Wingmen don't leave the ground?

[Knarley-Bob]

Just got FC. Love the game, but, when having a single player "Fur Ball" all my wingmen sit on the ground and watch me get cut to ribbons.  Both flights!  A little help? Taking on 8 planes to one is a tad steep, no? Has happened numerous times.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Knarley-Bob

[-DED-Rapidus]

@Knarley-Bob, so, in which mode are you experiencing such difficulties? In a FC career?

[Knarley-Bob]

21 hours ago, Knarley-Bob said:

Just got FC. Love the game, but, when having a single player "Fur Ball" all my wingmen sit on the ground and watch me get cut to ribbons.  Both flights!  A little help? Taking on 8 planes to one is a tad steep, no?

I'm offline, quick mission mode. Was thinking, am I supposed to give them one of those flight leader commands? I'm real new at this, an am still learning.

Thanks, KB

Edit: On the game it's called a "Skirmish"

Edited February 4, 2020 by Knarley-Bob
Carification

[CorvusX]

Hi KB,

there is no need to order them to take off, so you did not do anything wrong. 

Those AI guys drove me nuts while I was trying to reproduce it.

 

Setup:

I tested a  "8 vs 8" single player quick mission, starting on runway , no wind (Spad 13). Enemies set on 3000m (Scramble) All 16 set to Ace.
Btw.: If you start from runway It's always a 4 vs 8. the 2nd group never appears, no matter if BoX or FC.

I tried every one of the four Arras Map "marker" for Skirmish.

 

Results:

One time they managed to took off like they should but in the next test run, at least two of the three AI fellows, weren't able to start.

 

Starting from Vert Galant Airfield near Doullens, if your planes taking off direction is to the south, everyone manages to get in the air.
But no chance to fly with them if the starting direction is to the north. (The Take off direction changes randomly)
In that case they prefer to turn on the ground and crash into each other. 

Sumery:

Doullens -Vert Galant AF :  - to south= ok  - to north: 2 or 3 Ai wont take off with you. (turn on ground and crash)
Bethune -  Auchel AF : - west = ok  - east= sometimes ok, sometimes 2 keep waiting on ground - somtimes they turn 360 and take off later... 
Cambrai - Awoingt AF:  - north= ok  - south= ok-  (I got it here too, that sometimes 2 of them wont start, I forgot in which direction).
Lille - St Marquerite AF  - south=  ok  - north= oK

Because of "Bethune -  Auchel AF" I'm absolutely not sure that it depends only on the take off direction , maybe how you  take off or how near the enemy planes are, do influence their decision to take off or not.
All I can say for sure is that on St Marquerite (near Lille) I could not reproduce it and at Vert Galand (Doullens), to north, they never took off with me.

Edited February 4, 2020 by CorvusX