No Air on Moon/Metal?

This came up in this thread -
https://forums.uberent.com/threads/...al-and-big-guns-what-is-the-core-of-pa.54505/
- and I owe eroticburrito for asking it, because it's been itching in the back of my head. Why the heck not?

The easy answer is VTOL anti-grav "because we said so" engines, but from a gameplay perspective a lot could be gained from this. Metal planets, being highly contested eventually for their planet-smashing weapons, may require some manner of drawback to make their conquest more difficult. Moons, tiny and/or devoid of obstacles as they are, really don't lose much. And it helps amplify the value of Lava (and eventually maybe Gas Giant) planets as air-war grounds, and Earth-type planets as the ideal all-around theatre of war.

However, there are some obvious drawbacks and questions. Can air units go through a teleporter, and if not, is that already a sufficient drawback for investing in them? If so, would it be too awkward to have them crash/shut down on arrival, or too arbitrary to say "nope, can't do that"?

What do you think? I'd personally like to see it given a try, just for kicks and tense metal planet battles.

I'm cautiously in favour of an atmosphere being a requirement for aircraft.

I like the idea that different planets require different strategy.

I guess this might be interesting experiment, but only if that will be optional. I like to see how devs testing different stuff in their streams and I guess this will be fun to test totally different game mechanics.

There is one practical problem why I want it to be optional: moons and metal planets being used by players with low-end hardware who can't play on earth planets due to performance issues and total cripple of moons/metal planets might leave them without air at all.

Plus with all the choke points on metal, well, that will suck.

I think it would be interesting for certain planet types to not support aircraft, like moon or metal.

I'd love it if it's supported or not supported.

Pick one, and go with it.

It'd give more variety to the different types of planets.

I hadn't really thought much about this, but it does make some sense in creating different strategies for different planets. I'm kinda interested to see how it would work out.

I had a really fun thought in my mind about Gas Giants swarming with bunches of AA fighters. Fighter factories would have to be flying factories. I guess bombers would be useless though, unless they were adjusted to attack flying buildings.

Pretty sure its confirmed that air won't be able to be used on gas giants.

I don't like the idea of taking such a large part out of the game in any scenario. It may be a bit interesting but in the end all it will do is make ground defense more powerful. I might see things differently after the orbital rework, getting pretty keen for that.

Aren't some planet types already missing part of the game based on the lack of water on some planet types?

Good point, the way I see it is naval is an addition to game play and game play is not made around you always having it. To make air like that would be a lot harder.

Yes. For all intents and purposes lava planets are just regular earth planets with no naval. I personally am all for no air units on moons only at this point. lava and metal need them too much, but moons are no boundaries so air is much less required.

Would this imply that the astreus won't function either? Without getting too into flight mechanics, right now each aircraft have harrier style take off and landings. So they pretty much are already equipped with non atmospheric lift technologies.

Yes, this sounds good. Different planets, different gameplay.

About the players with low end machines. I guess Uber will have to optimize the game a bit more. On the other hand new games requier, newer computer. So maybe they should upgrade their machine a bit. I think it's a bit boring if you can only play on one planet type in a system with only a few small planets.

Gameplay "on" Gas Giants: Orbital only.

Just because they can take off vertical doesn't mean they can operate with out an atmosfeer. Currenly you need to go to T2.5 to gain units that don't requier an atmosfeer. Personally, I doubt T1 units have the same functionability as orbital units.

That's a good point. I'd still like no-air for no-atmosphere, but I really can't justify it with a scientific basis.

I wasn't saying what they can or can't do but merely saying that it isn't too far fetched that they can operate without atmosphere if they have the technology needed to do so.

Personally I think the whole different planet different gameplay is pointless and just adds another thing to the learning curve.

Current fighters are supermaneuverable, which means that some maneuvers aren't aerodynamic.


Maybe to maximise maneuverability the air craft have simply reached a point where they are closer to space craft than aeroplanes, but don't have the fuel or the programming to make flights between gravity wells?

@clopse There are planets with and without water, planets with lava, metal planets will have a special feature. Different planets with different gameplay is already in the game. The thing with metal planets is confirmed. No atmosfeer no air is just the next step. That might or might not happen. I would atleast like to try it.

Saying it is pointless is an opinion, so I have no problem with this. New game, new features, you need to learn new things. I like variation, but it's a choice. You can just always play on the same types of planets if that is what you want.

@stormingkiwi Fair point. But flying with atmosfeer is still different then flying without it. So by your theory it all depends on if they are programed to be able to fly without an atmosfeer.

just on moon, not on metal.

on metal planets they use oposed polarity eletromagnets or some shi t : D

I was thinking on this a while back. I concluded splitting air into two types was needlessly complicated, even if it makes a certain amount of sense.

I think a rule of 'no air on asteroids' would be fine, especially if we get the really small asteroids like in the KS trailer. No air on Moons... I dunno. It seems a stretch for there to be no flying units when there's such low gravity.