SC2 and Air Conflict

[Valadictum]

Air Units

I thought I’d expand on a theory of air conflict in a possible SC2, based on air wings of different types, air groups, air fleets and air HQ units.

The base unit is an air wing consisting of 4 squadrons of 12 aircraft, thus 48 aircraft. Early in the conflict each nation only has certain air wings available, but with research and improving practice, more become available and each nation has certain advantages (auto + 1 in experience and reduced cost) with certain types of air wing. This might encourage sides to play to their strengths without making it impossible to use the broad spectrum of available wings. Different air wings will also come with different costs based on the aircraft technology available, the development of a war economy etc.

Each air wing has a named commander of historical background who will be provided with random stats that also affect the overall effectiveness of the wing with morale and readiness. These commanders will gain or lose “tactical” experience depending on the combat situations they are in. Wings can only be deployed in combat when part of an air group or air fleet, but as groups and fleets are broken up, changed etc, the wings don’t have to stay in the same one all the time. Tactical experience depends on whether a wing belonging to a higher unit is used offensively or defensively, the experience in these fields gained (or lost) then remains with the wing commander. Once a commander has enough experience he will go on the list of commanders available for promotion, then when a new higher unit is formed and no existing or more capable higher officer is available (weed out the incompetents or unlucky) the wing commander is promoted and replaced automatically by a new wing commander.

To use air wings in a strategic level situation, they have to be grouped into higher units, either an air group or an air fleet. To recruit air wings the player need to go to a build menu in an appropriate capital city and either select an existing Air Group or Air Fleet type, composed of air wings, or create a unique group or fleet of the players own.

Air groups, commanded by a promoted wing commander called a Group Commander, can contain between 2 and 4 air wings of different types. Group commanders will either have a balanced range of experience, or will either lean towards offence or defence. This can affect the air wings that he commands depending on whether the air group is used offensively or to protect territory. Air Groups can thus contain up to 192 aircraft or as few as 48.

Air fleets, commanded by a Vice Air Marshall, a promoted Group Commander (not promoted directly from wing commander), can contain between 5 and 8 air wings (240 to 384 aircraft).

An Air Vice Marshall who has gained enough experience can then be promoted to full Air Marshall and becomes a strategic HQ unit for air power, affecting air power only.

Possible base air wings might be: Interceptor (short range, fast reaction, less effective as other types improve, but can be improved with radar research etc and are able to intercept both fighters and bombers), Air-superiority (longer range use but with penalties until long range research reaches improved levels, thus at a disadvantage against interceptors until later in the game, are able to make direct attacks on enemy air units and can escort bombers), Fighter-bomber (medium range and intended for co-operation with ground forces and start more as air superiority fighter standards with light bombing capability, but the bombing capability improves with research faster than their fighter capability, operating primarily at lower altitudes these aircraft don’t have blanket penalties against interceptors, but these grow the longer the range involved, but they have penalties against air superiority fighters only ameliorated by research and can protect themselves if attacked by fighters and make ground attacks against enemy ground forces), Night-fighter (bomber attacks have a % chance of avoiding interceptors on the assumption some bombers have attacked at night, night-fighter wings reduce this % chance and keep it manageable). Heavy bombers (long range, expensive and assumed to be 4 engine bombers so have to be researched; excellent against ships and strategic targets, weak if intercepted though this can be improved and there’s a % chance that grows with relevant research for avoiding interception on the assumption of night attacks), Medium bombers (assumed to be 2/3 engine bombers and don’t do anything like the damage of heavy bombers or have the same range, but they are cheaper to buy and maintain, are more restricted in what they can attack than heavies but can fly in closer formation than heavy bombers so have a better defence against interceptors, especially if escorted by having an air superiority wing in the same group or fleet, but are more vulnerable to AA fire from the ground), Light bombers (assumed to be light 2 engine bombers that will have an ASW role, an anti shipping role, a recce role and other light attack roles and have a better attack on ground units than fighter-bombers but are more vulnerable to enemy fighters.

Disbanding an Air Group or Air Fleet does not destroy the wings contained within. These are returned to a pool in the nearest friendly city or port and from there they can be reformed into larger units that can be deployed, returned to the mother country (where they can also be re-deployed) or sold. Moving wings in the pool is cost free, unlike “operating” deployed units, but when pooled wings are re deployed into groups or fleets, they take several turns to reach full readiness and supply.

In WWII the different character of each nation’s air force played a significant role in what each nation did well and did badly, at both strategic and tactical levels. A structure such as or similar in effect as above might allow this aspect to filter through into SC2 and research will further increase the differences between sides, changing the nature of the air war in every game. Similar approaches could be taken with ground forces and naval units, though the approach can be squeezed or further expanded as suits. I suppose there is a whole raft of ideas buried in this, so extract from it whatever’s useful and dump whatever’s not strategic enough. It won’t offend me as we all have different priorities in what we’d like to see and as HC has done a fantastic job with SC I’m sure whatever he does with SC2 will be even better.