Matrix Games Forums

are my units stupid? I played the Airwar-tutorial... (???)

Try to attach a save file from just before the event next time (auto-saves are done at regular time intervals).
Without it its pretty hard to understand the situation.

On a related note (while playing the Air Tutorial for the umpteenth time), I noticed that once you give an aircraft or group of aircraft the order to RTB, there is absolutely nothing you can do to retract that order, even if they are surprise/intercepted by enemy fighters on the way back to the base, all they seem to do is evade enemy missiles and then immediately try to get back on course for RTB.

IMO, as long as they are not bingo fuel, they ought to be able to be reassigned throttle/altitude and course settings and effectively removed from RTB status.

Ah ha, There is a way to regain control... Create a new mission, assign them to the mission, then remove them from the mission... of course the user should not have to jump thru these types of hoops to regain control of non-bingo RTB aircraft.

AND... Another item noticed in the User Interface. The Time Compression "Drop Down" is HOT. By that I mean when you go to the time compression to select a time, the speed is increasing while you "roll" over the very speed compression choices. Not sure if that's not intentional, but for newbies, this can lead to surprising "time warps", without even clicking a selection.

edit> I'm using the v1.05.2 Beta but, I think I noticed this HOT time compression behavior before I installed the beta update.

ORIGINAL: Gandalf

On a related note (while playing the Air Tutorial for the umpteenth time), I noticed that once you give an aircraft or group of aircraft the order to RTB, there is absolutely nothing you can do to retract that order, even if they are surprise/intercepted by enemy fighters on the way back to the base, all they seem to do is evade enemy missiles and then immediately try to get back on course for RTB.

IMO, as long as they are not bingo fuel, they ought to be able to be reassigned throttle/altitude and course settings and effectively removed from RTB status.

Ah ha, There is a way to regain control... Create a new mission, assign them to the mission, then remove them from the mission... of course the user should not have to jump thru these types of hoops to regain control of non-bingo RTB aircraft.

AND... Another item noticed in the User Interface. The Time Compression "Drop Down" is HOT. By that I mean when you go to the time compression to select a time, the speed is increasing while you "roll" over the very speed compression choices. Not sure if that's not intentional, but for newbies, this can lead to surprising "time warps", without even clicking a selection.

Yes, you can cancel the RBT order. Unassign the group from the RTB taks and add a new order, pretty simple, no hoops involved at all.

ORIGINAL: Pergite!

ORIGINAL: Gandalf

On a related note (while playing the Air Tutorial for the umpteenth time), I noticed that once you give an aircraft or group of aircraft the order to RTB, there is absolutely nothing you can do to retract that order, even if they are surprise/intercepted by enemy fighters on the way back to the base, all they seem to do is evade enemy missiles and then immediately try to get back on course for RTB.

IMO, as long as they are not bingo fuel, they ought to be able to be reassigned throttle/altitude and course settings and effectively removed from RTB status.

Ah ha, There is a way to regain control... Create a new mission, assign them to the mission, then remove them from the mission... of course the user should not have to jump thru these types of hoops to regain control of non-bingo RTB aircraft.

AND... Another item noticed in the User Interface. The Time Compression "Drop Down" is HOT. By that I mean when you go to the time compression to select a time, the speed is increasing while you "roll" over the very speed compression choices. Not sure if that's not intentional, but for newbies, this can lead to surprising "time warps", without even clicking a selection.

Yes, you can cancel the RBT order. Unassign the group from the RTB taks and add a new order, pretty simple, no hoops involved at all.

OK, I'm missing something... I've got a group (2x F-14s) just took off in the tutorial, micromanaged them immediately to 1000 ft and loiter, gave them a couple waypoint plots, first one about a km or so due east (0 degrees), second one due south from there (180 degrees), the turn has been made to the south... assigned them RTB, now where do I "unassign the group" from RTB"?

edit> Ah, never mind, found the "Unassign" menu selection... Thought that was for mission assign/unassign but was removing A/C from missions inside the mission editor screen. Not so immediately obvious, but acceptable UI once explained. [:)]

edit> Cool! Thanks for the Heads Up

OK, back to the OP topic, running out of fuel.

I tested a couple of F-14s set to Low Level (1000 ft) and Afterburners to burn off fuel. Made a broad circle (low level still), and then straight out in a bee-line approx. 45 degrees still at 1000 ft and afterburners.

They went bingo fuel and RTB as expected but climbed to 40000 ft and were immediately fired on... This might have been necessary (40000) feet for remaining fuel efficiency however.

I was micromanaging all the way... No mission assignment usage and as stated above using v1.05.2 beta

Was the OP using a mission assignment or using v1.05 (not beta)... Just curious?

edit> used Game Air Tutorial

Technically not correct. You can unassign your aircraft but they will quickly revert to RTB. See previous posts:

tm.asp?m=3678202

As far as I know, this issue still remains and the devs won't be changing it.

ORIGINAL: Pergite!

ORIGINAL: Gandalf

On a related note (while playing the Air Tutorial for the umpteenth time), I noticed that once you give an aircraft or group of aircraft the order to RTB, there is absolutely nothing you can do to retract that order, even if they are surprise/intercepted by enemy fighters on the way back to the base, all they seem to do is evade enemy missiles and then immediately try to get back on course for RTB.

IMO, as long as they are not bingo fuel, they ought to be able to be reassigned throttle/altitude and course settings and effectively removed from RTB status.

Ah ha, There is a way to regain control... Create a new mission, assign them to the mission, then remove them from the mission... of course the user should not have to jump thru these types of hoops to regain control of non-bingo RTB aircraft.

AND... Another item noticed in the User Interface. The Time Compression "Drop Down" is HOT. By that I mean when you go to the time compression to select a time, the speed is increasing while you "roll" over the very speed compression choices. Not sure if that's not intentional, but for newbies, this can lead to surprising "time warps", without even clicking a selection.

Yes, you can cancel the RBT order. Unassign the group from the RTB taks and add a new order, pretty simple, no hoops involved at all.

No that one's an error. It is already on the list of things to look at. Thanks! [8D]

ORIGINAL: Gandalf

OK, back to the OP topic, running out of fuel.

I tested a couple of F-14s set to Low Level (1000 ft) and Afterburners to burn off fuel. Made a broad circle (low level still), and then straight out in a bee-line approx. 45 degrees still at 1000 ft and afterburners.

They went bingo fuel and RTB as expected but climbed to 40000 ft and were immediately fired on... This might have been necessary (40000) feet for remaining fuel efficiency however.

I was micromanaging all the way... No mission assignment usage and as stated above using v1.05.2 beta

Was the OP using a mission assignment or using v1.05 (not beta)... Just curious?

edit> used Game Air Tutorial

Yeah that 40000ft thing should hopefully be addressed soon. It seems to be the go-to height for all AI air movements which is a little limiting.

As for the RTB logic, some kind of master-override function that allow you to disengage the bingo and RTB function would possible solve some issues, letting the player take responsibility for that the plane will have to be ditched, but it will allow for situations where that is reasonable price to pay in order to complete a mission etc.

ORIGINAL: emsoy

No that one's an error. It is already on the list of things to look at. Thanks! [8D]

If you didn't already know this... in v1.05.2, your unassign orders works, as the guy stated above, but it seems new orders (after the unassign) are going to one unit only as if the user had switched to Unit control vs Group control.

ORIGINAL: Pergite!

As for the RTB logic, some kind of master-override function that allow you to disengage the bingo and RTB function would possible solve some issues, letting the player take responsibility for that the plane will have to be ditched, but it will allow for situations where that is reasonable price to pay in order to complete a mission etc.

Now that I would like to see for some scenarios with rare "desperate" situations.