Air Travel

This is just a suggestion about the accuracy of the maximum distance an aircraft can travel. When plotting a bomb run (in real life) the distance to the target cannot exceed half of the aircrafts maximum range because it has to make a return trip from the intended target. HOWEVER. If it were to fly in a straight line it could go twice as far as that same target because it would have no need to make a return trip.

I find it frustrating whenever in the beginning stages of the game (and over the course of the rest of the game) I want to transport an aircraft to the next airbase however it is just outside of the max range of the aircraft. Except that this is not the actual maximum range of that aircraft. According to its current parameters, a plane can travel almost all the way to that base outside of the range and somehow make it all the way back to the previous airport it came from even though it would just be shorter to go the extra few miles to the next base and NOT all the way back to the previous one. I know I am a little confusing but its not the easiest concept to explain. I would love some feedback as to what you think a good fix would be to solve this issue.

My solution would be: The maximum range for air units can only be traveled on the "March" order. If an aircraft is given an "attack" order it can only travel half of the range of its maximum range. This would set 2 separate ranges for aircraft now. I am not 100% sure what to do about the "patrol" order, but If we are following the same logic then it is my guess that the patrol feature would operate under the same range as the "attack" order. The reason being is because it would have to make a return trip to the base to refuel. The solution would not make aircraft too powerful or too weak. It would increase the range of actual flight making them more effective however players would have to plan their attacks more meticulously because the range would be different for their air attacks. I think it would balance airpower nicely.

My evidence for my case can be seen in the Doolittle Raid in WWII (as seen in the movie Pearl Harbor). The Aircraft in that movie couldn't make it back to the carriers with the fuel they had on board so they continued their same route to try and land in China (which was a closer base after they left their intended target).

I encourage the game makers to consider this reality when making adjustments and balancing out airpower.

Thanks for your consideration.

-BOP-