Let's Talk Transports

I'm not the fan of 1 unit transports.
Usually the main purpose of transports is to do a one-time drop in back of opponent's base where he is unprepared and vulnerable. To achieve this you usually have to have pack of 5-15 cheap units with big dps so they can do actual damage. If you put doxes 1 by 1 in each transport it will be really painful to execute, I guess it could be improved by UI but still it would be inconvinient. If they are supposed to bring 1 by 1 automatically then it defeats the whole purpose of fast surprise attack.
There are also probably other ways to use transports but this one is by far the most intense and interesting.
Also cmon, when you have 500 units in the field, even 1 slammer won't do anything, we really need to introduce at least 5 unit transports.

Two words: Area commands.

Hey 200 transporter dudes, go pick up that blob of units there and drop them off in this circle here in the enemy base. KThxBai

The value of the unit isn't low if it gets successfully dropped into the soft underbelly of an enemy base with 50 of it's friends.

Well what roles are there?
I guess T1 transports could transport regular land units and adv. transporters could transport ships or something like that, but if something can move a ship why shouldn't it be able to move many small units?

How about having T1 be more efficient in terms of cost vs. capacity and have T2 be less efficient but with much more HP.

Yes, but building fifty one-unit transports to do so isn't the best way to do that, imo. They're less transports and more.... jetpacks, or helicopter hats.

bigger transports are necessary and no final decision has been made to keep units made out of paper, therefore paper thin = irrelevant. single unit sounds good as our first release, transport one fab to x area then make teleport bam you just transported a bunch of units

I guess, but if it works and you win the game, you wouldn't complain
I guess I'm still not decided if single/multi or both types of transporters would work...I think both have pros and cons. Although single pips it to the post for me.

There in lies the issue.

It will be super easy. The 1 unit transports will be cheap and easy to use.

So all of your issues are alleviated with proper balance and streamlined area commands.

Hahahahaha. Helicopter hats.

I propose we officially name the new transports: Helicopter Hats.

I'm a bit puzzled.

One unit Transport may be just fine. It sounds much like a jump jet kit. But it has to be in game before any judgement can be made.

Nevertheless I see some potential issues.

1.
The Logistic aspect isn't banal. Usually Transports are very capable for good reasons. A military operation has to be prepared and completed in a reasonable amount of time. Things change fast on a battlefield.

So if I want to transport 200 tanks, you may need like, what... 100 transports? Assuming they're fast enough to complete two migrations each, in a decent time laps. Otherwise you need 200. They're not going to be faster than a jet, anyway.

A Transport able to carry 10 units per time could be more expensive, slower, but the final result would have a more dramatic impact on site. The final cost of the operation may be cheaper as well.

2.
Control is also critical when preparing an assault behind the enemy lines. I believe that more capable Transports offer more flexibility, 'cos it's simpler to change orders for 10 Transports than for 100.

Losing transport during operation can be equally devastating for both kind. Flak can shot down easily any kind of flying machines. We can expect the one unit Transport to be weaker than a capable counterpart. But that's just design, we can't give it from granted.

3.
On the Performance side, as said already, the impact could be relevant. Adding 10 units to the pool is better than having to add 100. Numbers can be greatly higher than that, and it's a lot a matter of polygons and final 3d model of the units.

There is a last consideration I feel like doing.

4.
It might be that Uber has trouble in programming a transport able to carry more than one unit per time. If that is the case, they are forcing the design cause a Technical problem they are experiencing.

If that's the case, what can you do about? I will be fine. But otherwise, I would definitely keep the door open for multi-units Transport of some sort. 'cos they're awesome!

In transports I see a unit that can move multiple units from point A to point B, the actual amount would probably e 3 T2 or 6 T1 I guess. A single unit transport doesn't really work in this game Transports should be relatively slow, but moderately armored (armored enough to survive a couple of hits, but not a flying wall). Their cost should be relative to their usefulness. Also I want ghetto gunships with T1 bots (especially since regular gunships will most likely stay T2). Area pick up/ drop off sounds cool and I like the fact that it is T1.

Single unit transports would flood the screen.
Also, imagine moving thousands of units in single unit transports.

With automation and area commands, this will be a cinch.

Moving and ferrying units will be easy. We'll even be able to set factory waypoints so transports will automatically move newly built units.

There's no reason to transport a single unit in PA unless it's one's commander or early land fabbers that are trying to set up far away mass points.
I think they will compromise and have around 5 units being able to be transported for basic transports.
Other thought* I wonder if they will have mega trans-orbital transport units that carry many units and have tons of health that could establish beachheads. People when they hear that say a teleporter would do the trick. I personally am not sure.

This still doesn't solve the issue of adding more units on-screen.

Ideally, a transport is for those scenarios where you can't build an on-world teleporter - such as tight islands or mountain-riddled areas where the enemy has already taken up all the build space available. Design for that niche and leave teleporters to handle the wide open spaces.

Also, as far as naval transports go... pond-hopping? Really? If there's a case where teleporters are preferable to transports, that has to be it. I'd also advocate something more smash-ey, such as nukes leaving craters which fill with water and can thereby be used to connect ponds.

Honestly, the more I've thought about it, the less I like transports for what I'd like PA to be. To me a Transport's Primary use is to "circumvent" terrain, but given the wide range of terrain and unit types that are hopefully planned to accommodate those I'd worry that transports would override those more "specialized" units but using a "basic" unit plus a transport instead.

Mike

I'm familiar with the Ferry command from supcom and I know it will be easy to move units. There's nothing quite like a stream of transports carrying reinforcements to a battle.

Really think about the size of a single unit transport.

A 2Dox sized transport would be about the right size of a transport for moving a Dox, but how about moving a Leveler? If you ever played C&C Red Alert 3: The russian helicopter carrying the apocalypse tank, but a bigger difference. It just looks wrong
Now think about the T3 transport from SCFA.

Also, what looks better? A blob of single unit transports or a few multi unit transports flying in formation?

Teleporters don't work for Naval. There's no indication that they will work for Naval, though I think that would be a good addition since we need a way to invade primarily/completely water planets.

By that reasoning, we shouldn't have transports at all.

There's a very legit reason for naval transports: invading an enemy occupied lake. Teleporters are not ideal for that due to their build time.

So your reasoning is purely aesthetic?

By naval transport you mean an air unit that can carry naval units?

Pretty much. That and having less clutter on the screen.

What's the big reason for single unit transports? Some people want huge blobs of cheap, disposable units. They aren't "better", there are just more of them.