The Manager Prefers ME to Lead Missions

[gimpyguy]

If I lead a fight, I've got my TAC on, and just keep that Blue Neon Line Vertical, and barring any interruptions by enemy aircraft we arrive at the target, if ( M ) states, 3 waypoints to target, there are 3 waypoints to the target

But if my pilot enlists as a sargent, and the flight leading duties, go by rank, and I just want a window seat. The flight leader ZigZags across the sky. It's enough to make you seasick. One mission ( M ) stated 2 waypoints to target, I counted nine changes, and we were only half way there. First airfield, I practiced my dead stick landing

Has this happened to anyone else, or am I just lucky ?

[Hiccup]

Hey Gimpyguy, I like to fly in formation so about 90% of the time I have a flight leader. On each mission we spend about 20 mins just flying the way points around the base before we head off to the main mission waypoints. It can get a little boring at times but as long as I have my beer with me I'm happy :ernae:

[cpirrmann]

It does get a little boring.I know that forming up took a lot of time IRL but 3 or 4 times around the base (never just once), chews up a lot of flying time. When I select a mission, I add about 20 minutes to the flight time to judge the length of the mission.

[Siggi]

It does get a little boring.I know that forming up took a lot of time IRL but 3 or 4 times around the base (never just once), chews up a lot of flying time. When I select a mission, I add about 20 minutes to the flight time to judge the length of the mission.

But it all goes towards that magical 17 hours.

[Baywing]

I've found that too, in BHaH. In theory, those triangles around the base are for building altitude, but I seem to always climb faster than needed. I have the "lead by rank" checked but for some reason, I'm always the lead, so I've never followed. I have seen flight 1 (I'm always 2) do some weird things though. I learned after the first mission to add extra fuel for 20 minutes of circling the base, some extra for dogfighting and some extra for the heck of it especially when heading over the front. If some crumpet holes my tank, I want at least enough to get back to friendly turf.

[Dirk98]

I have the "lead by rank" checked but for some reason, I'm always the lead, so I've never followed.

Baywing, do you enlist as sergeant? Weird. I get my wingman but I never get assigned as the lead of the concrete flight.

[Dirk98]

By the way, are those long ascend 'triangles' really needed in the code? Perhaps one round above the field would be enough? Question to WM.

Thanks.

[Dirk98]

It can get a little boring at times

Thought about using acceleration for this part of the flight? I'm asking since I'm looking yet for my own optimal modus operandi.

[Siggi]

I've found that too, in BHaH. In theory, those triangles around the base are for building altitude, but I seem to always climb faster than needed. I have the "lead by rank" checked but for some reason, I'm always the lead, so I've never followed. I have seen flight 1 (I'm always 2) do some weird things though. I learned after the first mission to add extra fuel for 20 minutes of circling the base, some extra for dogfighting and some extra for the heck of it especially when heading over the front. If some crumpet holes my tank, I want at least enough to get back to friendly turf.

I'm not sure the DM distinguishes between a hole above or below the gas level. If it was above the engine should cut entirely (non-gravity tank), below it the engine should run normally until all the gas has been pumped clear of the hole. My engine has always run rough when the gas was going. Which could be because the engine itself has also taken hits.

[Baywing]

I'm not sure the DM distinguishes between a hole above or below the gas level. If it was above the engine should cut entirely (non-gravity tank), below it the engine should run normally until all the gas has been pumped clear of the hole. My engine has always run rough when the gas was going. Which could be because the engine itself has also taken hits.

I don't look at it with that level of detail. I simply figure that the more gas that's in the tank to start with, the longer it takes to drain out which means the longer I have engine power to get to friendly skies.

[Baywing]

Baywing, do you enlist as sergeant? Weird. I get my wingman but I never get assigned as the lead of the concrete flight.

I usually start at the lowest rank. As I don't know many German words, I'm guessing it's sargent equivilent. I've got one promotion so far and after looking at the duty board, I have at least equal rank to the rest of the guys in my flight.

[Dirk98]

I've got one promotion so far and after looking at the duty board, I have at least equal rank to the rest of the guys in my flight.

And you say your name always gets in the top of the list in the briefing? I have it like this (when I click on my flight 1 or 2):

Jeffrey Carter
Peter Christian
Ken Richards
Dirk Schreiber
Ryan Drury (wingman)

I surmise Jeffrey Carter is the lead of my flight and Ryan Drury is my wingman whom I can control to some extent.

[ftgc]

Gimp,

I'm sure most of what your seeing is the three laps around the field. Nine waypoints of four miles each, for a grand total of 36 miles even before you start flying the mission waypoints. As for forming up the method usually involved flying straight out for a couple of miles and then a large circle back over the field. This allowed those lagging behind to cut the corner and catch up, although in WWI the take off was usually en mass and "forming up" wasn't really all that necessary.

Scott

[Winder]

Hi Dirk,

The number or circles around the field is directly related to your flight altitude preference in workshops.
Many fields are close to the frontlines and if the circling and height gaining is not done on the friendly side of line (as they did in WW1) then you end up flying over the lines too low..and getting caught in ground fire

I will look at variations of the gain height methodology and make it steeper in later years (better craft).
Maybe sometimes random changes: zig zag , circles (as is) or fly into friendly territory and fly back towards lines to gain height would make it less boring... will look at it post 1.26

But whatever happens height has to be gained....

Finally if you are lead you can head out any time you want...so this only applies when you are not leading.

WM

[Dirk98]

Hi Dirk,

The number or circles around the field is directly related to your flight altitude preference in workshops.
Many fields are close to the frontlines and if the circling and height gaining is not done on the friendly side of line (as they did in WW1) then you end up flying over the lines too low..and getting caught in ground fire

I will look at variations of the gain height methodology and make it steeper in later years (better craft).
Maybe sometimes random changes: zig zag , circles (as is) or fly into friendly territory and fly back towards lines to gain height would make it less boring... will look at it post 1.26

But whatever happens height has to be gained....

Finally if you are lead you can head out any time you want...so this only applies when you are not leading.

WM

Flying wingman is quite interesting and realistic option in the career sense in OFF3 (hence important in this game). I'm sure many like it already if not only for the boring (and not really necessary at longer flights) ascend phase above the field. What you explained makes perfect sence and there's not really much room for changes. Only if the initial ascend could be correlated to the total distance of the flight?

Thanks,
Dirk.

[77Scout]

The AI don't always use the trips around the field to gain height the way I would expect. A lot of the first trip around is usually near tree-top level, so doesn't really accomplish much...perhaps intended to be a 'form up' phase of the flight?. The second trip around gains some height. Then when we head out on the actual flight the leader often climbs like crazy and leaves me struggling to keep up.

Also have noted that the AI often make elevation changes between waypoints very radically, rather than gradually, climbing or diving rapidly to get to the next elevation. Probably controlled by the CSF3 logic coding?

As a side note, during such maneuvers the AI seems to have different FM abilities than the player...for example they can dive at slow speeds that I cannot match even in a full throttle-off side-slip.