[WAD]AAW Patrol not intercepting

[Chris21wen]

These are the mission setting. It's a simple tutorial with an unmanned drone. I've set up a an AAW patrol with these settings. The patrol does not intercept so what am I missing.

[blu3s]

so what am I missing.

An attached save so we can replicate the issue and see what's happening.

[Chris21wen]

Save

[blu3s]

You have two options.

1. Set up a prosecution zone and use Investigate unknown contacts outside the patrol area

2. Uncheck Investigate unknown contacts withint weapon range -> This will make that your patrol investigate any contact regardless the distance so it's not recommended


In your current save if you uncheck the investigate unknown contacts within weapon range the AC will engage the target.

[Chris21wen]

You have two options.

1. Set up a prosecution zone and use Investigate unknown contacts outside the patrol area

2. Uncheck Investigate unknown contacts withint weapon range -> This will make that your patrol investigate any contact regardless the distance so it's not recommended

In your current save if you uncheck the investigate unknown contacts within weapon range the AC will engage the target.

First thanks

Point 2 - I already tried that. I only have one save and the save was prior to posting the problem. See pic.
Point 1 - Yes I can do that. See the attached save. The problem is it doesn't work either.

I thought it maybe distance causing the problem so I've moved the patrol area and created a prosecution area. Nothing works the patrol will not intercept the drone if the drone is outside of either area. Once the drone enters either area is a different matter. On one occassion the missile fired inside the area miss, the drone flys out the other side then was completely ignored?

This is the latest patch so is it part of the on going bug in the game?

[blu3s]

Nothing works the patrol will not intercept the drone if the drone is outside of either area.

That's the point, you set up a prosecution area to prosecute targets inside the area, not outside it. In order to the prosecution area to works, the Investigate units outside area should be checked.


Regarding 2 , with the save you provide if you uncheck the investigate contacts within weapon range and press play you'll see how the AC starts engaging the target.

I'm testing on 1405 on Steam and I don't see any error or bug in this regard.

[Chris21wen]

Nothing works the patrol will not intercept the drone if the drone is outside of either area.

That's the point, you set up a prosecution area to prosecute targets inside the area, not outside it. In order to the prosecution area to works, the Investigate units outside area should be checked.

How have I done that, I'm getting confused here.

If I set up a patrol area and set it to 'investigate unknown targets outside of patrol area' in should do that no matter if I have a prosecution area or not.

Also whats the difference between that and the other option re 'weapons range'.

[thewood1]

Patrol zone is where it actually patrols. The unit never leaves the boundary of the zone.

Prosecution zone is where it will "prosecute" any intruders, but it won't patrol there. It patrols within the patrol zone boundary, but will leave the patrol zone to investigate an intruder who enters the prosecution zone. Once its done with that, it will return to the patrol zone.

Prosecution zones are only active if "investigate contact" is active. This allows the unit to exit a patrol zone to investigate, but only within the prosecution zone boundary.

No prosecution zone and no "investigate contacts" checked will let a unit investigate ANY contact ANY distance from the patrol zone boundary. The unit will leave the patrol zone and this should be rarely used.

Investigate within weapon range is exactly what it says. Regardless of patrol zone boundaries, the unit will investigate or attack any unit outside the patrol zone but within weapon range from the zone boundary.

Page 216 in the Steam manual does a pretty good job of explaining the prosecution zone. PGat has a good video tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ubDYtkAILU

While missions are a core foundation of CMO, patrol/prosecution zones are a core foundation of missions. They are actually explained fairly well between manual, videos, and tutorials. I'm a little worried about your ability to grasp some of this stuff if you struggle with this.

[Chris21wen]

.....
No prosecution zone and no "investigate contacts" checked will let a unit investigate ANY contact ANY distance from the patrol zone boundary. The unit will leave the patrol zone and this should be rarely used.
....

Thanks for the reply, cleared a lot of thing up but this remains.

Originally this is exactly what I did, a patrol zone without a prosecution zone and the patrols never intercepted and they still don't. I was following the tutorial.

I ran it again and saw the check box for 'Investigate unknown contact outside patrol area' . This is exactly what I want to happen, the ac patrol in there area and fly an intercept course to any unknown target within it's range. I just tried it again. no prosecution zone, no 'investigate ..' check and the ac still do not intercept.

The only way I can get the patrol to intercept is if the target flies through the patrol area.

If I set up a prosecution zone then the AC will intercept with or without 'Investigating ...' checked.

I've even had ac fly directly over the drone without attacking and stop attacking when they leave the patrol zone.

I've test and retest perhaps 50 time. It does not work as it implies so it's broken as far as I'm concerned. I suppose I could have a corrupt install but I've just reinstalled from scratch

[thewood1]

Two things:

You have a prosecution zone defined as the same boundary as the patrol zone. As soon as I delete the prosecution zone, it works. Note my pic as the F-16s immediately attack the enemy unit.

Always state the version you are working with.

Screenshot 2024-08-29 093921.jpg (1.13 MiB) Viewed 1904 times

[thewood1]

Just started it from scratch. Built an AAW mission without prosecution zone, but investigate contact outside patrol area checked on. The F-16s immediately went to the patrol zone. As soon as the enemy unit was detected, the f-16s left the patrol zone and attacked the enemy unit.

[FifthDomain]

Had a quick run with the save provided and everything seems to be working as expected. You currently have the patrol and prosecution areas set using the same reference points. If i set up a prosecution zone using new reference points and tick the investigate unknown contacts outside the patrol area it works as it's supposed to. Likewise if i leave it as you have set it up and just tick the investigate unknown contacts within weapons range they intercept as they should.

Only problem i've seen is after the aircraft is destroyed the message displayed is SCENARIO ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND: Flight Tutorial_3_Messag, which i assume means the message is missing. I think i've seen a report in tech support about that problem though.

EDIT: It seems thewood also reached the same conclusions while i was writing my post.

[Chris21wen]

Two things:

You have a prosecution zone defined as the same boundary as the patrol zone. As soon as I delete the prosecution zone, it works. Note my pic as the F-16s immediately attack the enemy unit.

Always state the version you are working with.


Screenshot 2024-08-29 093921.jpg

Thougth I had said it's the latest available on the official Matrix site, I appoligise if not. The numbers say v1.06 build 1328.18

Your saying a prosecution zone cannot have the same ref points as a patrol? Can't see why not and infact they are not all the same one is different.

OK just tried that and it does NOT repeat NOT work. Nothing gets the ac to intercept the drone unless the drone enters the patrol or prosecution area.

The first pick is what is happening. No prosecution area, just a patrol. The drone has flown west under the bottom boundary, the AAW patrols fly over the top of it but no attack. I've also tried un-checking investigate.

If your saying when you load this save it works for you then I must have a screwed install or I'm doing something really wrong but if I am I've no idea what.

Two images the first is from the one I've been struggling with which I have been editing. The second is from a complete restart of the tutorial using the default settings but neither will allow the aircraft to intercept????

Capture.JPG (124.62 KiB) Viewed 1853 times

Capture 2.JPG (103.21 KiB) Viewed 1853 times

[thewood1]

Its not your install, its your understanding of patrols. Common sense would tell you if the prosecution zone is the exact same as the patrol zone, the planes will never leave that boundary of the reference points. I would reread the manual and the notes I have put above on prosecution zones.

You now have three people test this for you and tell you what you are doing wrong. I just built my own test and it worked. No one else is having this issue. I would suggest updating to the beta 1405 just to make sure its not an issue in 1328.18.

[thewood1]

OK...lets use pictures.

As opened with the zones being the same...

Screenshot 2024-08-30 081614.jpg (652.03 KiB) Viewed 1843 times

Deleted the RPs for a prosecution zone...

Screenshot 2024-08-30 081637.jpg (500.93 KiB) Viewed 1843 times

Note the F-16s immediately attack the enemy unit outside the patrol zone...

Screenshot 2024-08-30 081707.jpg (620.7 KiB) Viewed 1843 times

Thats in the 1328.17. I don't have .18 installed right now. But this should be close enough.

[blu3s]

I'm testing on 1405 on Steam and I don't see any error or bug in this regard.

Just be sure to write the version you have been seeing the issue

As said in the latest beta patch this is working as designed.

[Chris21wen]

Its not your install, its your understanding of patrols. Common sense would tell you if the prosecution zone is the exact same as the patrol zone, the planes will never leave that boundary of the reference points. I would reread the manual and the notes I have put above on prosecution zones.

I like to say thanks to everyone for their help and if its furstrating for you, its considerably more for me.

I get the patrol area and prosecution zone should not be the same which is why there were not. Three ref were, but I had different fourth that I could move about and probably wasn't the brightest thing to do. However intitially had no zone, I added it later in response to this post.

'1. Set up a prosecution zone and use Investigate unknown contacts outside the patrol area'

This resulted in attacks inside either the area and/or zone. I subsequently deleted that zone creating another with separate ref point, delete it, moved it, moved the are, restarted the scenario etc etc. Sorry but nothing I do will get the AAW patrol to react to anything flying outside of the area and/or zone.

Here's my take on what should happen. If this is wrong please tell me.
Patrol area set, no prosecution zone, no investigate set - AAW will only react inside the area.
Patrol area set, no prosecution zone, investigate set - AAW will react anywhere within its flight range. This never happens
Patrol area set, prosecution zone set, no investigate set - AAW will only react inside the area and/or zone.
Patrol area set, prosecution zone set, investigate set - AAW will react anywhere within its flight range. Don't see the point of this so if it doesn't work I'm not surprised or bothered.

This is what i did do and what I've done this time. I've posted a new save it's not been run.
Set ref points but do not create a 'zone entity'
In mission editor
Add active AAW patrol
In mission setting I do nothing, leaving 1/3, and both investigate option checked. I have not created a prosecution zone.
Under units I select four Sufa and add using down arrow.
Close editor and run

When I run the game the drone flies past the patrolling aircraft with no reaction.

If it's me I have no idea what the $^%^% I'm missing.

[blu3s]

Do you understand than there are different versions of the game and that is why it's important to note the build you are using?

Have you read any of the posts where we explicitly said that this is working fine on VERSION 1405 of Command?

If you read any other bug report you will see the users make clear the version they are running so we can avoid this type of endless discussion that leads nowhere, because while the rest of us are seeing a correct behavior in the latest beta version, you keep repeating the same thing over and over again in a version that seems clearly that has a bug.

As said this is WAD in current 1405 version that is the branch we are working and improving on. You can update the version through STEAM

So please, re read the thread, this is a bug in your current version 1328.18 but it is fixed in the beta branch so there's no need to continue the discussion.

[thewood1]

Even if its a bug, The OP has shown a fundamental lack of understanding of prosecution zones and patrol zones. Getting over that educational hump was the first part.

[Chris21wen]

Neither of you have responded to my last post and I do beleive I understand how the game works. Please do so before critising.

By the way I was using this from the tutorial as guidance.
3. Uncheck "Investigate unknown contacts outside the patrol area" and "Investigate
unknown contacts within weapons range", so your aircraft will remain inside the
patrol area.

I may well have left out the version. That was an error on my part as I had already posted about a new install separately and for whatever reason thought you'd know. Perhaps I should have provided cystal balls

However it appears from the last post this is a known bug and as such an initial repsonse of what verion, then it's that. By the way I did search form the problem and found nothing.

I'm going to uninstall an think about my options.