Quick question: Easiest way to insert player's aircraft into a triggered sequence of AI carrier launches w/o using uncontrolled or late activation?

[Ghostrider142]

I have a sequential set of triggered launches from a Supercarrier at start: AWACS, Tanker, 4 Hornets and a few others. I want to spawn on the deck at start in my F-14B and be able to be enter the sequence myself.

1: The AWACS gets a AI Task Push Start at game start

2: Each aircraft after gets an AI Task Push Start once the prior aircraft clears 200 ft. (Btw what's a better way to have them queuing up before then?) 

3: What I'm confused about RE the player aircraft is that the AI are set to 'Uncontrolled' to be able to be visible on deck and waiting on the AI Task Push Start

4: How do you put a player aircraft in the sequence without using 'Uncontrolled' or waiting on a late activation?

This may be easier than I'm thinking it to be, but if not what's the best way to do this?

I've been away from ME for a few years so I'm rusty on some things.

Any help much appreciated!

[Yoda967]

Ghostrider,

I have yet to be able to nail down the placement of aircraft on the flight deck since the latest change to the SC module in a satisfying way. As of now, AI aircraft are placed in the order they're added to the mission, and you can tweak that by selecting LATE ACTIVATION and placing them with a trigger in the first few seconds of the mission. The downside of this approach is that for a couple seconds at the beginning of the mission, you have AI aircraft popping in from nowhere. The upside is that the player aircraft will go into the first available parking spot, so you can put your player jet where you want simply by late activating any aircraft you want to be placed in higher-numbered parking spots.

I should add that this is my approach for single-player missions. I haven't done any MP mission development, so if you're doing MP, hopefully one of those guys can chime in.

Developing launch spacing takes a lot of patience. I start by developing a launch sequence plan, so I can get the E-2 up first, followed by the tanker, but also so that I can have each section lead launch just before his #2. (I also don't use the DCS wingman scheme, but an F10 menu scheme I picked up from Chillng, which he uses in his Persian Freedom campaign.)

With the launch sequence in mind, I develop an initial round of start triggers for each aircraft and run the mission, watching the movement of the aircraft on deck, and adjusting the start time triggers to get the launch times I want. Sometimes, you'll get some taxi conflicts, and you can generally solve that by delaying the start trigger of the aircraft that's later in the launch sequence plan by ten or fifteen seconds. 

Good luck! 

[Ghostrider142]

Thanks for the detailed answer, was actually just sitting here doing play throughs and watching. There's an AI F-18 coming from a starboard aft parking spot and he taxis too close to the helicopters parked next to the tower and gets stuck when he has a wide open deck to use, not sure how to fix that, have already got the SB-60s as close as they can get.

I also just realized that the AI Hornet's 'parking hot' isn't hot apparently because they are taking forever to wind up and move so I'm going to change their trigger to have them start that process much, much earlier. Is this the norm?

Is there a top down image on the forum by chance that shows all the parking spots and their number sequence?

I used to build MP missions in the past, but for now I'm just relearning the ME by making some in depth single player. 

Will go download the Persian Freedom campaign, I've learned much of what I know by digging through missions others created, I learn fastest that way.

[Ghostrider142]

Found one, this will really help, thanks for mentioning the parking sequence

[Yoda967]

2 hours ago, Ghostrider142 said:

There's an AI F-18 coming from a starboard aft parking spot and he taxis too close to the helicopters parked next to the tower and gets stuck when he has a wide open deck to use

I also just realized that the AI Hornet's 'parking hot' isn't hot apparently because they are taking forever to wind up and move so I'm going to change their trigger to have them start that process much, much earlier. Is this the norm?

Is there a top down image on the forum by chance that shows all the parking spots and their number sequence?

I used to build MP missions in the past, but for now I'm just relearning the ME by making some in depth single player. 

Will go download the Persian Freedom campaign, I've learned much of what I know by digging through missions others created, I learn fastest that way.

Ghostrider,

Yep, you really do have to keep that area clear around the island. It's unfortunate, because that's where the helos should go.

Yes, when starting uncontrolled AI aircraft, they spawn cold and have to go through their startup sequence, which can be anywhere from 90 seconds to 3 minutes. 

I'm glad you found that parking map. I was going to link to it, but was later for work than I realized and figured I'd come back to it when I had the chance.

The Operation Persian Freedom campaign is payware, so unfortunately you can't dissect it, but it does have a lot of great ideas (like the F10 menu control of wingmen and optional "conversations") and there is a sample in User Files (https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/filter/user-is-ChillNG/apply/).  

[Ghostrider142]

8 hours ago, Yoda967 said:

Ghostrider,

Yep, you really do have to keep that area clear around the island. It's unfortunate, because that's where the helos should go.

I may have found a way to park them with the nose still towards the island without causing a collision, will post screens once I have thoroughly tested.

Thanks again, I've figured out how to do the launch sequence I want, the 1 second late activation was the key.

[Yoda967]

Yes, please do post screens!