Getting AI aircraft to reach waypoints on time

[FishBike]

I'm working on a mission with several flights of AI aircraft. For some reason, I'm having a heck of a time getting them to arrive at their assigned waypoints along their route at the time specified in the mission editor. Just wondering if there is some trick to it that I'm missing, beyond giving them a route where the ETA of some waypoints is locked?

 

In all the different ways I've tried it, there have been no red indications on any of the waypoints to indicate an invalid flight plan, and the calculated speeds between waypoints seem like they're well within the capabilities of the aircraft. For comparison I have one flight assigned to "escort" duty and they are quite happy to go much faster to catch up with the planes they're supposed to escort.

Edited November 29, 2012 by FishBike

[MadDog-IC]

I'm working on a mission with several flights of AI aircraft. For some reason, I'm having a heck of a time getting them to arrive at their assigned waypoints along their route at the time specified in the mission editor. Just wondering if there is some trick to it that I'm missing, beyond giving them a route where the ETA of some waypoints is locked?

 

In all the different ways I've tried it, there have been no red indications on any of the waypoints to indicate an invalid flight plan, and the calculated speeds between waypoints seem like they're well within the capabilities of the aircraft. For comparison I have one flight assigned to "escort" duty and they are quite happy to go much faster to catch up with the planes they're supposed to escort.

 

Same sort of issues I have with the waypoint ETA lock feature - (thread in Mission Editor Issues). The problem I have with a ka50 flight, if all waypoints are programmed to ETA on every waypoint and they are delayed (can't make the programmed time) because of taking fire from enemy and have to engage or evade on route, the chopper will kill the enemy, and then go into a permanent hover hold at the waypoint that has the ETA locked. (It should just continue on and speed up to get to the next waypoint on time or just keep going and turn up late).

 

I think the ETA feature needs fixing, If you have exactly the same mission parameters, but lock the speed all the way through for all of the waypoints or have a locked ETA on one waypoint and calculated Speed and ETA on the other waypoints it has no issues at all with the flight plan.

 

Also had flights totally disregard any waypoint programming because of a little fire fight they have on way. They kill the first two or three enemy vehicles, and then turn for home as if It was like they were so badly damaged or bingo on fuel and the AI thinks better of it, so they immediately return to base / farp. (not damaged, and heaps of ammo still)

 

Frustrating as hell, I know.

[FishBike]

I think I might have stumbled onto the trick to getting this to work. Today I tried changing all my AI flights' waypoints from locked time to locked speed, and still they ignored the required speeds. Except for the four planes I intend to turn into player-controlled ones. Each of those has only one plane in the flight, and they seem to be working properly.

 

So I tried changing one of my other flights to a single plane and it worked! It's kind of looking like their attempts to maintain formation cause them to ignore the times/speeds in the flight plan. I'll redo the whole mission as single-aircraft flights and see what happens, but I have a strong feeling it's going to work.

[Megagoth1702]

I am not sure but I think performance wise 1 group with 100 tanks in it performs better than 100 groups with 1 tank in it. I am not sure how this is handled on aircraft but just keep in mind that if you have a WHOLE CRAZY BUNCH of units in their single groups it MIGHT have a performance impact.