AI wingman struggling to stay alive without afterburner

[Nix Mills]

This is a bit funny actually.

When using the Prohibit Afterburner setting on the player's group (to prevent the wingman from using too much fuel), the wingman unit will often struggle to perform basic manoeuvres. Even if the setting is activated when airborne, and the group is traveling at low speed (e.g. 300 kts), tasks like change formation or hold position can result in the wingman getting too low on speed. The wingman will then respond by pointing its nose up, but since it cannot use afterburner, it will stall and crash.

This is happening both in current stable version (.16552) and Closed Beta.

[draconus]

Since the maneuvers are preprogrammed the AI may struggle when you limit their thrust esp. while heavy and at higher altitude. Fly lower, give them less weapons and less... fuel that you wanted to save in the first place. When you're the leader your flying affects the most how much fuel your wingman burns, keep that in mind.

[Exorcet]

The AI is quite bad at flying at times, and changing formation or lining up for an attack can cause disasters, with varying results depending on how you do it:

 

 

When it comes to fuel use though, wasn't an unlimited fuel trigger added for AI? Rather than restrict AB, try turning that on when the AI is forming up.