"Accompany" feature for helicopters?

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    • "Accompany" feature for helicopters?

      Essentially, the idea behind this would be that a helicopter would be able to follow alongside ground units, and would provide assistance if the ground units accompanied enemies. Basically, it'd be like a feature where the helicopter would be attached to the ground unit, and it would fly wherever the infantry unit went. I know this seems a tad OP (that's actually why I didn't request that this be for planes too. That'd have been a tad on the seriously OP side), so I have some suggestions for balancing:
      1) The helicopter can only accompany the unit to the edge of its patrol range when taking off from the nearest airbase. So as long as the ground unit stays within that radius, it's fine. If, however, you move the unit too far into enemy territory or some such, the helicopter will split off and head back to base.
      2) The helicopter has to head back to base periodically to refuel (of course).
      3) If this still seems OP, perhaps the helicopters should add to the amount of soldiers in the formation? So like the group of 5 units, after which it starts to lose effectiveness? Maybe the helicopters attached to the formation should add to that? I dunno. Anyhow, that's all!

    • I think it's a great idea, and no, I don't think it's too OP. However, I think there should be a research for it, and not at the end of the tree, but rather around the middle, as this concept isn't new to actual militaries.

      I have a suggestion on 3). Maybe it loses effectiveness earlier, like at three or four units, so you can't put an unstoppable force of some modern mechanized, some tier-3 MBTs, and a couple of helicopters.

      Maybe only one helicopter can accompany a unit, to prevent stacking of helicopters making it almost a helicopter unit.

    • RasczakRough wrote:

      B-17 wrote:

      making it almost a helicopter unit.
      But what if it is a helicopter (airborne-qualified infantry/artillery/AA) unit?
      I'm not quite sure what you mean. I think B-17 might have already answered the question? The only other thing I assume you might mean is 'what if the units being accompanied are units that can be transported by helicopters?' Like air assaulting units. If they are air assaulting units, you don't really need the accompany feature. You can just fly some helicopters to where your units are air assaulting so as to provide cover for them while they fly and land. Since air assaults happen in a straight line, you don't need to bother with accompanying, just launch some helicopters in an identical flight path right before air assaulting your units. The special use for accompanying would be that it would allow helicopters to keep pace with ground units and follow them even if the path being followed isn't a straight one. Anyhow, I hope that answered your question? Lemme know!