Unitless/Groupless waypoints

[Exorcet]

This idea comes from a desire to get more dynamic behavior out of AI, specifically AI fighters. Right now their tactics are pretty much always "fight to the death". I want to them to be trickier and also less wasteful of airframes.

My idea is to be able to assign waypoints on the map that don't belong to any one AI unit or group. Instead they exist independently of everything else, but we can make AI switch over to these waypoints.

This is similar to the switch waypoint function we already have, but more efficient because:

1 Nothing needs to be done if you don't want the AI to use the extra waypoints (which is the idea, they may not always use them to add randomness/dynamic feeling to missions). With traditional switch waypoint, you need to make the AI skip over waypoints you don't want them to use

2 You can set up 1 set of extra waypoints for many planes, instead of having to add the extra waypoints every time for every group of planes.

Some specific use cases for these:

-Set a trap - CAP flight has an initial orbit, when enemies approach instead of fighting they fall back to extra waypoints. Near these extra waypoints are SAM's or other fighters waiting with radar off. Following the CAP flight to the extra waypoints puts them at an advantage.

-Run for cover - AWACS or tanker is operating near the front lines for max effectiveness, but this attracts and enemy fighter sweep. The AWACS/tanker then retreats to extra waypoints far behind the front lines until the threat is gone.

-Retreat - Two groups of fighters engage. One is quickly brought down to half strength while the other in undamaged. Instead of risking the remaining planes in an unfavorable fight, the losing side stops fighting and runs for a safe point marked by extra waypoints, be that an area covered by SAM's or other friendly fighters.

-Pure mission randomization - Having a bunch of extra waypoints around allows the flight path for a number of groups to be randomized in a mission for less work than is required now.

[Aarnoman]

Excellent suggestion, I think this would be a relatively low effort high yield addition.

In addition to all the excellent use cases you already outlined, it would be very useful to quickly alter waypoints for many units quickly and efficiently (e.g. in a multiplayer with 60+ client units) where only a single set of waypoints would need to be altered to update all clients simultaneously, which you've touched upon with point 2.

Excellent work, I do hope this is seriously considered for implementation.