How to stop CAP from launching?!

[nocacounsel]

Hi there. I'm playing the NATO side to the Pacific Ocean #7 mission that's part of the Century Ocean Wars scenarios (using the PlayersDB).

The problem I'm having is that no matter what I seem to do and no matter what settings I seem to change, I cannot get the carrier battle group to stop launching CAP and AAW-related aircraft patrols. I far prefer to manage these assets and patrols myself, but, of course, because the computer steals all of the available aircraft, it's really hard for me to make my own CAP-based patrols.

Anyone know how to STOP the computer from maintaining the CAP patrols surrounding the battle group? I have tried everything: unselecting "staff handles" 'formations' and 'formation air patrols' in settings, I have tried deleting the carrier from the task force (and rejoining), and, of course, manually removing the air assets from the their assigned CAP to send them home (only to see more launch and take their spot). Man, this is aggravating.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[FransKoenz]

With the Harpoon Launcher, you can go to the tab Game preferences, and disable "Formation Air Patrols"

Otherwise you must make a change in your ini.file and remove the value [64, Manage Air assets] for the ExecutiveOfficierAssistance. Total for this item should be 51


Succes![;)]

Taitennek

[nocacounsel]

Thanks, but I already tried that--or at least I turned it OFF once the scenario was started (it was on originally).
 
I saved the scenario, exited the game, used the H3 launcher and unselected staff controlling "formation air patrols", reloaded the saved game, and the AI **STILL** launches aircraft for CAP/AWACS/etc.
 
Is this just a limitation of the game such that you can't change whatever settings you start the game with even if you save the scenario, exit, and reload?
Thanks!

[hermanhum]

Once the scenario has started with the "Formation Air Patrols" enabled, sometimes it is difficult to turn it off.
 
I think that you have done the right thing by turning it off.  Now, try and 'break up' the formation by detaching all the various ships from the Task Group.  Once that is done, you can try and re-form it and see if that stops the auto-CAP patrols.
 
Good luck to you and welcome aboard, shipmate!  [8D]
 
When are we going to get a MP game with you? [;)]

[FransKoenz]

ORIGINAL: hermanhum

Once the scenario has started with the "Formation Air Patrols" enabled, sometimes it is difficult to turn it off.

I think that you have done the right thing by turning it off.  Now, try and 'break up' the formation by detaching all the various ships from the Task Group.  Once that is done, you can try and re-form it and see if that stops the auto-CAP patrols.

That was what I thought as well, but I was not sure about that..............[:D].
But Ik knew for sure that it was only a matter of time then you would come with some solutions.

Thanks for answering Phatstar[;)]

[TimOusley]

Nah, here's the trick:
First, you might have removed the check in Harpoon launcher, but depending on the level you're playing it might set formation air patrols anyway. I don't think the difficult level ignores the launcher settings, but I've found that unchecking that box doesn't usually make it so. Remove it anyway. Give your group a little time to launch the CAP flights.
Next, go to Settings->Game Preferences and make sure the Formation Air Patrols is unchecked for this session, so that as you eliminate CAP/AAW flights, they won't be replaced.
Then go to the game, select your carrier group and open the Formation Editor. One at a time, select the aircraft you wish to remove from CAP/AAW assignments. Often, flights such as F/A-18s are stacked on top of one another, so I cycle through the units using the space key so I don't miss anything. As you select a flight you wish to remove, left click twice on the little Air Ops button on the Formation Editor box. The selected flight will RTB and not be replaced. You may wish to leave the AWACS flight alone as it's under the battle group's Standard missile umbrella.
There's one other little pisser though...these flights will likely remain in a "plotted" assignment and therefore virtually unavailable to you once they've re-armed. To avoid this, after you've re-tasked these flights but before they land on the carrier, I suggest going back to the main map or to a zoom map you've made of your battle group, selecting each flight and pressing the "u" key to unassign them, then re-assign them back to land in that same map by clicking twice again on that air ops button. This should insure that they're not still plotted, although occasionally some slip through that crack. If you try to remove them from the "plotted" assignment using the mission editor, you get an error message telling you that you can't remove planes from a plotted mission. Even though you already have.
This process seems like a lot of work but you can do it quickly and easily. Oh, and an hour or so later in game time, go back to the Formation Editor and make sure it was successful and you didn't miss any planes.
Good luck,
Tim Ousley