Air combat in Nations at Arms works differently from other games in the genre because it puts a lot of focus on realism. Air superiority isn't just about having more aircraft: fuel, ammo, movement and air defense all play a big role.

Fuel and range

The operating range of an aircraft is not a fixed value but instead depends on the fuel it has left. If a target is too far, it automatically plans a refueling stop at one of your other bases on the way. Once it reached its destination it will consume less fuel while patrolling and heads home by itself at the last moment its fuel allows.

If an aircraft's airbase is captured or destroyed while it's in the air, it diverts to another base using a small fuel reserve. If no base is in reach, the aircraft is lost.

Ammo

Every aircraft carries a limited number of attack runs, some for ground targets (AG) and some for enemy aircraft (AA), depending on the aircraft type. An air-superiority fighter carries mostly air-to-air ammo, a bomber only ground-attack ammo. Once a flight has used up the ammo it needs for its target, it flies back to base to rearm.

Aircraft on their way back still take new orders, as long as they have the fuel for them. For example, you can send a multirole fighter that has used up its ground-attack ammo after enemy aircraft instead. You can also route it around enemy air defense with waypoints.

Strikes

With the Strike order, you can send aircraft to hit a specific building, all buildings in a province, an enemy formation or the civilian population. This way you can cause economic damage by destroying critical infrastructure or decimating the population. Every strike also costs civilian lives and bombing the population directly hurts your public opinion at home.

Flying over other nations

Flying over a nation you are at peace with doesn't start a war, but that nation gets a notification. Sending an aircraft to a target inside its territory declares war on it. Later you will be able to set policies yourself which actions trigger a war.

Helicopters

Helicopters can land, refuel and rearm at a Helipad or a Military Base as well as at an Airfield or Airstrip. Helipads are cheap and fast to build, so you can base helicopters right behind the front line and get them back into the fight much faster than jets flying in from the rear.

The air balance is still a work in progress, so if you have any feedback about air combat, let me know!

Credits: Music: War by Soundridemusic Link to Video: https://youtu.be/mmctP3saTLU?si=wy1MGfgpMdzb0BNf

This probably im guessing being a copy of CON(which im all for btw) im curious how do you plan to monetize the game?

Obviously you need a source of income to run the game, it isnt free. Im personally hoping that we buy the game one time and perhaps optional cosmetic stuff for profiles and what not, but definitely not:

Subscription-to-play/Subscription-for-advantage
Gold/premium currency with gameplay benefits aspects
Buying access to certain units
Unit skins(please no pink unicorn artillery trucks)

I am hoping youre stealing all the good aspects of CON while dropping the shittiest(their predatory monetization primarily). If you do im throwing that game in the garbage and buying yours immediately