Korsun 44 Gold airpower question

[Ricky B]

It may be worth clarifying how Low Visibility Air Effects (LVAE) work, as this is probably where the confusion lies.

If the LVAE % (as defined in the PDT) for the current visibility level is below 100%, then each available air unit is checked separately against this percentage to see if it is actually available for the current turn.

If for example the visibility was 3 and the corresponding PDT % was 75%, then each available unit has a 25% chance of being grounded for that turn. Because of the random nature of this process you may be lucky and all available units will be able to fly or unlucky and none will. More probably you will get something roughly in line with the LVAE percentage. So if it was 75% then you would expect on average that around 75% of your available units would be able to fly missions (assuming they had spotters). If they are not available due to LVAE, they do not appear in the dialog, even thought they are 'available'. 

If an otherwise available unit is grounded for the turn due to LVAE, it would still be available next turn but once again be subject to the applicable LVAE %. So I given unit, even though it is available, cannot always fly.

Clear as mud I hope. If more info is needed there is a 75% chance I will be unavailable.

John

John, I have to disagree on the calculation. At least in the distant past, and a current game of Kiev 4.0 matches my old test. If the vis limits are for 75 percent availability then exactly that percentage of total air units set as potentially available that turn, rounded, are available each turn, as long as that many air units are actually ready to fly. This calc ignores readiness to fly, it is simply based on total air units on that turn. Then however many air can fly due to vis are selected from those ready to fly. So air recently used can't be selected of course but it is otherwise random, ignoring prior turn selections.

I can pull more specific details from a test. But in Kiev, when vis is 3 hexes, I have always had 8 air units available I believe, and when it is 2 hexes, I have always had 4.

So I will set up a test when I get to my computer and share the results. But I  have never seen more than expected when using these rules, only lower if I use all air listed each turn and there are no longer any available. 

Rick