investigating Options for alternate AI escort behavior

[ColonelPanic42]

https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/digital-combat-simulator/dcs-world-2-5/bugs-and-problems-ai/ai-ad/250183-task-follow-and-escort-temporarily-aborted is the expected behavior for the Escort task, but it doesn't appear that there is a way to task the AI to perform a close escort mission while the escorted AI performs their strike. Could we get a new task type added (for both Escort and SEAD mission types) or some new options for the existing task to provide the behavior expected in that report?

 

I'm not sure if the alternate behavior for the AI should have them follow the escorted group exactly (including altitude changes during dive bombing, for example), or if they should follow but maintain their altitude.

 

An option to specify the maximum distance from their escorted group could be sufficient. As can be seen in the track/miz I uploaded in the other post, the escorts currently wander very far from the unit they are escorting; far enough that they will not be able to intervene in time if an enemy interceptor approaches.

 

Another option would be the ability to set a custom loiter position while the bombers complete their tasks. If I could position the loiter over the target, or between the target and the expected enemy approach, that would solve a lot of problems. It seems that currently they just loiter back toward the previous waypoint, which is exactly the wrong direction to go :)

[NineLine]

WIll take a look, just coming over from the Hoggit link.

[ColonelPanic42]

Any luck? Any more info I can provide?

 

We're quite interested in getting a fix for this because not being able to predict the path that the escorted group takes (or how long they'll take to finish their attack) means that we currently rely on just setting the escorts on a path through the target area. If the attacker is quick, the escorts loiter in a dangerous area and don't escort the attacker out of the area. If the attacker is slow, the escorts might leave before the attacker is done, leaving them unprotected.

[NineLine]

On 5/21/2021 at 12:02 AM, ColonelPanic42 said:

Any luck? Any more info I can provide?

 

We're quite interested in getting a fix for this because not being able to predict the path that the escorted group takes (or how long they'll take to finish their attack) means that we currently rely on just setting the escorts on a path through the target area. If the attacker is quick, the escorts loiter in a dangerous area and don't escort the attacker out of the area. If the attacker is slow, the escorts might leave before the attacker is done, leaving them unprotected.

Hi, I am finally able to dig into this, I set up my own test mission and it seemed to work fine, I never saw the fighters leave my B-1B as it carpet bombed from 30000 feet. Maybe give me a test mission where you see a problem and I can look at it closer. Thanks.

[mahuja]

I have a set of 4 missions reproducing it. 

Scenario A:
One A-10C, vanilla CAS, guns only, waypoints brings it near a column of 6 BMP-1s.
One F-16C, escort, on WP1 it gets an escort task on the A10 with an end at escortee's WP5. WP2 is off to the side.
Outcome: The F-16 sticks to the A-10 as best as it can, even joining in being AAA target. As the A10 reaches its exit waypoint, it continues to its WP2.

Scenario B:
Scenario A, but the A-10C is given an attack group task on its WP1, roughly colocated with F-16 WP1.
Outcome: No difference.

Scenario
As previous, but A-10 is now tasked with "Ground attack" and given a bomb load. WP1 gives it a bombing task.
Outcome: F-16 runs off to its "after-mission" WP2 as soon as the A-10 hits WP1. Once the attack is completed, the F-16 flies max speed to rejoin, but it got fairly far away.

Scenario
As C, but the F-16 now has a new (inserted) waypoint 2 past the target area, and the escort task is followed by a "switch waypoint" task to the after-mission waypoint.
Outcome: When the A-10 hits WP1 (and instruction to hit the bombing target) the F-16 zooms ahead to WP2, staying ahead of the A-10 in a manner which would keep it protected. When the bombs are dropped, the F-16 returns to the A-10. When the A-10 exits, the F-16 continues to WP3 (old WP2) as intended.

 

Quote

Another option would be the ability to set a custom loiter position while the bombers complete their tasks. If I could position the loiter over the target, or between the target and the expected enemy approach, that would solve a lot of problems. It seems that currently they just loiter back toward the previous waypoint, which is exactly the wrong direction to go

 

Conclusion: This already exists, but is undocumented and only obvious to codeheads.

(I have not tested interactions with further tasks on the while-escortee-is-busy waypoints.)

If anything, it's the stick-too-close behavior of A and B I have an issue with.

 

There's no obvious way for this forum post editor to turn off auto-discorrect.   

Escort issue reproduction.zip

Edited March 26 by mahuja