SP Fighter Wingman Versus Ground Targets

[Thad]

Salutations mission builders,

 

I have be tinkering with a single player practice mission for several days. It basically includes two Bf109 F-2s, 'both with bombs', assigned a patrol to intercept a Russian vehicle convoy. Everything seems to work fine but my wingman will not attack the convoy group regardless of any orders given.

 

When the flight is placed under Auto Pilot control, the lead aircraft does attack the convoy as it should and then continues upon the mission route once all of his bombs have been dropped (as planned)... but all the while the wingman just follows along and does nothing. Nothing. Most frustrating.

 

I have tried many things but nothing seems to change the wingman fighters behavior? Any suggestion or insights about this would be appreciated. Help.

 

I found nothing in the extensive manual to really address this anomaly. Then again is the AI performing as programmed? If it is... I think giving ones fighter wingman an attack order should be implemented as an override.

[Thad]

Salutations,

 

Follow up. This situation doesn't seem to be limited to the AI fighter craft performance. I switched out the F-2s with Ju87 D-3s with a bomb and the same 'non attack' occurred by the wingman.

 

Conclusion... currently one cannot create a player flight of craft in a Single player mission with controllable and reliable AI wingmen.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong. If I am wrong... please show me how to implement it in a Single player mission.

[Thad]

Be that as it may... I 'could' create such an AI patrol and as the 'player' become the wingman by following on the mission.

 

Ah ha... adapt and overcome. 

[Habu]

Thad,

 

Does all the vehicle are destroyed by the first Ai ?

 

Which kind of attack command do you use ?

 

How long do you set the attack time in the attack command ?

[Thad]

Negative. After the player craft expends his full load of bombs...I have the next nav point triggered for the flight to continue on the patrol.

 

Command Attack used  on the group at a nav point. The lead (player designated) craft makes the attack on the convoy of vehicles.

 

The odd thing is... previously in a early iteration of the mission, the wingman 'did' attack the vehicle convoy at least until the lead dropped all his bombs. I can't figure out what I changed (if anything) to cause the wingman to stop attacking.

[JimTM]

Can you post your mission please Thad. Thanks!

[Thad]

Afraid not... I deleted it when I couldn't get it to work as desired.

 

I have another versions of the same type of mission with a different craft though. I will attempt to recreate the F-2 original and post it later.

[Habu]

If i understand, you have 2 AI : a leader and a wingman link to the leader (it's not any spawn units) ?

 

Did you set an option like on bingobomb which activate the next waypoint ?

Edited May 13, 2017 by Habu

[Thad]

Habu... thanks for responding.

 

No spawned units. A leader and a target linked wingman.

 

Yes, I used bingobomb to activate the next waypoint.

I hope it is something simple... but in a early version of the mission the wingman did attack and on its own. I remember being impressed with the immersion of it. In one run through both craft got all their bombs off... in another the wingman only got one bomb attack off before the lead had dropped all of his and they had to continue on the mission.
 

Now... the wingman does nothing but follow the lead. Could this be tied to any changes in the new patch?

F2Patrol.zip

Edited May 13, 2017 by Thad

[LLv24_Zami]

 

Now... the wingman does nothing but follow the lead. Could this be tied to any changes in the new patch?

I think it is tied to the new patch. It has broken somehow AI wingmen, I`ve tried stock campaign and scripted campaign missions and it is the same. It is a bug, hope devs are aware it gets fixed soon.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Zami

[Habu]

 

 

Habu... thanks for responding. No spawned units. A leader and a target linked wingman. Yes, I used bingobomb to activate the next waypoint.

 

Ok, the explanation is on the setting on bingobomb. As the wingman follow the leader, as soon the leader drop all it's bomb, it' activate the next waypoint, and fly to the next waypoint. So the wingman follow the leader even if it has not drop its bombs.

 

So, do not use the on bingbomb setting, and add a timer which will activate the next waypoint. You have to estimate the time of the attack, need to destroy or drop all the payload, and set it to the timer. You have also to set the time in the command attack area, wich will set the time during planes will search and attack target (that time should be lower than the timer which activate the next waypoint).

 

I'll have a look on your mission.

[Thad]

 

Ok, the explanation is on the setting on bingobomb. As the wingman follow the leader, as soon the leader drop all it's bomb, it' activate the next waypoint, and fly to the next waypoint. So the wingman follow the leader even if it has not drop its bombs.

 

So, do not use the on bingbomb setting, and add a timer which will activate the next waypoint. You have to estimate the time of the attack, need to destroy or drop all the payload, and set it to the timer. You have also to set the time in the command attack area, wich will set the time during planes will search and attack target (that time should be lower than the timer which activate the next waypoint).

 

I'll have a look on your mission.

Thanks, I agree, but this doesn't explain why in my early versions of the mission the AI wingman did attack the group until the lead dropped all of his bombs.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Thad

[Habu]

Ok, here are what i found and did :

 

• Change command attack by a command attack area.
• Add a timer to activate waypoint RTB 01
• Delete link Add target between WP03 and RTB 01
• add a player plane : BF 109G2
• Change filter in complex triger by nationality instead of german plane types. You can also use a checkzone for that king of filter.
• Add subtittle to help for debug.
• Rename waypoint to help to unerstand and debug

I agree, there is a bug with the wingman which should attack. I have to run test to know if it's only on the 109F2 or any planes. then, i'll report the bug.

SP Bf109 F-2 Section Patrol_debug.zip

Edited May 13, 2017 by Habu

[Thad]

Thanks. I'll check out your debug. 

 

By the way.. I had the same results when I changed the missions craft type to 190 A-3 and Ju87 D-3. Their wingman also did nothing in each case.

[Thad]

Ok... checked your changes. The AI flight performed just like my original Player + AI wingman. The wingman still did not attack the convoy.

 

The Command Attack Area only kept the lead craft attacking the convoy with his guns while the wingman followed and did nothing. The area attack also defeated my mission desire for the flight to continue on its route after attacking the column to engage other targets of opportunity. The lead craft used up almost all of his ammo versus the convoy. (the wingman still didn't drop a bomb or fire a shot).

 

My desire was for a "player" to have a working AI controlled wingman while on a possible multi engagement patrol. That desire is still or perhaps cannot be satisfied currently.

 

Still, thanks for your efforts Habu. The nationality change in the complex trigger will especially prove very helpful.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Thad

[Habu]

My desire was for a "player" to have a working AI controlled wingman while on a possible multi engagement patrol. That desire is still or perhaps cannot be satisfied currently.

At that moment, there is a bug, The AI wingman should drop its bomb, but as soon dev fixed it, it will be ok.

 

If you want ton minimise the play time of your AI, and that your AI keep amunition, even if they don't destroy all the convoy, you have to set the time of the command attack area lower, and set the timer which activate the next waypoint lower too.

 

 

 

The nationality change in the complex trigger will especially prove very helpful.

About that, as you don't care of the kind of plane, you should use a checkzone instead of a complex trigger. The checkzone take less ressource.

 

For information, i ran several tests with several planes, since the debug mission i provide you, and i reported the problem to the dev. I hope we'll have an hotfix for that problem.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Habu

[Thad]

Thanks for the help and advise.

 

"For information, i ran several tests with several planes, since the debug mission i provide you, and i reported the problem to the dev. I hope we'll have an hotfix for that problem."

 

Great! Let's hope so.

[Trooper117]

Yes... flying a scripted campaign at the moment. The AI do not respond to ground attack orders... let's hope that 'fix' comes soon

[TP_Jacko]

Interesting note on the AI wing man. I made a mission for Tangmere's Sunday ops last weekend and in testing I was getting the impression that the wingman did not attack air targets only the AI leader.

[Thad]

Your impression is correct.

[walter55]

 

Same here, I am flying IL2 ground attack missions ai does not attack enemy ground targets, no matter what I order it to do.

 

AI will follow formation orders only!

[Thad]

Followup. As of today the AI problem is still there.

[Thad]

Fortunately, it has been reported that the Devs will be looking into the problem tomorrow.

[Thad]

Salutations,

 

Todays patch seems to have corrected our AI wingmen problems.