How to have AI wingman attack?

[istari6]

Early in a Career in PWCG, my first time trying this with Flying Circus.  I led a flight of four on a patrol E of Arras.  We run into a group of Fokker Dr. Is escorting Pfalz D.IIIas.  As we close, I first try using the Pilot Gestures ("Destroy"), then I try giving Flight the order to Attack All Air Targets.  Nothing happens.  We enter the dogfight and ALL German fighters are focused on me.  Meanwhile, my three wingmen are just circling around, trying to keep formation.  

 

No matter what I do, I can't get them to engage, and the AI Germans totally ignore them.  Effectively outnumbered 5:1, I run for home.  The enemy chases me all the way back to my home airfield, with 3 S.E.5as mixed in their formation trying to catch up to me.  Totally ignoring each other (!).  Crazy situation and disheartening if this is what other missions are like.  Not sure I want to continue with a Career in this way given the long times to climb to altitude, etc..  

 

Any suggestion on how to get my AI wingmen to attack enemy fighters?  

Edited August 22, 2020 by istari6

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I have been doing a coop campaign with my brother on PWCG, and I sometimes notice the enemy AI focuses a single target (often a player) to the exclusion of all else. They used to follow you all the way back to the airfield, but that tendency was reduced in a patch a couple months ago. The problem I have is almost the exact opposite of yours: the AI wingmen notice the enemy way off in the distance, and they veer off the flight plan to attack when I can't even see a speck. Usually I know a fight is about to begin when my wingmen disappear. I have taken to watching my wingmen more than looking for enemy planes. This is the exact opposite of what I experience flying MP: always looking out for enemy planes, and spotting them at a decent distance. It's also possible I'm not that good at spotting, and the AI response is more accurate than my eyes. I have not assigned buttons for flight orders, so I can't help you there.

[istari6]

I remember Pat Wilson talking about how the AI seems to fixate on whoever the "most juicy target" is, then stay locked there.  It's not clear how the AI is determining "juicy", but they do tend to stay target fixated longer than they should.

 

But any ideas on how to get my own wingman to attack?  I can handle the AI fixating on me if my wingman are helping out.  But having five enemy aircraft focusing on me while my wingman just circle around the fight... that's frustrating.