Thread Tools
Old February 11, 2003, 20:40   #1
SorvinoBackhand
Civilization III MultiplayerCivilization III PBEMCivilization III Democracy GameAlpha Centauri Democracy GameAlpha Centauri PBEM
Chieftain
 
Local Time: 11:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ohio
Posts: 64
Are Helicopters and Paratroopers Really Useful ?
I find when I play (Monarch) that, 1) I don't really use paratroopers or helicopters much, and 2) the AI doesn't use them much against me.

Paratroopers don't seem as useful in taking over nuked cities as they were in civ 2 and often my opponents resource tiles are too far away to land on.

Helicopters too don't seem terribly useful, given how superior armor is to infantry in the game. Whatever I chopper in behind enemy lines gets mowed down by enemy armor right away, unless I have a lot of choppers to fly in at once. That means a lot of production that might have gone into armor and other things ...

So in my experience, the opportunity costs of advanced flight units are too high for the seemingly limited use.

If you use them a lot and find them effective, please tell me how.

Thanks.
SorvinoBackhand is offline  
Old February 11, 2003, 21:02   #2
Jaybe
Mac
Emperor
 
Jaybe's Avatar
 
Local Time: 09:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Henderson, NV USA
Posts: 4,168
As I have posted in another similar thread: paratroops, helicopters and (even) marines are not often useful. But once in a while you will find yourself with an opportunity and you have to have them already in place to take it. So build a few, just in case.

Besides, you probably have already built too many tanks/MA anyway!
__________________
JB
I play BtS (3.19) -- Noble or Prince, Rome, marathon speed, huge hemispheres (2 of them), aggressive AI, no tech brokering. I enjoy the Hephmod Beyond mod. For all non-civ computer uses, including internet, I use a Mac.
Jaybe is offline  
Old February 11, 2003, 22:05   #3
SorvinoBackhand
Civilization III MultiplayerCivilization III PBEMCivilization III Democracy GameAlpha Centauri Democracy GameAlpha Centauri PBEM
Chieftain
 
Local Time: 11:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Ohio
Posts: 64
So what do you use them when you do build them ?

And what do you mean about building too many tanks and MA ?

Thanks.
SorvinoBackhand is offline  
Old February 11, 2003, 23:50   #4
Jaybe
Mac
Emperor
 
Jaybe's Avatar
 
Local Time: 09:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Henderson, NV USA
Posts: 4,168
Quote:
Originally posted by SorvinoBackhand
So what do you use them when you do build them ?
Mostly, they just hang around. I keep them up at the front during warfare, WAITING for that opportunity. Used several once to cut off a town surrounded by mountains.

I also found out you want to recon the Landing Zone first. Landing a paratroop atop even a worker is fatal!

Quote:
And what do you mean about building too many tanks and MA ?
Regarding an offensive (not devensive) war, by that time I am usually far ahead enough by that time that my success in the war is not in doubt.
Jaybe is offline  
Old February 12, 2003, 00:08   #5
Catt
PtWDG Gathering StormApolyton University
King
 
Catt's Avatar
 
Local Time: 09:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California - SF Bay Area
Posts: 2,120
Quote:
Originally posted by Jaybe
As I have posted in another similar thread: paratroops, helicopters and (even) marines are not often useful. But once in a while you will find yourself with an opportunity and you have to have them already in place to take it. So build a few, just in case.
I'm a fan of the marine in Civ 3, but I think Jaybe's point is absolutely true. I find a good use for marines only rarely (but they're very powerful in the right circumstances), and I very rarely find a good use for helicopters and paratroopers. Still, I will often build several marines, and sometimes build a few paratroopers. 'Course, I also often build a pair of explorers too, but infrequently use them.

I tend to find all these units much more helpful when I am behind or at best at parity with several AI civs -- if I am just choosing which victory method to complete, then it doesn't really matter what I build.

Catt
Catt is offline  
Old February 16, 2003, 22:21   #6
Odin
DiplomacyNever Ending StoriesApolyton UniversityRise of Nations MultiplayerCiv4 SP Democracy Game
King
 
Odin's Avatar
 
Local Time: 10:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Liberal Socialist Party of Apolyton. Fargo Chapter
Posts: 1,649
I moded the helicopter to hold 4 foot units. One time I sent a few cheap Geurillias into the interior of a oppenent's empire on a PBEM game via Helicopters. I attacked an interior city, moving his units from the border, and I took out a few major border cities.
__________________
Nothing to see here, move along: http://selzlab.blogspot.com

The attempt to produce Heaven on Earth often produces Hell. -Karl Popper
Odin is offline  
Old February 17, 2003, 00:08   #7
badams52
King
 
badams52's Avatar
 
Local Time: 08:11
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: near the magic kingdom
Posts: 1,001
Until my NIC game, I never built marines and never saw them used well against me, but there was an instance where it could have been beneficial. One of my islands had only 2 tiles and had the oil resource on it. The AI took my city with marines (I was behind in tech and only had infantry). He then loaded infantry into the city for defence and kept the marines on the other tile. I didn't have marines and it would have taken me many turns to research them. Fortunately, the marines went back into the city when my transport came by with tanks giving me a landing zone. Effectively, the AI could have kept me from retaking that city for a long time.
__________________
badams
badams52 is offline  
 

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:11.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Apolyton Civilization Site | Copyright © The Apolyton Team