How DO I Get the Fighters to Stay With the Bombers?

[Craterman]

How do I get the fighters to not go off and leave the bombers?  I set the waypoint speeds low for the fighters, higher for the Bomber and still, the fighters just go off and leave the bombers.  This mission I am building has the fighters taking off, so I cannot target link the fighters to the bombers or chaos happens of the runway (bombers are airborne).  I have the waypiont speed for the fighters at 180, and they do about 245 mph.

[JimTM]

Use a cover command, which is discussed in "Make an Object Protect Another Object" on pg. 122 of the IL-2 Sturmovik Mission Editor and Multiplayer Server Manual. You could make the fighters take off first and then trigger the cover command after the bombers take off. With the cover command, you don't need to link the fighters to the bombers or assign waypoints to the fighters. Give it a try and let me know if it works. That scenario would make a nice additional example for the manual.

Edited December 28, 2016 by JimTM

[Craterman]

JimTM, I have tried the cover command.  And it does work, but it also completely destroys any sense of formation, even when I also use the formation command.  Though I haven't tried reversing the order.  Formation and then cover doesn't seem to work.  I'll try reversing the order and see what happens.

[JimTM]

Try the attached mission. The formation commands for the fighters and the bombers are set to "Dense", which gives you the tightest formation. Even with "Dense" though the formations will be a bit loose at first and tighter for the bombers when they fly straight for awhile. The fighter formation will be looser due to the maneuvering required for the cover command.

 

JimTMTestCoverCommand3.zip

[Craterman]

Okay, Thanks JimTM, I dl'd it and will take a look at it tomorrow.  I appreciate your help.

[Craterman]

JimTM, I looked at that mission example.  I can get that to work, but the fighters fly to the way points like a bunch of drunks.  I want them to stay in formation and not fly back and forth over the bomber formation until they get to the target.  The Stukas fly so damn slow, the fighters refuse to go that slow (even though it is above their stall speed).  I tried everything I can fight.  Looks like they may just have to zig zag from waypoint to waypoint to slow their progress towards the target.  Its a lot of waypoints though.  Lines everywhere in the mission builder, it ridiculous.  This mission builder is much better than IL2 original though.  Many more variables.

[JimTM]

JimTM, I looked at that mission example.  I can get that to work, but the fighters fly to the way points like a bunch of drunks.  I want them to stay in formation and not fly back and forth over the bomber formation until they get to the target.  The Stukas fly so damn slow, the fighters refuse to go that slow (even though it is above their stall speed).  I tried everything I can fight.  Looks like they may just have to zig zag from waypoint to waypoint to slow their progress towards the target.  Its a lot of waypoints though.  Lines everywhere in the mission builder, it ridiculous.  This mission builder is much better than IL2 original though.  Many more variables.

 

As far as I know, you are stuck with the AI behaviour with the cover command, unless you want to set up a separate set of waypoints for the fighters.

[Thad]

Yes, I think seperate waypoints for the fighters would work. Just make the fighters altitude 300-500 meters higher than each of the bombers waypoint settings.

[Craterman]

I have  used separate waypoints and the same waypoints.  The fighters just refuse to fly as slow as the Stuka's top speed.  I'm going to have to make the fighters flight a more crooked path to the battlefield.  At least they will stay in formation.

[Gambit21]

Well in real life fighters would fly a zig zag pattern because of the speed difference anyway.

I don't like the way fighters cover bombers either with the "cover" command - that needs some work.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Gambit21

[Thad]

On 12/29/2016 at 7:58 PM, Gambit21 said:

Well in real life fighters would fly a zig zag pattern because of the speed difference anyway.

 

Correct.

[Sketch]

Thad is one hell of a necromancer. This thread is four years old.

 

 

 

 

[jollyjack]

and still actual!

 

On 12/29/2016 at 6:25 AM, Thad said:

Yes, I think seperate waypoints for the fighters would work. Just make the fighters altitude 300-500 meters higher than each of the bombers waypoint settings.

 

good tip, i'll try it now.

Edited April 28, 2021 by jollyjack

[IckyATLAS]

 

On 9/20/2020 at 12:11 AM, Sketch said:

Thad is one hell of a necromancer. This thread is four years old.

 

 

 

 

Only four years. I have better.

 

The oldest post I could find is from December 11, 2012 nearly 9 years ago and it is still a most fundamental question, or should I say it is THE question that reflects the strong bond that has always existed between the devs and the community. See the link below.

 

Ok,where are the friday updates??? - General Discussion - IL-2 Sturmovik Forum (il2sturmovik.com)

 

Unfortunately for the ME that is still tagged version 1.0 after nine years we still wait for the version 1.001 ? 

[jollyjack]

Now there's a real "Me Too" !

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by jollyjack