Got paratroopers?

planetfall · December 3, 2002, 14:32

Just curious. I have never used paratroopers.

What are they good for? Anyone have any methods for using them effectively?

Thanks

== PF

Jaybe · December 3, 2002, 14:43

Sorry, just a little OT:
Paratroopers are great as light infantry when you've made all the mechanized units wheeled and you've upgraded all your infantry.

Haven't developed "legit" uses for them yet...

Willem · December 3, 2002, 14:56

They'd come in very handy if there happened to be a crucial resource nearby. Just drop them down and pillage the road. That ability will be greatly enhanced now that theres an Airfield you can build close to enemy lines.

Master Marcus · December 3, 2002, 15:28

they're handy also for invading a distant AI city located on a small island near the coast of your continent, in that specific case the invasion preparations are much faster than using transports.

FNBrown · December 3, 2002, 15:28

I mod them. I make them an upgrade from Marines, give them an amphibious trait, increase their range, and add a movement point.

Otherwise, they're not very useful to me in the modern age when I have MI and MA.

Skeeve · December 3, 2002, 15:40

I would guess they could be particularly devastating against the player who might carelessly leave one of his outlying cities undefended for a turn while playing under "Elimination" rules....

bwah ha ha ha ha!!!

FNBrown · December 3, 2002, 15:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Skeeve
I would guess they could be particularly devastating against the player who might carelessly leave one of his outlying cities undefended for a turn while playing under "Elimination" rules....

bwah ha ha ha ha!!!

By that late in the game, every city I have is defended by no less than two infantry. Even in single player games, the AI is smart enough to attack where you're weak.

Jaybe · December 3, 2002, 17:26

Quote:

Originally posted by FNBrown
By that late in the game, every city I have is defended by no less than two infantry. Even in single player games, the AI is smart enough to attack where you're weak.

... or dumb enough, when it's bait.

Inverse Icarus · December 3, 2002, 17:49

paratroopers and marines come at the worst possible time in my opinion. the end of cavalry and the beginning of tanks. there is no time where the marines and airbourne divisions reign supreme.

plus, both amphibious warfare and advanced flight (thats what u need for paras isnt it?) are optional techs.

Jaybe · December 3, 2002, 17:51

Paras don't come with advanced flight anymore, they come with flight (the way I've modded it

)

FNBrown · December 3, 2002, 18:05

Quote:

Originally posted by UberKruX
paratroopers and marines come at the worst possible time in my opinion. the end of cavalry and the beginning of tanks. there is no time where the marines and airbourne divisions reign supreme.

plus, both amphibious warfare and advanced flight (thats what u need for paras isnt it?) are optional techs.

I think making tanks "wheeled" is another way to make Paratroopers and Marines a tad more useful....

planetfall · December 3, 2002, 18:16

Would making para's 6.8.2 and marines 8.6.2 and all terrain as grass seem like a reasonable preference change?

Why these values? a marine is more effective than a paratrooper? a paratrooper defends better than a marine? I would think SEALS would disagree.

== PF

Carver · December 3, 2002, 23:28

I think paras should definently have more movement. These guys are supposed to be highly mobile, stealthy, special ops dudes. In and out, bam bam, you know...

If helos could operate off carriers I would build paras like mad. But there's a limit to what you can do operating from your own soil.

Dida · December 4, 2002, 00:14

I made Marine 8/8/3, capable of airdrop and amphibious assault. Paratrooper now comes with Robotics, (renamed to Storm Trooper), they are 15/12/2, and treat all terrain as road + all abilities of Marine. This is an upgrade for Marine.
Gerrila I made treating all terrian 6/6/2 and treating all terain as road and 'hidden nationality'.

The Pioneer · December 4, 2002, 04:32

I agree with the other posters on this. Paras are pretty much useless, the same thing happens with the Marines. Although, I've modded my Marines to keep them "interesting" but I never bothered with Paras.

So long...

notyoueither · December 4, 2002, 04:44

I am counting the ways to frick up other humans with Marines and Airbourne. Especially Marines. Hehe.

statusperfect · December 4, 2002, 05:17

I've never built any of them. Tanks are just more value for the invested shields.

I could imagine them being more useful on lower difficulty level when you can get a tech lead.

(eeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkk..... what happened to your nose notyoueither?)

notyoueither · December 4, 2002, 05:33

I am leading the way on Santa's sleigh, bringing death from the sea and the sky. Ho, ho, ho.

btw, don't ever regard your coastal cities as 'safe' with maniacs like me around. Ho, ho, ho.

planetfall · December 4, 2002, 11:13

Am I reading Firaxis preferences correctly? You can't airdrop paratroopers from bombers? You can't put helios on carriers?

How then are we supposed to airdrop paratroopers? Helios land and discharge. Does anyone recall any pictures of paratroopers dropping from helios in Vietnam?

Very very bizarre. Sounds like the unit was added as a brief after thought.

== PF

Willem · December 4, 2002, 12:01

Quote:

Originally posted by planetfall
Am I reading Firaxis preferences correctly? You can't airdrop paratroopers from bombers? You can't put helios on carriers?

How then are we supposed to airdrop paratroopers? Helios land and discharge. Does anyone recall any pictures of paratroopers dropping from helios in Vietnam?

Very very bizarre. Sounds like the unit was added as a brief after thought.

== PF

You don't need anything for Paratroopers, they just drop. They have an implied aircraft, not a real one.

Stuie · December 4, 2002, 13:40

They do have to be in a city with an airport at the beginning of the turn; other than that, they just drop like Willem said.

FNBrown · December 4, 2002, 14:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Stuie
They do have to be in a city with an airport at the beginning of the turn; other than that, they just drop like Willem said.

You're also supposed to be able to deploy them from an airfield. This PTW feature makes them a bit more useful.

planetfall · December 4, 2002, 14:06

Stuie,

Thus there isn't anyway to put paratroopers on a carrier and then airdrop them on a target location. All you can do is load them on helios and transport to target, or move to new airfield and next turn drop them. Ugh.

== PF

Willem · December 4, 2002, 14:30

Quote:

Originally posted by planetfall
Stuie,

Thus there isn't anyway to put paratroopers on a carrier and then airdrop them on a target location. All you can do is load them on helios and transport to target, or move to new airfield and next turn drop them. Ugh.

== PF

I think you're confusing Helicopters and Paratroopers. Choppers can carry any foot unit, not just paratroopers. And they aren't dropping those units, they're landing and unloading them.

Paratroppers are a stand alone unit, they can air drop from any city that has an Airport or, in PTW, from an Airfield. However, as far as I know, they can't be dropped from a Carrier. You don't need any aircraft in order to drop them, they have their own, which you don't actually see.

planetfall · December 4, 2002, 14:38

Not confusing, just looking for clarification.

Since they don't have an actual air unit you can see, you can't load air unit on carriers. If actually loaded, could put on stealth bomber and air drop 12 tiles out from city/airfield/carrier.

Sounds like their working range is 6 tiles from an existing city/airfield. This really hampers their usefulness.

== PF

FNBrown · December 4, 2002, 15:35

Quote:

Originally posted by planetfall

Sounds like their working range is 6 tiles from an existing city/airfield. This really hampers their usefulness.

== PF

That's why I mod the paratrooper to give it a greater range. They can be downright scary when they're able to drop in on you from great distances.

Willem · December 4, 2002, 16:46

Quote:

Originally posted by planetfall
Sounds like their working range is 6 tiles from an existing city/airfield. This really hampers their usefulness.

Yes 6 tiles is rather pathetic. If their range was higher they'd be much more useful.

Brutus66 · December 4, 2002, 21:44

Quote:

Yes 6 tiles is rather pathetic.

That is no lie.
Speaking as former 82nd Abn, these guys do NOT impress me. They must be modeled on the 101st.

Nick727 · December 5, 2002, 00:59

I think paratroops get a secret bounes if defending inside of a fortress but I am not 100% sure about it. I have used them before just for fun but yea its a fact for the most part they suck.

Dida · December 5, 2002, 01:27

airdrop for para. should take only 1 movement point, then they can attack at the same turn.