6 hit points out of 20, well below the required level for flight operations.

SO. . . Did they crash land? Turn into a convoy truck?

Taking them case by case:

The 4th, patrolling directly over another airbase. Naturally it switched to patrolling from that airbase. As expected.

The 8th, with no airbases in it's green patrol zone: Switches to another airbase anyway. Hmmm, that doesn't quite fit my original hypothesis, but I will accept it for now.

(Editors note - even though this plane became damaged between photo shoots it was unrelated to this test)

And the last one. Personally my money was on the one off by itself towards Switzerland being forced to land at the damaged airport and becoming a convoy truck based on my prior observations.

But in this case I was WRONG. The 21st switched to patrolling out of Nuremburg as well. This is nearly the opposite direction from where the 21st was patrolling originally.

So My theory: Busted

Coming soon: Just how far will a plane go for another airbase when an airbase is damaged, destroyed, or otherwise has access denied?

Also stay tuned with Community Mythbusters. Coming up are more great episodes about planes attacked on the ground, The truth about Peter Mat's question listed above, and a little known game mechanic revealed. It might shock you.

Community Mythbusters again reminds you not to try this at home, Results are not guaranteed. Naturally improvements and bug fixes to the game change certain things so these mechanics are only presumed to be valid on the day published. Use at your own risk.

Amazing result... do you really mean that, in the third case, the plane is now patrolling OUTSIDE its normal airbase range?

The 8th also looks as though it took massive damage, when it was forced to re base. Was this due to another event, or has it been narrowed down to loss of airbase damaging a patrolling plane?

K.Rokossovski wrote:

Amazing result... do you really mean that, in the third case, the plane is now patrolling OUTSIDE its normal airbase range?

WiseOdin wrote:

The 8th also looks as though it took massive damage, when it was forced to re base. Was this due to another event, or has it been narrowed down to loss of airbase damaging a patrolling plane?

Good to know, thank you. I was wondering if that was backed up by the idea that patrolling planes are 25% at base, 25% patrolling the zone, and 25% both on their way, and returning between the patrol zone and the base. Good to know planes on patrol AREN'T damaged, if their airbase is hit.

VorlonFCW wrote:

Patrolling Planes, and Vanishing Airbases!

DxC wrote:

different zone than the patrol sector

VorlonFCW wrote:

K.Rokossovski wrote:

Amazing result... do you really mean that, in the third case, the plane is now patrolling OUTSIDE its normal airbase range?

In this particular case no. The Nuremburg airbase was within the range of the 21st. My new theory is that it will switch to any airbase within the planes range from the original airbase. Testing that theory soon.

All good questions. Further episodes on this exact topic to follow!

We had expected that simply three planes would be enough to prove my theory, but since I was wrong we need to set up a couple other scenarios.

A question for a future episode:

I have a stack of 5 inf and 2 tanks attacking an AI Inf. I want my stack to split onto the left and right forks of the road after the province is captured. If I split the stack before the attack commences will they be treated as 1 stack (7 units) for combat resolution, or will they be treated as 2 stacks each with their own resolution?

I suspect because you have two different destinations they would remain two separate stacks during the battle.

Peter Mat wrote:

If I split the stack before the attack commences will they be treated as 1 stack