Bomber drone salvo and delay in staged missions

[mustng2]

Just thought I would bring this up again.  HTC, if yall don't consider this a problem let me know and I won't bring it up again.


Ok, to describe the problem, practicing hitting cargo ships, 1000 lbs to sink, with Bostons with 4 500 lb bombs per plane.  Ships are in convoy and we hope to hit more than one.  Staged missions let us warp to the correct place and alt in the minimum time and allows a squad to practice together in custom arena.  Now the problem.   Set salvo to one and the lead plane with the player in it releases 1 bomb, but the 2 drones release 4 each.  The next drop your only option is to hit release multiple times since the drones have no more ords and of course if the drop is modeled correctly for 3 planes, each plane will hit in a different location.  Result is neither the first drop nor subsequent drops will be anything like in the main arena.  Obviously the problem is the same hitting towns, air fields etc.  Any time you don't want to drop all ords at minimum salvo, it is a problem.  If this is not considered a problem worth solving, let me know and I won't bring it up anymore.  Not sure if the gunnery is the same as in the MA, that is drones in staged mission shoot like the drones in the MA or act as independent AI gunners, but it would be much better if the drones functioned as they do in the MA if a player is in the lead plane.

[hitech]

I do not view it as a problem. Simply put missions are not designed for single bomb drop arena play. And they are especially not designed for the drones to follow what the lead does.

What you are asking for would entitle multiple targets set up in a mission. Along with all drop settings.

HiTech

[mustng2]

I did not think that was what was I asking.  Only that IF a player was assigned to plane 1 in the formation, that 3 plane formation and that 3 plane formation ONLY functions like drones in the main arena.  In the current missions, if no drop target is assigned to the bomber or heavy fighter AI in the mission (all of my missions are that way), the drones follow the lead plane if a player is in the lead plane and deviates from the assigned course and they drop on the lead player plane drop, just not on the same salvo and delay settings as the lead plane.  It is the very best way to practice bombing and scenario missions for the least time involved in getting to alt and target.  Could it be implemented as an option only if no bomb targets assigned to the AI in the mission?  But if it is impossible, so be it.

[Chilli]

Mustang2,

I may be incorrect, but I don't believe there are drones in missions.  The formations are all considered individual AI aircraft, even though they may be assigned in a formation. 

IIRC, that might help explain the difference HiTech just posted.  He just went further to explain what you would need to do in order to have your desired effect.

edit:  Read again and it seems that you are asking for formations to be implemented as a wishlist not a bug. 

[bustr]

So that was why all the bombers back in the alpha giant AI bomber stream mission had an individual Icon.

[mustng2]

That is true, they are individual AI, hence the problem.  Like the MA drones, they are dependent on the lead plane for course and drop point however if the lead plane is a player and no drop target is assigned in the mission.  I am not sure of the gunnery aspect, they seem to fire at the same target as the lead plane.  Perhaps the solution would be to make the lead plane an AI and the other 2 function like drones that are in the main arena following the AI.  When a player is assigned to the lead plane, it would be like in the MA.  May not be possible, but it does detract from what I think is the most useful aspect of staged missions involving bombers, getting you to the target and alt quickly and allowing you practice bombing specific targets and assessing the best techniques for max damage to the target.  A dot command to the 3 plane formation from the player was what I was thinking of if that is possible.  I guess one of the problems is they act almost exactly like the drones in the MA except for the salvo and delay which gives the apparently false impression that is all that needs to be modified. 

[bustr]

Wait and see how popular the AI mission arena becomes in AH3 say 3-6 months after go live. We tested the heck out of the current offering in the alpha for some time. That was a lot of work Hitech put into ironing out the bugs getting it to it's current state. At some point he has to get this thing live for that first 3-6 months of putting out full time fires.

Try to imagine his go live "to do" list.

[mustng2]

I may be in the minority and I realize things have to be set up to best serve the majority, but all of my staged mission use is either offline for individual practice or custom arena for squad and group practice and almost always the missions I authored.

[bustr]

So "going live" does not offer anything of worth to your view of AH3 unless you get what you want? And you don't trust Hitech to be willing to revisit this with you after he has gotten AH3 out the door to address the needs of that pesky majority who get in your way? Over the last 18 months I got a reminder to wish list things like this because they had nothing to do with "bugs". He is being awfully gentile with you.

[mustng2]

No actually just answering your post

[Chilli]

Okay, what you are saying is that the LEAD plane should never be allowed  control by a player...... gotcha..... right?

But I have to try to create a mission and test.  It seems that trying to hit a target in a created mission is close to launching a rocket to land on the moon.  You are way ahead of me there so it may take me some time.

[mustng2]

No, actually the only planes that drop bombs are the ones with a player in the lead plane. For example, I set up a mission with 3 sets of 3 plane formation bombers programmed to  spawn in the air at altitude near a base, convoy, fleet etc.  If offline, I assign myself to the number 1 plane in a formation and bomb the target and the other 2 formations fly off and do nothing.  If online in a custom arena with 2 other players, they will be assigned to the no 1 planes in the other formation for team practice.  You can also spawn in enemy AI fighters for gunner practice or assign players to the fighters.  If the target is such that you want to drop all ords at min delay, everything works great just like the MA bombers.  But if you want to practice multiple target drops or different delays you can't do it. In air spawns only worked offline in AHII and you had to use warp segments, but in air spawn works well in custom arenas in AHIII.  Again, my primary purpose for using staged missions is to get in the air at altitude near a specific target and bombing or shooting in the minimum time and to have target opponents that maneuver and shoot back (sometimes all too well).    I am beginning to think I am the only one doing that.  Is there a better way to do that?  Have I missed something?