Warping Drones

[doright]

Last night I was attacking a set of very high very fast bombers. It struck me after several passes that the pilot of the bombers may have been deliberately turning tight to sling his drones out of formation so they would repeatedly warp on their way back into formation with the lead. I also observed one convenient warp on the lead's part too, but I didn't film it and I have insufficient evidence to say anything other then a networking glitch (leaving open what caused the glitch) threw off my attack.

Needless to say drone warping is a serious problem for an attacker. Destroying an attack run but still being exposed to defensive gunner fire is bad. Drones warping into your plane and causing you to collide is intolerable. This includes the warp that occurs when the lead plane is destroyed and the pilot takes command of a drone.

If the pilot was intentionally using drone warping as a defense then that is just gaming the game and shouldn't be tolerated. I wish that HiTech would take a look at the drone code to make them always fly like airplanes rather then warp capable starships. In addition it would be good if instead of warping the drones when the lead is destroyed something similar to the disco code could be used so the drone is flown over to the pilot's location (or vice-versa) then the pilot re-takes command.

[Rich46yo]

I dont know what you mean by "warping" but violently maneuvering your Bomber and drones is a perfectly acceptable way to help defend yourself.

All the years Ive been here your the only one Ive ever seen whine about it.

intolerable

? 

[Lusche]

I dont know what you mean by "warping"

He means exactly that ... drones are warping all through the sky, jumping repeatedly from spot to spot. It's induced by high speed maneuvers. The drone you are aiming at will just jump out of your gunsight, or may even randomly 'collide' with you.
The bomber pilot himself can not see this behaviour, it's all created on the other players FE.

[Wiley]

I dont know what you mean by "warping" but violently maneuvering your Bomber and drones is a perfectly acceptable way to help defend yourself.

All the years Ive been here your the only one Ive ever seen whine about it. ? 

If a bomber is separated a fair distance from the drones, sometimes on their way back to formation they warp.  I generally see them warp a few plane lengths at a time when it happens.  When you shoot down the lead, the plane the pilot gets switched to quite often warps as well.  When you're in close this can be very annoying and cause collisions.

My solution for avoiding the second situation is to attack the right one, then the left one, then the remaining one if I'm concerned about it.  This way, the pilot doesn't get switched to other planes, and also the drones don't shift positions in the formation resulting in warping.

Slight histrionics on the part of the OP, but if they could make the drones behave better in this regard, I'd be all for it.

Wiley.

[Banshee7]

He means exactly that ... drones are warping all through the sky, jumping repeatedly from spot to spot. It's induced by high speed maneuvers. The drone you are aiming at will just jump out of your gunsight, or may even randomly 'collide' with you.
The bomber pilot himself can not see this behaviour, it's all created on the other players FE.

And it SUCKS!  I generally don't attack bombers, because I am terrible at attacking bombers.  It's not only in high speed maneuvers; it also occurs if you turn too sharply for your drones to keep up with you.  I, too, have fallen victim to the warping drone syndrome.    

#S#



Josh

[waystin2]

And it SUCKS!  I generally don't attack bombers, because I am terrible at attacking bombers.  It's not only in high speed maneuvers; it also occurs if you turn too sharply for your drones to keep up with you.  I, too, have fallen victim to the warping drone syndrome.    

#S#



Josh

I only attack bombers if Banshee has softened them up first.

[Banshee7]

I only attack bombers if Banshee has softened them up first.

Or when they're already focused and engaged on me    It's a fair trade-off.  I make great bomber bait, you make great fighter bait 

[BluBerry]

All the years Ive been here your the only one Ive ever seen whine about it?

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,287949.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,74549.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,341604.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,357263.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,245957.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,294948.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,284521.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,136648.0.html

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,282368.0.html

[ntrudr]

I believe there is another way a bomber pilot can warp his AI wingmen.  I do not fly bombers so I can't say for sure. But, I know bomber pilots can fly their planes from outside using F3 while in flight, which I think should be disabled, and using scripted commands can maneuver their AI wingmen through different formations at some distance.  I personally came upon 2 bombers flying at 3k or so AGL and began to attack, they warped away, then I noticed the lead plane flying NOE and maneuvering his AI wingmen around as decoys.  I don't know what the distance limit is for AI wingmen but I have seen them many K away from the leader.  
NT

[hotcoffe]

drones warp... drones disappear magically or get beamed from 1k behind of the lead plane directly to the formation position..... get used to it..

[Wiley]

But, I know bomber pilots can fly their planes from outside using F3 while in flight, which I think should be disabled, and using scripted commands can maneuver their AI wingmen through different formations at some distance.

 

I don't believe it works that way in any capacity.  They react to your maneuvering, that's about it.

Wiley.

[doright]

drones warp... drones disappear magically or get beamed from 1k behind of the lead plane directly to the formation position..... get used to it..

Fighters warp... fighters magically get beamed from 2k at your 9 to 200 yds dead astern, cannons thumbing away, and your bomber explodes raining pixel debris all over your screen... still want to get used to it???

[waystin2]

Or when they're already focused and engaged on me    It's a fair trade-off.  I make great bomber bait, you make great fighter bait 

DOH!  Touche....  Them red guys love me alot or I just can't stay out of trouble.

[doright]

... violently maneuvering your Bomber and drones is a perfectly acceptable way to help defend yourself.

I'm use to bombers turning to throw off an attack run or delay your pulling in front of them. What made me suspicious about the maneuvers the B29 formation did last night was the timing and direction was not consistent with achieving either of those goals. So it appeared to me the only advantage he gained by the maneuver was to deliberately sling out his drones, losing effective defensive fire from them, so they would have to warp back to him.

...Slight histrionics on the part of the OP...

Yep, I'm well known for being too emotional and dramatic.
The above should paint a clearer picture of why I decided to post after thinking about it for awhile. At the same time I guess it also illustrates that my OP was somewhat lacking.

[doright]

Ok, so you go in, get their attention and soften them up. I'll finish them off for you.

Hear it all the time on squad channel.