Alert aircraft, howto?

[arteedecco]

Hi there everyone.

 

Wondered how to create an AI aircraft that will start from ramp and takeoff from an airport, and immediately engage attacking fighters, like an alert aircraft?

 

I created a missing with an AI F-16A, did the ramp start, created a trigger that activates the F-16A when aircraft from the opposing Coalition begin attacking the airport. However, the F-16A just taxied out about 1/2 way on the taxiway and then held position.

 

Now, I had the F-16A setup for Fighter Sweep and only had one waypoint, the first one for the ramp start. I thought this might work because when you start a helo on the ramp, it always takes off, orbits, and lands.

 

I continue to be mystified by the AI and how to get it to do what I want. I was afraid that if I gave the F-16A a waypoint after the start, he would takeoff and go to the waypoint without engaging any enemies and go defensive right away instead of aggressively engaging enemy aircraft immediately after rotating.

 

Any help would be appreciated! :thumbup:

[Jona33]

Set up a flight plan with the F-16 and make sure he has a payload and is set to intercept or fighter sweep. Tick the late activation and the uncontrolled box above the waypoint options. Then go to triggered actions and set Perform command->Start. Put a trigger zone around the airbase. (This is the "radar" detection ring and then set up a trigger. Once->unit in zone "enemy aircraft->AI task "Start. The F-16 will appear on the ramp at the beginning but not take off. When the enemy aircraft are in the ring he will start, taxi and takeoff.

 

Note: This was done from vague recollection so don't take it as gospel. I'll try it out later and get back to you.

[arteedecco]

Thanks for the response. I think the only part I'm missing is a flight plan that includes more than just the start point. I wondered if this was the issue.

 

The part I am unsure of is if the F-16 will deviate from it's flight plan to start engaging the enemy aircraft since I don't think "Fighter Sweep" shows up as a command, like "CAS - a - ref" and other commands like that.

 

I ran into the same issue with setting up some Mig-27's for "Ground Attack", they did nothing. Once I switched them to "CAS" it showed up in the actions and they did exactly what I expected.

 

Can't figure out the ones that don't seem to automatically generate commands / actions for the group.

[arteedecco]

Okay, figured it out. It's just the "Uncontrolled" checkbox you want to check, not "Late activation".

 

Uncontrolled does pretty much what it says... no pilot (operator) of the vehicle, therefore it doesn't go anywhere or do anything. Neat!

 

The "Late activation" checkbox looks like a checkbox to replace having to set a start time for a vehicle waaaaayyyy out beyond the mission start time (usually 24 hours or more to be safe). Now, if you click "Late activation" the vehicle isn't shown at mission load, no matter the start time you have selected for it. Nice. Just wish there was hover tooltips in the ME!

 

Now... big question I can't find anywhere... can AI aircraft rearm after landing?

 

I've read that if you peek in the .lua scripts you can see that various launchers are reloaded eventually, but I'm not sure about aircraft and the reload time is around 60 minutes!!! Yikes!

 

Here's Combined Arms the thread I was referencing: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1505827&postcount=11

 

Not sure if that applies to AI aircraft too??

[Jona33]

Aircraft can't rearm or refuel once landed. They land, sit on the ramp a bit and eventually disappear. (You can set helicopters to land anywhere and take off again but they won't shut down, refuel or rearm.)