Airlift

== Airlifts! ==
==== (but also just ground transport I guess.) ====
New in v3.0.0.0, units (not just BA but mechs and vehicles!) can be picked up and redeployed by other units. Unlike the mount/swarm mechanic with BA, this ability rests on the carrying unit, and is NOT incorporated into the AI decision-making at all. It is strictly a player gimmick, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The basic usage is very similar to mount/swarm in that the carrier presses the appropriate component ability button, then selects the unit they want to pick up. Viable targets and range are indicated in the same way as mount/swarm targets for BA. The carrier will then move to that units position and pick it up, ending its activation. Setting the unit down is the same, with the caveat that if the setting CanDropOffAfterMoving is true, the carrier can move to a position AND drop off a unit in the same activation. Dropping off does not end the activation, and the carrying unit can still shoot, etc.
In order for a unit to be airlift, it needs to NOT have any of the tags listed in AirliftImmuneTags. Likewise, the carrier must a) have the ability from AirliftAbilityID and b) have one or both of InternalLiftCapacity and ExternalLiftCapacity set to some non-zero value. Internal lift capacity functions similarly to internal mounted BA, in that the unitreps are shrunk so as to be basically invisible, and the units themselves are not directly targetable and cannot shoot. Externally airlifted units ARE targetable and CAN shoot. For carriers with both internal and external capacity, internal "spots" will be filled first, then external.
If the global setting AirliftCapacityByTonnage is set true, airlift capacity will be determined by the sum tonnage of units being airlifted. If false, it will be dictated by absolute number of units (which is how BA mount capacity works).
New in 3.0.2.1, the actor bool stat OverrideGlobalCapacity will, if true, "flip" the airlift capacity calculation function set in the global AirliftCapacityByTonnage setting. So if you had "AirliftCapacityByTonnage": false in mod.json, units that have OverrideGlobalCapacity set true would use Tonnage calculation, and vice versa.
When dropping off units, a popup will display allowing the player to select which currently airlifted unit is to be dropped off.
Hostile units can be airlifted provided the carrier unit has the unit stat CanAirliftHostiles set to true; hostile units are only mounted externally, and are not prevented from shooting or using abilities; hostile AI likewise relies on properly setting the irbtmu_immobile_unit stat to true under AirliftTargetEffects to keep them immobile while airlifting (the effect will be canceled when they are dropped).
Speaking of dropping, hostile airlifted units are literally dropped from the VTOL's height when the airlift is halted, dealing appropriate DFA self-damage as if they'd fallen from a building. In the case of turrets and vehicles the damage is equal to their tonnage, while mechs recieve the DFA selfdamage listed in their chassisdef.
Category:Guides