Seaplane Carriers

[attemptingsuccess]

I think it might be a good idea to allow floatplane carriers to carrier flying boats. I think it could be a technology wrapped with the larger seaplane carriers tech, I'm thinking a checkbox that doubles the weight for carrying aircraft, but allows you to carry flying boats. I think that it could be a very interesting option that replicates ships like the tangier.

[potrero]

I suggested a while back that they should separate the current seaplane carrier category into seaplane carriers that carry and operate floatplanes as currently in the game, and seaplane tenders. Unlike the carriers, tenders wouldn't actually carry any planes. They would have space to hoist one or two on deck for major maintenance, but no hangar space. They would forward-deploy to a protected cove or bay, and flying boats would fly in. Tenders were used extensively by the US Navy in WWII in the Pacific, allowing PBYs and PBMs to operate from pretty much any semi-sheltered inlet.

[ludovic]

Maybe make it a behind-the-scenes tech because RTW doesn't have support ships a lot and, while I don't know much about seaplane tenders, my sense is that they weren't used for front line battle as compared to seaplane carriers. So maybe once you research the tech you have increased availability of seaplanes and flying boats. However, I can't think of how you'd represent greater range without placing them on a map. Perhaps a greater chance of getting "intelligence"-style recon placements that aren't tied to anything physically on the battlefield.

[attemptingsuccess]

Maybe it could be a temporary thing like AMCs and small KEs where you can build airfields in 1 month or less during wartime if you have a Seaplane Carrier in the area, or it could be an option at the start of the battle that is something like "Do you want Seaplane Carriers to set up bases in the area".