Unasked for Pilots being added to squadrons

[RangerJoe]

This is the new beta being tested, scenario 2.

december 9 1942 Kennedy R showing as a replacement coming in 7 days not asked for replacement.png (475.16 KiB) Viewed 1391 times

I have been having pilots being added to some fighter units. Some of these units are in combat and it is easy to notice them since they are not up to my combat standards. Others get added to training units. Their experience, air skill, and defense is in the 50s. That is really noticeable when I have 19 experts in yellow in one fighter unit with all of the other pilots but one in their 70s for experience, the bottom one is a 67 while their air skills and defense are in the 70s. So pop in the new guy with a 7 turn delay and it messes up putting in new people as needed. Personally, I would rather have a rookie than these pilots since they seem to train slower . . .

[RangerJoe]

This is the unit the day before.

December 8 1942 end of turn no Kennedy pilot had been requested from the reserves.png (436.97 KiB) Viewed 1387 times

As can be seen, that pilot Kennedy was not added.

[RangerJoe]

This is the alphabetical list of fighter reserve pilots from the day before.

december 8 1942 fighter reserve.png (435.95 KiB) Viewed 1384 times

As can be seen, that pilot Kennedy is not listed.

[RangerJoe]

Can any one explain why these pilots are suddenly showing up? Sometimes a US fighter unit will have up to 37 pilots listed just because of this. Many of them added one turn after another, once I thought that I saw two added in one turn. I can not remove them from the squadron while they are waiting/in transit. I would rather get rookies from the aviation schools and train them that these pilots since the rookies seem to get the air skill and defensive skills much quicker until they hit 50 experience.

[Sardaukar]

Yea, happens to me too.

It is bit annoying. Maybe they are set to arrive to unit in scenario?

[RangerJoe]

Yea, happens to me too.

It is bit annoying. Maybe they are set to arrive to unit in scenario?

I don't think so.

They also only seem to appear in US Army fighter units, I have not been checking my bombers.

Now, if it happened to the Dutch air units, I could use the extra pilots!

[pnzrgnral]

This happens all the time in my games. I always play Allied, last official update, Babes-B scenario 28. It doesn't matter what nationality or aircraft/squadron type - pilots are added to the squadrons by the AI. Not a game breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but since pilot management is micromanagement to begin with, this just adds more time and clicks to the micromanagement. If it's WAD, then so be it. If it's fixable, then get 'er done!

[BBfanboy]

Isn't there a setting to manage pilots manually or automatically? If left on auto, the AI jumps in whenever it thinks pilots are needed, but pilots chosen seem to be random.

[RangerJoe]

Isn't there a setting to manage pilots manually or automatically? If left on auto, the AI jumps in whenever it thinks pilots are needed, but pilots chosen seem to be random.

I don't let the computer/AI handle the pilots, I do it myself.

[Chris21wen]

Injured or shot down pilots always return to their original units, they do not go into the training program or the reserve. This can happen at anytime once they are healed or found. There are also many pilots scheduled to arrive at units by the scenario.

[RangerJoe]

Injured or shot down pilots always return to their original units, they do not go into the training program or the reserve. This can happen at anytime once they are healed or found. There are also many pilots scheduled to arrive at units by the scenario.

That is a nice bit of information and is useful, it may explain some of these pilots, but it does not explain how the 347FG/68FS training in Auckland has a pilot coming in. The unit has never been in combat, had two OPs losses but no KIA/MIA/WIA so that would not explain why a pilot with 59 experience, 60 A2A skill, and 64 defense shows up. Right now he has a 4 turn delay. Since the unit experience ranges from 80 to 56 with an average of 63, the rest of the units A2A skills range from 70 to 74 with an average of 70, and the defense ranges from 49 to 70 with an average of 60. The pilot with the 49 defense has an experience of 63, A2A of 70, plus a kill while in another unit. He is here trying to get his defense skill higher. There are a total of 37 pilots in the squadron when 33 is when the unit is not asking for more pilots. So there is no need for this 1Lt J. Lynch in this unit at all.

The current turn date is the 15th of December, 1942. Since I have heard nothing, neither on the forum on this thread not any other thread about this problem nor by pm, I will not continue adding to this thread until that happens. Since I actually do have the end of turn saves for each turn, it would be possible for me to attach them to a pm and send it to someone who actually is working to fix things but only if I actually know that person is actually working on the problem and not just looking at my game.

[Yaab]

Something similar happens when the number of available aircraft decreases in an air group.

At start, Allied fighter air groups on Luzon have several inactive pilots. I activate them, so they can fly air missions. Let say my air group has now 20 aircraft and 27 active pilots.

Fast forward two weeks, and now I have 15 aircraft and 25 active pilots.

What happens now, is the AI starts moving surplus pilots to Group Reserve WITHOUT my input. Many times this results in situations when least experienced pilots (40 -45 exp) are flying missions while most experienced (60-70 exp) sit inactive in Group Reserve. So now, I have to manually activate those idle pilots, only to activate them again in the following turns because the AI shuffles them to Group Reserve again. The cycle repeats itself ad nausea.

I have discovered this issue while babysitting my Luzon figher air group in Decemeber 1941. This just adds to the game's clickfest and nothing more.

This is such an INANE feature if you have air groups that are understrength in terms of aircraft.

[RangerJoe]

Something similar happens when the number of available aircraft decreases in an air group.

At start, Allied fighter air groups on Luzon have several inactive pilots. I activate them, so they can fly air missions. Let say my air group has now 20 aircraft and 27 active pilots.

Fast forward two weeks, and now I have 15 aircraft and 25 active pilots.

What happens now, is the AI starts moving surplus pilots to Group Reserve WITHOUT my input. Many times this results in situations when least experienced pilots (40 -45 exp) are flying missions while most experienced (60-70 exp) sit inactive in Group Reserve. So now, I have to manually activate those idle pilots, only to activate them again in the following turns because the AI shuffles them to Group Reserve again. The cycle repeats itself ad nausea.

I have discovered this issue while babysitting my Luzon figher air group in Decemeber 1941. This just adds to the game's clickfest and nothing more.

This is such an INANE feature if you have air groups that are understrength in terms of aircraft.

Those may have been injured pilots that were kicked out of the hospital because they sat on the nurses laps too much.

[Chris21wen]

You missed the bit about pilots scheduled to arrive at units by scenario.

It doesn't matter how many pilots you have in the unit or what their training level is. Scheduled pilots will simple be added to a group as will missing/injured pilots returning no matter how many pilots there are in it. If on returning they are not suitable for you requirements just return them to the reserve.

Here one 1LT J Lynch scheduled to arrive on 19 Dec 41 in 58th FG/68th PS the same arrival date as your J Lynch. Not the same unit but if you check the editor you will see that on the 15 Dec 42 58th FG/68th PS is renamed the 347th FG/68th FS.

Capture.JPG (52.48 KiB) Viewed 1131 times

[RangerJoe]

You missed the bit about pilots scheduled to arrive at units by scenario.

It doesn't matter how many pilots you have in the unit or what their training level is. Scheduled pilots will simple be added to a group as will missing/injured pilots returning no matter how many pilots there are in it. If on returning they are not suitable for you requirements just return them to the reserve.

Here one 1LT J Lynch scheduled to arrive on 19 Dec 41 in 58th FG/68th PS the same arrival date as your J Lynch. Not the same unit but if you check the editor you will see that on the 15 Dec 42 58th FG/68th PS is renamed the 347th FG/68th FS.
Capture.JPG

Thank you very much, I did not think to check the editor as I seldom use it. Your explanation is more than sufficient to satisfy me although it is still distracting.

My current game is almost over. It is 22 December 1942 and I am planning on invading Formosa, then the Chinese will liberate the Amoy area as well as move into Manchuria. That is, if I continue the game . . .

[Nomad]

As a note, this is one of the reasons that I use Tracker as an Allied player, it lists those pilots are they arrive. It helps to keep up with things.

[RangerJoe]

As a note, this is one of the reasons that I use Tracker as an Allied player, it lists those pilots are they arrive. It helps to keep up with things.

I also don't use tracker anymore. I tried it as Japan a couple of times but I never got used to using it. It seemed like a lot of work to set up, adjust it, and then play. I guess that if I tried a PBEM, especially as Japanese, then I would and probably have to use it. But then again, I would have time between turns. As it is, I am almost finished with the new Beta Scenario 2 unless I continue on after the Japanese surrender. The Japanese are close to being pushed completely out of China and it is the 22 of December, 1942 . . .

[Chris21wen]

In game you just need to regularly check air groups for excess of pilots but gives no info on delayed. Tracker does give info on delayed pilots but some don't use tracker.

[Maallon]

I actually had this issue since I started playing WITPAE and always wondered what was causing that.
It can be very confusing for beginners, as the game suddenly does things without your input you don't expect it to do.
Nice to know that has something to do with the scenario settings.

It irritated me a great deal at first and I put a great deal of time into keeping my squadrons "clean".
Nowadays I just accept it as it is, most of the time, the pilots added are decent enough.
Of course, for the Allies in the early war this can be a bigger issue as every plane can count and you probably don't want bad pilots reducing your pools.
But later in the game, one somewhat worse pilot in a squadron won't matter too much. And you get a trained pilot for free.

[Sardaukar]

Sometimes, AI also puts perfectly good pilots into group reserve, for no apparent reason.

This is especially annoying, if like me, player wants to have extra pilots in unit for fatigue reasons.