Air Group Allocation - Auto

[pbrowne]

A few questions about allowing auto allocation of air groups to missions.

1. When manually allocating an air group, the allocated air group is shown when editing the air directive and clicking on the link/button next to Groups. Easy.

However, when allowing auto allocation, editing the air directive shows no allocated air group.

Is this because the AI has yet to allocate the group (presumably not as the image below clearly shows the number of aircraft auto allocated, but the actual group/s)?

Or is it not shown at all when allowing auto allocation? If so, why not (a bug)? Is there a way to see what the AI has allocated prior to executing air directives, or should we just have faith? Or have I completely missed something?


2. When auto allowing air allocation, how does the AI select the most suitable air group, e.g. for a Ground Attack type. Do the types of targets inform that AI selection? Anything else?



3. In the manual at section 5.3.4, there is a statement that suggests that auto allocation is intended to be less effective than manual allocation:

"The default mode for air group unit selection is
AUTO, which allows the computer to select among
all air group units eligible to fly the air directive. This
mode specifically reduces the capability of air group
units assigned air superiority air directives using
AUTO selection"

Does that JUST apply to air superiority missions, or all air mission types? Why does auto allocation specifically reduce the capability?

[loki100]

the advantage of auto is it allows a given air group to be used more than once, typical egs are if you run a GA-unit/interdiction directive and then GS.

its not that astute in its choices so it will use say FB for GA and LB for GS (generally I'd go the other way) but if you are pretty sure what will happen in the turn (or short of assets) this is no big deal.

So if you are really sure what planes you want in what role, then default to manual. I often leave LB filled missions on auto so that they can add a bit to GS but am more careful in my selection of ADs for FB - but this is very situational.

It fills out the missions in order from top to bottom, intensity and days matter. So a low intensity/few days mission won't claim many air miles leaving a lot for later (either in the air phase or GS), the reverse applies.

No idea why auto hits AS efficiency but its certainly not true of the others. AS works 2 ways. During the air phase the AS planes lay down mileage in their selected box and will engage with enemy planes carrying out AD work in that area. In the ground phase, this mileage is retained on the map (you can't see it) and used to determine how well that AS will now intercept air transport or GS missions.

So it can set up a safety net for GS in case you lack escorts in that particular AD.

My limited guess is the problem with auto-AS is that the planes may pick up extra mileage but I'm guessing here.

[pbrowne]

Thanks for the reply and information Loki!

I need to spend some time considering that info, but in the meantime, would it be possible to identify which air units the AI had selected to use for a mission?

Actually I'm a bit surprised that given the number of aircraft show next to GROUPS in the Setup Air Directive panel when just left at Auto, that the actual air units aren't displayed as well:



If for example the user decides to manually allocate air units to a mission that had previously been auto allocation, the user wouldn't know which units had been used, or would they??

In the above image there are 229 aircraft selected by the AI for the AS mission. Aside from the actual air units selected by the AI, it would be useful I think to know how the AI is establishing that quantity and type of aircraft.

I think the user should also know, as I have said, which units the AI had selected for a previous mission.

Peter

[pbrowne]

The AI selected aircraft don't appear to show in the AVAILABLE AIR GROUPS section of that panel either. As deleting the other missions for Tactical Air Force, then clicking the checkbox for ASSIGNED AIR GROUPS, the AVAILABLE AIR GROUPS list doesn't change - meaning that the air units the AI has selected do not show in that list even with that checkbox selected.

[pbrowne]

...and the checkbox ASSIGNED AIR GROUPS unchecked...no difference in the AIR GROUPS list.

Also note that none of the air groups sum to 455...implying that the AI is breaking up air groups, something that the human user can't do. Is the AI doing this as the enemy??

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: pbrowne

...
If for example the user decides to manually allocate air units to a mission that had previously been auto allocation, the user wouldn't know which units had been used, or would they??

In the above image there are 229 aircraft selected by the AI for the AS mission. Aside from the actual air units selected by the AI, it would be useful I think to know how the AI is establishing that quantity and type of aircraft.

..

I think (& this relates to the other thread), you are misinterpreting what you are seeing. You don't know who the AI will select but it makes an estimate as to how much it will probably need to fulfill the directive. That estimate is driven by the width of the AD, the intensity of the AD, days for the AD and your air doctrine settings (remember you can order more or less than the AI thinks for a given mission type for a given air command).

Its useful to see, as it gives you a quick clue as to when to stop creating ADs.

Now, for the actual air missions, the group is broken down to 8-12 plane elements (you'll see this in the combat reports), which is part of how the AI can recycle a given group across multiple AD (& it plays by the same rules for you and itself)

Roger

[pbrowne]

Thanks again Loki. Useful overview of what the AI is doing in the selecting of quantity of AC based on the characteristics of the AD.

I think I have a handle on this now (and must stop looking at Range as Qty Ready...[8|])

I'll go back to sleep now...

Peter