Autopatrol around ports/airfields?

[Towlie]

With the autopatrol feature now implemented with ships, I was wondering if we might be seeing something similar with airfields down the line?

[cap]

This would be great.

[MizuYuuki]

You get an auto detection zone around your bases. That's what the dark circles and light circles are on the strategic map. However, you improve detection with scout planes or surface forces.

[Towlie]

Oooooh, well, that's nifty! Thanks for the info as I had presumed I needed eyes in the air. It makes a lot more sense this way though as I'm sure fishermen and folks would be spotting these ships from a ways off and bringing word back

[Killerfish Games]

Originally posted by MizuYuuki:

You get an auto detection zone around your bases. That's what the dark circles and light circles are on the strategic map. However, you improve detection with scout planes or surface forces.

Yes, since this level of scouting is "automatic" we do not see the need to auto-scouting of individual aircraft around locations.

Note that increasing rank of airfields and ports increases the auto-detection ranges too (see RULES in Campaign Summary).

Many players ask this; is it not clear that the zones around locations are best case auto-detection areas?

[Aerobane]

Originally posted by Killerfish Games:

Originally posted by MizuYuuki:

You get an auto detection zone around your bases. That's what the dark circles and light circles are on the strategic map. However, you improve detection with scout planes or surface forces.

Yes, since this level of scouting is "automatic" we do not see the need to auto-scouting of individual aircraft around locations.

Note that increasing rank of airfields and ports increases the auto-detection ranges too (see RULES in Campaign Summary).

Many players ask this; is it not clear that the zones around locations are best case auto-detection areas?

To me, the problem with this system is that the auto detection range is inflexible and short. You can't tell it to search in a specific sector to a longer range (even if that meant a lower probability of finding targets within the search). Even for a level 5 airfield, a fighter can scout past its outer range, so if a player wants to make the best use of their airfields they will still manually order the planes to do searches. This is even more pronounced for smaller airfields where the autodetect range is far too short to allow any attempt at a serious interception. This strongly encourages players to use manual scouting flights, which will be boring and annoying for the player. This contributes to a growing sense tediousness the longer you play the game. At least for players like me, I can't bring myself to ignore a really powerful tool like that. But, I still get bored of doing manual flights over and over again.

For me, I'd rather see a mechanic here that doesnt make me choose between repeating the same manual search over and over again, or ignoring an invaluable reconnaissance tool. Two changes I can think of are: either drastically reduce the auto detection range and give players recurring scouting options, like ships get, or tweak the auto detection around ports to be more flexible. For example, allowing players to select a sector or range to scout, and then either have a limited area that the player can search (so longer range = narrower arc) or have it so that as the area being searched gets really large, the probability of detecting a target within the search zone decreases, so that if the player sets their airfield to scout an enormous area, enemies will just slip through easily.