Ordering VTOLs
VTOLs are used similarly to ground units. However, they do have a few differences. For one thing, they can fly...
Дизайн and production
To produce ВВС units, you'll need the ВВС Propulsion and ВВС Factory researched, and a ВВС Factory built. You should also research and build a few ВВС Rearming Pads, otherwise, they won't be able to reload ammo.
Before you produce a ВВС юнит, you must design it. VTOLs are designed the same way as regular units—simply select 'ВВС propulsion'—but use slightly different weapons (more on that later).
VTOLs can only be built at ВВС factories. ВВС factories can be upgraded with factory modules—there's no need to research a separate "ВВС factory module".
Movement
After producing a ВВС from a ВВС Factory, it will fly and land on the rally point. VTOLs can be ordered to move and attack like any regular юнит. Although they will fly over water and cliffs, they can't land on them.
Attacking
ВВС weapons differ drastically from the norm.
To attack with a ВВС, select it and click an enemy like normal. However, you may have noticed the white ammo bar below its health bar as you start attacking.
Unlike ground units, which reload automatically, VTOLs carry a limited amount of ammo. Once that ammo runs out, the ВВС can't attack until it refuels. A ВВС out of ammo will automatically find a ВВС rearming pad to rearm and repair itself (and will resume attacking once fully rearmed), or it can be manually rearmed by selecting it and clicking on a rearming pad.
VTOLs will not attack anything automatically. However, by selecting a ВВС and Alt+clicking on an area, a ВВС will patrol the area between its current location and the clicked location, and attack anything in the vicinity. Alternatively, they can be assigned to ВВС strike towers and ВВС CB towers, which will cause them to function similarly to artillery assigned to sensor towers.
ВВС weapons
Most weapons have a ВВС equivalent, which does approximately twice as much damage, but has limited ammo. ВВС versions of regular weapons, like cyborgs, do not need to be researched separately.
In addition to ВВС versions of ground-based direct weapons, VTOLs can also use bomb weapons. These weapons are the equivalent of artillery, and are very powerful.
Defending against VTOLs
VTOLs are not ground-based units, so most ground weapons cannot hit them. They an only be hit by either anti-air (often abbreviated AA) (can only hit air) or versatile (can hit air or ground) weapons.
There are only a few weapons that are versatile: machineguns, lasers, and Установка миниракет. Rockets and missiles are also versatile, but only when mounted on a cyborg or ВВС. In addition to being uncommon, versatile weapons do not do as much damage to VTOLs as dedicated anti-air, so having some AA is recommended.
There are three types of dedicated AA. In order of powerfulness, they are: Flak (Hurricane, Cyclone, Whirlwind), SAM (Avenger, Vindicator), and Stormbringer.
Другое orders
- Патрулировать: In the Юнит Orders box (right-click, remember?), there are a couple of new icons. Патрулировать will do the same thing as Alt+clicking—move back and forth between its current location and the clicked location, and attack anything near its path, refueling when they need to before returning to defending.
- Круг: (pictured) Circling is only available to VTOLs. Click it and then click an area of ground, and the selected VTOLs will take off and fly in a circle above the selected point. Like Патрулировать, they will attack anything that gets nearby, and refuel automatically.