A chapter in the manual devoted to task-specific ordnance selection

[jmarso]

Particularly for the ME and AI wingmen.

 

Right now there are no less than three active threads in the ME forum concerning problems people are having with the ME trying to get AI units to perform various air-to-ground tasks, whether it's bombing a target from low level or conducting missile strikes on naval units.

 

DCS isn't the only flight sim to have suffered from this issue, either, but it seems particularly bad in this game.

 

It would be nice to have data (preferably in a table format) that lays out the following information:

 

a) Which mission functions AI wingmen will perform, and when. For example, if 'ground attack' doesn't work on active groups, or to attack static objects, or what not. Or, if 'CAS' MUST be used in order to get an AI wingman to attack an active group like a SAM site or armor. Or, that a Perform Task "Search and Engage" order must come with a mission trigger in order for it to work.

 

b) Which ordnance is suitable / allowable for a given task. For example, not everyone knows that cluster munitions work great on light naval craft like speedboats. Even those that do know, however, may not know that for whatever reason, assigning cluster bombs to an AI group means that they won't engage with Mk-20's on an 'anti-ship- mission assignment, because the game's AI 'just won't do that.' Or something like the fact that the AI will use AGM-65E to attack naval units, but for whatever reason will refuse to engage with AGM-65F. The devilish details that make mission builders want to hurl their computers through the frakkin' window, or worse still, abandon the effort completely.

 

c) Flight parameters that a mission builder MUST use in order to make something work the way it's supposed to in-game. For example, you can't come in on the deck at 2000' and expect to make a successful GBU attack using LANTIRN, or that the best way to employ HARM is from a long-range standoff with a high-altitude shot, giving the missile extended range. Stuff like that.

 

Such information would not only be a gold mine for mission editors, but also for folks who don't have an actual military background and are unfamiliar with some of these weapon types, their characteristics, and optimum modes of employment.

Edited June 25, 2019 by jmarso

[Exorcet]

The encyclopedia is in dire need of updates and a consistency overhaul, but it has some of this information.

 

 

Adding it to the manual as well might be nice, though I feel that updating the encyclopedia is probably easier.

[jmarso]

Been a while since I looked at an entry, but I'm guessing the encyclopedia has lots of information on the weapons systems, but absolutely nothing on the other stuff with the ME that I listed above., especially concerning what the AI will or won't do when, and with what loadouts.