Commander

[ceyan]

What do you get when you make Commander? The transfer screen says you have to be Commander to command a carrier, but I read somewhere else it was actually Admiral. And since you get Destroyers & Frigates at Lt. Commander, and Cruisers don't come until Captain, is there anything new you get as Commander?

[Mehrunes]

Click on the logbook option and click on your rank to see a short description of it. You can take command of any unit as a Commodore.

[HomeFries]

According to the rank description, you can take command of the fighter wing as a Commander. That being said, I haven't yet figured out what benefit this brings, as you still appear to choose a mission from the ATO and you can still only change the weapons loadout like you could as a junior rank.

Are there any advantages to commanding the air wing?

Anyone? Bueller?

[TheDeadlyShoe]

It'll generate missions from all the squadrons. That's about it.

[iconoclast107]

While in game does being in command of the entire wing let you change the orders for other packages from your wing?

[Alexander Seil]

I'm still playing the demo here, so it's rather interesting for me to hear that you start out assigned to a squadron in the full version...in the demo you're kept assigned to the wing permanently.

BTW, wouldn't commanding a wing allow you to change navpoints for fighters other than those in your own package? People with the full version should test that...

[HomeFries]

Nope, you still assign waypoints and loadouts to your own flight. I would love to at least reallocate missions to different squadrons (i.e. convert a F-32 sweep to F-36 and loadout with two harpoons), or build my own strike packages.

When I flew as a JO, I still had access to all the missions within the air wing, so I still haven't found the benefits of commanding the air wing yet.

[Firefly]

ORIGINAL: Alexander Seil

I'm still playing the demo here, so it's rather interesting for me to hear that you start out assigned to a squadron in the full version...in the demo you're kept assigned to the wing permanently.

In the full game you also start off assigned to the entire wing, but you can use the tranfer button on the forces screen to be assigned to one of the squadrons. I'm not sure, but you may have to be promoted to 'Ensign' to choose.

[HomeFries]

You don't need to be an ensign. I started a new profile and a new campaign as a cadet, and still had my choice of missions within the air wing.

[Firefly]

Yes, but if you transfer to a squadron, you can only choose missions for that squadron. E.g. if you transfer to the fighter squadron, all choices involve F-36s. You can always transfer to anything else you are qualified for, I notice in the second campaign, you can transfer to a squadron on another carrier or a ground base, but I haven't tried it yet.

[Alexander Seil]

Seems to me as it would be more logical if cadets/ensigns a) stayed assigned on squadron level b) couldn't lead flights and that wing commanders should be able to have more latitude with their packages (although perhaps not with orders concerning other groups...after all, that's carrier commander's prerogative).

[Firefly]

Yes, but I imagine that the reason why the player is always the element or flight leader is the difficulty in programming an AI leader. I get annoyed in IL2:FB when the I get constantly told to stay on the leader's course even when I'm dogfighting a couple of 109s.