Commander Mode Questions.

[BlitzPig_EL]

Pretty sure Napalm would cost less.  It's just jellied fuel in a thin shell tank after all.

Bombs have machined cases, with expensive hi-ex compounds in them.  Ditto rockets.

By comparison, Napalm is a cheap, hot date.

[FPGT72]

1 minute ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

Pretty sure Napalm would cost less.  It's just jellied fuel in a thin shell tank after all.

Bombs have machined cases, with expensive hi-ex compounds in them.  Ditto rockets.

By comparison, Napalm is a cheap, hot date.

Thinking in terms of game balance, it is much more easy to do much more damage to a line of arty with napalm.    Also thinking it should cost more to request a replacement plane and pilot.  What those should be and even if it should be is a bigger question.  

It just seems to me the weapon systems that are more "easy" to do damage with should "cost" more in game currency, but I do think that should be an option for players if they want to go that route.   

[BoeingVertol]

You have to successfully complete NAMED OPERATIONS to get points to improve the pilots in your squadron, for the guys wondering how the points work.  

 

Edited August 25 by BoeingVertol

[FPGT72]

23 minutes ago, BoeingVertol said:

You have to successfully complete NAMED OPERATIONS to get points to improve the pilots in your squadron, for the guys wondering how the points work.  

 

Expand on that please.  By named operations are you referring to things like the battle of _______ has started.  You see an area with a red circle around it and inside it is red hash marks.  You pick three missions inside that hash mark area and you get points?  If the answer is yes I can tell you with 100% certainty that it DOES NOT work for me, and that extends across several different "named operations"

[BoeingVertol]

 

The overall operation needs to be a success.  Focus your sorties in the area the operation is going on.  If/when the operation is completed successfully (not the individual sorties) you will receive points.  Just completing individual sorties in the area does not give you anything, and if the operation was not successful you get nothing.  

Need any more info, or if I am just rambling incoherently... let me know. 😁

 

Edited August 25 by BoeingVertol

[FPGT72]

1 hour ago, BoeingVertol said:

 

The overall operation needs to be a success.  Focus your sorties in the area the operation is going on.  If/when the operation is completed successfully (not the individual sorties) you will receive points.  Just completing individual sorties in the area does not give you anything, and if the operation was not successful you get nothing.  

Need any more info, or if I am just rambling incoherently... let me know. 😁

 

That is helpful, I was thinking after each series of successful sorties/ after each day you would get points.  I will watch for this.  

[BoeingVertol]

1 hour ago, FPGT72 said:

That is helpful, I was thinking after each series of successful sorties/ after each day you would get points.  I will watch for this.  

You should also get an message at the end of the last day an operation saying if it was successful or not.

Edited August 25 by BoeingVertol

[LukeFF]

11 hours ago, nachinus said:

Jumping on this thread to ask: Is there any way to change the whole unit's livery? I know how to modify each individual plane livery, but I can't see how to modify the squadron's default one.

Unfortunately, that's not possible right now. 

3 hours ago, jack333 said:

Hi, how do I get these improvement points to promote medals? Thanks and regards

When a military option is complete, you'll have award points to use on things like this.

[JG4_Moltke71]

In Korea, but also in Great Battles, are secondary objectives. But I never find out what have to do for this 😅

When I accomplish this task it’s always accidentally …

Is there any place to see what it is ? 🤔

[AndreiTomescu]

Career mode has improved hugely since i put it on hold to run the fantastic "Home by Christmas" scripted campaign.

- more options in the pilots menu and aircraft customisation

- not only cover flight, but also other flights doing their jobs elsewhere. Don't have pic proof, but there were other Mustangs launching cluster bombs on another target. Watched them as i was going home from airfield attack.

- the target (an airfield) was well populated, also with a MIG !! 

- the airfield on-duty flight took off as expected. too bad i was on a rocket run, hit one plane with a rocket as he just went off the ground. awesome, always wanted to do that!!!

- upon arrival at home airfield, with leaking fuel and black windshield, the airfield was under attack, sirens wailing and all, but no AAA in action.

- the load was pretty high, reaching over 90% sometimes, but the VRAM didn't go higher than 13 GB. 

Overall, a superb mission. We blasted them to higher ends.

Edited August 28 by AndreiTomescu

[Viking1]

All good news, fun mission! Hopefully we see a more improvements in the next update.

[AndreiTomescu]

also we have new types of mission. Just did a dam busting mission. went on very well....on my behalf.... ahem...ahem....

- went to the target, with escort and all. A hole bunch of merry planes. Like 8 attack aircrafts (my group) and 4 cover Mustangs (given by the game)

- lucky me, i've got the dam in the first and only run. But hey! my wingmates should have launched also their bombs!! They didn't.

- the return trip i decided to change from original flight path, as i saw there might be an enemy airfield nearby. There was, loaded, LOADED with planes, and no AAA active. Turkey shoot. I've expended most of my guns ammo in several runs. Quite successfully, as you might see in the picture. Also ordered the group to engage any ground targets. They didn't. Repeated the order 3 times, leaving them time to set up for an attack. Nope, they didn't. Just followed me around like stupid chickens. For that you won't get medals and promotions, you lazy ducks!!

- them happily following me back home, as i crossed the frontline, there were some heavy guns firing. Engaged in 2 passed, out of ammo. Ordered them to engage artillery,  and they reported to be commencing the attack. Unsuccessful attempts, but they did. 

As you can see, i might have gone as a lonely rider, same results probably. Notice that all hits are green, so on me.

What am i doing wrong?

How to order them as to actually engage?

in THE scripted campaign the wingmen were doing a great job, better than mine. Here not so much.

@BlitzPig_EL please don't tell me they are stupid AIs, I know that. 🙂 But in the scripted campaign, @Jaegermeister's i mean, the AIs did a terrific job. Here , buh! terrible job. Any advice as how to give orders properly ? 

Edited August 28 by AndreiTomescu

[BlitzPig_EL]

I'm guessing that Jaegermeister has all the friendly AI set to ACE?  But I'm with you on the Career missions,  I do most of the work, though I have tried ordering the AI to use specific munitions, usually rockets first, and sometimes they will keep attacking, but so many of them always return from a mission with weapons slung under them, it's maddening.

[AndreiTomescu]

26 minutes ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

I have tried ordering the AI to use specific munitions, usually rockets first

From the orders menu? How? I haven't seen that option.... entire group-orders-attack-ground targets-any ground targets-by your own, for ex, and that's it.....

How do you do specific ammo?

[Jaegermeister]

28 minutes ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

I'm guessing that Jaegermeister has all the friendly AI set to ACE? 

No, usually the flight leader is set to Ace, 2 and 3 are high and 4 is normal.

I use the same attack logic I used in GB, and it works just as well in Korea.

i have not opened up a career mission to see what kind of attack commands the AI has, but if you guys want to save me a .gen mission file where the AI does not cooperate with attacking the right targets, I will look at it and see why they are doing what they do (or don’t do)

[Voxman]

45 minutes ago, AndreiTomescu said:

From the orders menu? How? I haven't seen that option.... entire group-orders-attack-ground targets-any ground targets-by your own, for ex, and that's it.....

How do you do specific ammo?

From the dialog menu:

Entire Group>Actions>Munitions

[Philthy]

4 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

No, usually the flight leader is set to Ace, 2 and 3 are high and 4 is normal.

I use the same attack logic I used in GB, and it works just as well in Korea.

i have not opened up a career mission to see what kind of attack commands the AI has, but if you guys want to save me a .gen mission file where the AI does not cooperate with attacking the right targets, I will look at it and see why they are doing what they do (or don’t do)

In a section of four, normally 1 & 3 would be the most experienced, and 2 & 4 less, since the basic element is actually the pair.

[Jegirs]

I remember that some time ago I tried giving different pairs different tasks, something like:

Wingman 1 - attack AA
Pair 2 - attack artillery

while I tried to attack whatever target was more convenient for me. But at the time, I didn’t really pay attention to whether my wingmen were actually following my orders.

I also don’t really understand how the flights are divided, because the command list has:

Wingman 1
Pair 2 
Flight 1
Flight 2
Flight 3
Flight 4

What I don’t understand is: when it says “Flight 1,” “Flight 2,” etc., does that mean individual pairs? Or does “Flight 1” refer to the other three aircraft in my first four-ship flight, excluding me?

[Redeye]

My take is:

Flight 1 is your flight. If you want to command your wingman and the second pair at once.

Flight 2 is the second flight. Which is determined by the flights you selected in the group window going from left to right. So if you selected Blue flight and Black flight then Blue would be Flight 2 and Black would be Flight 3. 
 

 

[Jaegermeister]

17 hours ago, Philthy said:

In a section of four, normally 1 & 3 would be the most experienced, and 2 & 4 less, since the basic element is actually the pair.

Yeah, I know but the way the AI works right now, numbers 2 and 4 make up the 2nd element and number 3 sticks with the flight leader. Making 2 and 3 the same is my way of evening it out if they ever fix the finger 4 AI behavior.

 

15 hours ago, Jegirs said:

I also don’t really understand how the flights are divided, because the command list has:

Wingman 1
Pair 2 
Flight 1
Flight 2
Flight 3
Flight 4

What I don’t understand is: when it says “Flight 1,” “Flight 2,” etc., does that mean individual pairs? Or does “Flight 1” refer to the other three aircraft in my first four-ship flight, excluding me?

Wingman 1 is your wingman as flight leader. That should be number 2, but if you test it, I think you will find it is number 3

Pair 2 is your 2nd element. That will be planes 2 and 4 in the formation. They stick together as the 2nd element.

Flight 1 is your whole flight (4 or more planes)

Flights 2,3 and 4 can now be assigned to the flight leader in the Mission editor with a formation command as a sub flight. I am guessing they are given this assignment in the career mode when you are the squadron leader on a mission.

I know that this behavior is being worked on, and some formation commands were removed until the behavior is adjusted to follow the commands. In my opinion, it will not be fixed until number 2 stays on the flight leader's wing and numbers 3 and 4 stick together as an element. If I sound like a broken record, too bad. I think it is the worst part of the AI behavior that has been present for as long as I can remember, and still decades later has not been fixed. 

 

[AndreiTomescu]

i have 2 questions that are bothering me a bit. Maybe that's how it was. Maybe you could tell me guys if it's like this or not quite.

Settings: Mustang career, summer 1951

1. when i'm leading a flight, the eventual opposing planes are ALWAYS Mig-15s. Only when i sent my guys alone in missions they encounter pair planes, like Yak, La, etc

2. when we get cover flight, it's made of .....other Mustangs. Shouldn't we get some F-80, or maybe F-84 s ?

[Jegirs]

14 часов назад, AndreiTomescu сказал:

i have 2 questions that are bothering me a bit. Maybe that's how it was. Maybe you could tell me guys if it's like this or not quite.

Settings: Mustang career, summer 1951

1. when i'm leading a flight, the eventual opposing planes are ALWAYS Mig-15s. Only when i sent my guys alone in missions they encounter pair planes, like Yak, La, etc

2. when we get cover flight, it's made of .....other Mustangs. Shouldn't we get some F-80, or maybe F-84 s ?

I’ve seen Yak-9s and La-11s only when attacking airfields, also while flying the F-51. One time they were MiG-15s. On another occasion, the aircraft spawned not on the runway but in the parking areas, so we could clearly see them taxiing toward the runway, but we didn’t let them take off.

But yeah, in the air, I’ve only encountered MiGs.

[AndreiTomescu]

Yes, indeed on airfields, even on duty red airfield flights, are props. Also if YOU are on duty flight an you have to repell attacking planes, we get Il-10& Yak 9, even La-11.

But in air, like intercepting your mustang ground attack flight, only Mig. Is this truly to the real facts? This is my question.

[AndreiTomescu]

Houston, do we have a problem here?

Wanting for something a bit different, i've started a new career, to take a break from Mustang ground pounding. (spoiler: big mistake)

Since the f-84 is unfinished in my opinion, and the Sabre has this pleasure to get wingless (or it was fixed??) i choose my beloved F-80.

Brushed the rooster, assigned the best talented pilots as flight and pair leaders, chose a air intercept mission and..... off we took.

Had to interdict some Il-10 on their ground job.

To make a long story short, 4 planes lost, 4 pilots killed out of a total of 6, including myself. 3 crashed into ground, 1 crashed while landing, just in front of me. In just one mission. Since AI is plane bound, and the Mustangs are holding their own pretty good, i guess the AI for the F-80 is like they've sent pilots with only basic training in a Curtis biplane. Something is off.

A hotfix nr 4 is in dire need, imho.

@Snipermanx: do you think some improvement is possible? Like, increasing the AI pilots levels in career mode to a better one that prevents them from being as suicidal as this guys? From what i've seen, Veteran and Ace levels are not having this crash bound behavior. Before the AI getting improved, i'm asking for a little workaround, something, to make a sortie plausible. Or maybe it was intended for most of the pilots to be very poor at the beginning ?

Or at least, may you help us into choosing the career options that are working now, besides the Mustang one?

I ain't complaining, but i would really like to have a usable alternative to the Mustang, as to swap one or the other, for diversity.

Edited September 1 by AndreiTomescu

[AndreiTomescu]

IMHO, a response from the devs regarding this issue would be polite and professional. So, i'm still waiting for it.

The AI gave me this advice:

How to Survive Low-Level IL-10 Interceptions

• Use the "Do Not Attack" Delay: When the mission starts and you spot the IL-10s, do not give the attack order immediately. If you let the AI engage on their own terms from a distance, they will start their diving sweeps too early and crash. Instead, fly your flight below or level with the IL-10s first. Once your wingmen are at low altitude and flying parallel to the targets, then allow them to engage. This forces the AI to attack from a shallow horizontal plane instead of a fatal vertical dive. [1]
• The "Restart Seed" Trick: If you are playing a career mission and 3 of your planes immediately lawn-dart, hit Escape and click Restart Mission. Because of how 1.003 generates initial flight path angles, community members have noted that restarting a bugged script run forces the engine to recalculate the spawn angles. Many players report going from 6 AI suicides to 0 casualties just by hitting restart once. [1]
• Ditch the Wing Tanks Manually: If your F-80s spawn with external drop tanks, immediately order them to drop ordnance/tanks via the command menu before drawing close to the IL-10s. Getting rid of that extra weight lifts the high-G turn restriction, giving their flight models enough pitch capability to pull away from the grass.

🛬 How to Save the Landing Plane

• Don't Let Them Land in 3D Space: The landing AI is entirely broken when trying to calculate group approach speeds, causing them to stall or ram the runway runway. The definitive community workaround in 1.003 is to press Escape and click "End Mission" the moment you clear combat and fly back over friendly airspace. The campaign backend will automatically calculate their recovery safely on paper, ensuring 100% of your surviving wingmen return to the hangar intact without risking the buggy landing engine.

 

I will try this approach as a temporary work around.