[CRAFT][WIP] E-3 Sentry AWACS

[ibanix]

I've always liked that XCOM allows you to use aircraft as mobile detection stations. The old trick of using a Skyranger's superior fuel and range to scout for alien bases got me thinking: Why not a dedicated mobile detection craft?

Here then is an implementation of the Boeing E-3 Sentry "AWACS" (Advanced Warning and Control System) plane. It has no weapons and no troop capacity - it is purely a flying radar base. To that end, it has superior radar range (1500 miles), a hefty fuel complement, and speed midway between a Skyranger and an Interceptor. It can be purchased for the low monthly price of $250k! (And resold later for $100k).

This is marked 'WIP' because the only thing I am missing is a sprite for the in-base image. It currently uses the Skyranger graphic. I'm not a graphic designer; anyone willing to make a sprite for the E-3 will have my undying gratitude. The UFOpedia entry is complete, however, and it works in all other senses.

Install: Drop the data folder into your OpenXCOM directory and enable.

[Hobbes]

I like the idea... but how long can it stay airborne?

[ibanix]

With a fuel capacity of 2000? A long, long time. On 'patrol' setting it stayed up for just under 48 hours.

[MKSheppard]

I've always liked that XCOM allows you to use aircraft as mobile detection stations. The old trick of using a Skyranger's superior fuel and range to scout for alien bases got me thinking: Why not a dedicated mobile detection craft?

[snippity snip]

GENIOUS.

Though; an E-3 would be too big to fit in XCOM hangars and it couldn't take off from an XCOM base :-P

[Hobbes]

[snippity snip]

GENIOUS.

Though; an E-3 would be too big to fit in XCOM hangars and it couldn't take off from an XCOM base :-P

Call it a E-2 Hawkeye... it can fit inside a carrier.

[ibanix]

I always sort of thought there was an attached runway to each base, with some sort of elevator carrying the planes up and down.

[Hobbes]

I always sort of thought there was an attached runway to each base, with some sort of elevator carrying the planes up and down.

My impression as well, since the game states that the Skyranger is VTOL (although I can only think that its engines/rear wings must have to switch angles) but there's no mention to the Interceptor.

I've been thinking and an AWACS type aircraft would fit very well with a suggestion I've made regarding the UFOs attacking X-COM craft while on flight. I don't know actually how to implement this but UFOs already have a range stat, like all other craft, so it would be a matter of creating a specific trajectory for UFOs to pursue craft and another one to deal with the air combat window.

[Hobbes]

Meanwhile I've started a new game and I've received my AWACS. This should be interesting to try out

[Vulgar Monkey]

Cool idea. It's just a shame that the game effectively limits you to a hard-capped number of aircraft due to limited base size/number, otherwise we could go nuts with all kinds of specialised aircraft.

[Hobbes]

Cool idea. It's just a shame that the game effectively limits you to a hard-capped number of aircraft due to limited base size/number, otherwise we could go nuts with all kinds of specialised aircraft.

You must be able to increase the number of craft per hangar.

I'm thinking of creating a high speed  transport that only carries 6 soldiers. Meanwhile I kinda decided I prefer to use the Hawkeye instead.

[Falko]

you can increase the "crafts" rule in facilities
somewhere in the forum is a 3x3 hangar give this hangar 4 crafts and you have increased the crafts/tile from 1/4 to 4/9=>~80% more craft/space
if you want many crafts give it 2*bighangar=half the space in the base and you get 8 crafts (with normal hangars you need >90% of basespace for that)
downside (at the moment?) you only see one craft not 4

[ibanix]

Nice Hawkeye. Anyone know how to make a craft sprite for it or the Sentry?

I was thinking more about specialized aircraft, but I'm not sure what more could be gained with the current engine/ruleset limitations. Only the luck of having a radarRange option in the craft rulesets let me implement a radar plane. Otherwise everything is a variation on weapons, speed/acceleration, fuel capacity, and troop capacity.

I suppose we could make ultra-fast troop transport (fast as a Firestorm) with limited capacity (8 troop total); or the reverse of a really slow craft with huge troop capacity. Either of those would require new battlescape maps. Different ship types on weapons, I'm not so sure about; is there much to be gained? The implementation of an Interceptor upgrade (the Retaliator) was done and it's nice - but what goes up from there? The Firestorm is about as good as you can get without being overpowered, until you get to the Avenger, which is just the ultimate end-game craft.

[Vulgar Monkey]

Huh, I'd totally forgotten about the hangar mod.

As far as other roles go, let's think about real life:
Refuelling - no idea if the code could be made to allow it, but if it did I think it'd be treading a fine line between interesting logistics and boring tedium.

EW - cant think of any way that'd be relevant

Ground attack - again, no idea if the code allows it but I can see a pre-emptive CAS run being beneficial on certain missions. I suppose the trade-off would be lack of xp and artifacts compared to usual.

Can't say any of these ideas really grab me though. Besides which, in terms of lore you'd just assume the local forces deal with this stuff.

[Hobbes]

I was thinking more about specialized aircraft, but I'm not sure what more could be gained with the current engine/ruleset limitations. Only the luck of having a radarRange option in the craft rulesets let me implement a radar plane. Otherwise everything is a variation on weapons, speed/acceleration, fuel capacity, and troop capacity.

I suppose we could make ultra-fast troop transport (fast as a Firestorm) with limited capacity (8 troop total); or the reverse of a really slow craft with huge troop capacity. Either of those would require new battlescape maps. Different ship types on weapons, I'm not so sure about; is there much to be gained? The implementation of an Interceptor upgrade (the Retaliator) was done and it's nice - but what goes up from there? The Firestorm is about as good as you can get without being overpowered, until you get to the Avenger, which is just the ultimate end-game craft.

One possible way to see it is that the small transport becomes obsolete by the introduction of the Lightning/Avenger, like the Skyranger/Interceptor. Even the AWACS becomes obsolete once you get a global network of decoders. The fast transport is a way to get better odds to reach landed scout UFOs but at the loss of bringing a limited squad.

[ibanix]

As far as other roles go, let's think about real life:
Refuelling - no idea if the code could be made to allow it, but if it did I think it'd be treading a fine line between interesting logistics and boring tedium.

I had the same thought about refueling, but from a different angle - what if we had to buy and fuel regular craft? Should be easy enough to implement. On the other hand, that might be something I want not to have to deal with.

Also, unless the minimum size for an object can be smaller than 0.1, holding fuel is going to be a massive PITA - as a full fuel load for a Skyranger would be like 150 units of size.