Loiter/Hover

[Krasny]

why do a/c sometimes go into loiter/hover mode when reaching a waypoint?

how do i stop them from doing so?

[SireChaos]

ORIGINAL: Krasny

why do a/c sometimes go into loiter/hover mode when reaching a waypoint?

how do i stop them from doing so?

They do that because they have an order to that effect, usually because they have been launched as patrols.

Click to the Course button; at the last waypoint, you´ll see "Set Alt&Speed" in the orders list to the left. Delete that, and they´ll keep going straight ahead once they reach the last waypoint.

[mack2]

Sending a group out on patrol does this.

[Shark7]

Fighters given an intercept order should also do this once their target has been destroyed. It allows them to remain on station for you to use again if needed.

[SireChaos]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

Fighters given an intercept order should also do this once their target has been destroyed. It allows them to remain on station for you to use again if needed.

That is true of all aircraft sent on an attack mission. They switch to loitering once their target is destroyed or they have run out of relevant ammo.

[mack2]

It's also interesting having your attack groups loiter right inside the range of enemy installations (especially in the new scenarios which have SAM/AAA outside of the actual base itself). They should probably head back to their base/carrier if they have no more attack ordnance.

[SteveF2006]

On a related topic, can someone tell me if the game still tells you "note enough fuel to intercept" each time the enemy turns away? Is there some way to correct that if it has not already? Of course when it does this, I manually enter in the path to intercept and accelerate as needed. Most of the time I can catch the target.
Otherwise, if I select "no I don't want to pursue, the aircraft goes into loiter mode!

[TonyE]

It still does that and is even more annoying, now it wants you to RTB too!

[SteveF2006]

I agree! I do not like the fact, for instance, you set a group to attack a base and that base may have some mobile SAM defenses around it, your aircraft try to destroy the SAM unit first because it is closer. If you tell it not to attack, it asks you if you want the group to return to base. If you select no, the group then begins to loiter and you have to manually set it to continue on for those few extra miles until the base is then in range. Then you can decide if you want to select some of your missiles to attack the SAM unit in addition to the base!
 
In the old version, if you canceled the attack, the group would continue on the selected path. Any thoughts?
 

[Shark7]

OK, the AI will target whatever part of the target group it gets into range of first. If the SAMs are located along the axis of probable attack (as they should be) then they are going to come into range first.

The RTB thing is just annoying, agreed.

The loiter thing is annoying too, cause if you loiter over the target area, you're cannon fodder.

Here is what I often do. Launch as attack as normal, then after the group is 100% airborne, go into set course, clear the current one and give it new course orders. That clears the attack orders and lets you get as close as you want. Thing is, you have to manually tell it to attack when over the target, so you are gonna have to babysit it till the attack is complete. It's a work-around, nothing more.

[CV32]

ORIGINAL: Shark7
The RTB thing is just annoying, agreed. The loiter thing is annoying too, cause if you loiter over the target area, you're cannon fodder.

Ok, so three out of three among the HC3 crew find this behaviour annoying, as well as the masses. Chances are we'll try and change it.

I should add that I use the same method as Shark7.

[SteveF2006]

Cool! I do the same thing with entering the path manually but upon a rare occasion, I forget about that group then ooopps[&:] so much for that group!

[Divefreak]

ORIGINAL: Shark7


Here is what I often do. Launch as attack as normal, then after the group is 100% airborne, go into set course, clear the current one and give it new course orders. That clears the attack orders and lets you get as close as you want. Thing is, you have to manually tell it to attack when over the target, so you are gonna have to babysit it till the attack is complete. It's a work-around, nothing more.

Why not make this posible from the launch?

so you can launch a planegroup with a preplotted course, for example to avoid sam or an enemy group?

Regards René

[darknite]

Personally I never use the Attack or Intercept features at all. Many times my attacks are coordinated between defense suppression, inbound cruise missiles & strike aircraft along with escort fighters & EW assets that requires constant management to pull off. This is even more complicated now that tanker a/c and separate ground elements (requiring multi-axis approaches for best effect) are in the mix.

DN

[TonyE]

ORIGINAL: Divefreak

Why not make this posible from the launch?

so you can launch a planegroup with a preplotted course, for example to avoid sam or an enemy group?

Regards René

That'd be a fairly big pile of work. The group doesn't exist until the first plane is taking off (which seems like right away but it isn't {the launch event goes into a queue, queue is later serviced at which point the group is create). You cannot have a course without a group, ...

I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice [:)]