Bizarre AI Follow Behavior

[42jeff]

I've been working on a mission for a while and I cannot get the AI to consistently follow.   I mean...it'll "follow"...but what's happening is it's pursuing to get into follow position it will either A) plummet down to 500 AGL or lower and assume position where it should be...or B) verrrrryyyy slowly creep up on Lead (player) aircraft generally about 15-20 kts of closure..no matter WHAT speed you fly.  If you firewall it, AI will creep up 15 kts..ish faster.  If you dial it back to 75-80 pct to allow them to catch up...THEY throttle back...but all the while, about 15 kts or so faster. 

 

I've varied the follow location, left, right, up, down, forward and backward.  Nuttin works.

Anybody have that issue or do I need to send this toaster off to be melted down and get me a new one?

Edited July 30, 2023 by 42jeff

[Yoda967]

I've had some success with it. Issue A sounds like you're asking the following aircraft to fly too close; after a lot of trial and error, I've stopped trying to get a following AI aircraft to follow within 80 feet, but preferably more. It seems to work fine between 100 feet and 2,000 feet or so. 

Issue B doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I've never flown in formation, but I spent some time reading about formation flight when I was working on my first couple of missions using the "follow" technique. IRL, joining up is at least as much about geometry as it is engine power. Remember that the following aircraft is trying to MATCH the lead's speed, not trying to produce a speed advantage over the lead. The #2 will need to slow down to avoid overshooting, and needs to get there and in formation while expending the least amount of fuel. 15-20 knots difference seems about right for a fighter.

You can have your lead aircraft help by turning 30 degrees or so towards the #2, effectively reducing the distance #2 has to travel to get into position. You can also limit the lead's speed to 250 KIAS or so until #2 is in position.