It is generally not great practice if you are expecting an air fight. But if you don't want to be scouted, that's what you need to do. It is the subtle difference between "Air Dominance" and "Air-space Control". There are some times, when you need to do the latter. Stopping scouting is one example. Stopping Transport Drops is another. Intercepting snipe attempts - even more so. In the T1 air phase, I would devote a small number of my interceptors to Air-space control. But keep a larger blob on standby, to maintain Air Dominance.
The alternative to the patrol command is the assist command. You can tell a group interceptors to assist a ground unit. Which could be your ACU, your allies ACU, or even an enemy unit that you want to keep tabs on. Your aircraft will then move with that unit, and control the airspace over it... Just remember that you will consume fuel. So, if you're doing this, remember to build an air staging platform so you don't have that problem.
In the late game, when you Have T3 ASF, it is better to keep your ASF clustered for "Air Dominance" and have a T1 air factory pumping out Interceptors, and scout planes, to Patrol your airspace. With the patrol route built into the factories waypoint - so you don't need to micro it. The interceptors will keep tabs on everything, while the more valuable ASF can be kept together, in safety. You will expect to loose Interceptors to enemy ASF, but, that is a worthwhile sacrifice. Considering that they will not get away with secret bases or drops, and scouts be less likely to get intel.
If of course your opponent does get greedy, and go after your patrols with ASF, you will be able to manouver your ASF into the perfect ambush
. If you are going to patrol with ASF, it should be over a confined area of strategic importance. With every ASF you've got.Statistics: Posted by Hawkei — 14 Jun 2013, 10:25
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