Matrix Games Forums

Hey everyone,

I've been playing CMANO for a little while now. Dabbled a bit with various small scenarios and I've been getting into it more and more. Recently I thought I'd join this community to learn more about the game. There are still a lot of questions on my mind and I think this is the right place to ask them, so here goes:

1. When having my MPAs or helicopters on ASuW patrol (Northern Inferno scenarios), they tend to get way too close to their targets and stray into their missile range. Is there an option that makes my units more cautious when trying to classify their targets? Now they tend to go for their targets in a straight line, but I would much prefer them to circle around their targets to get an identification.

2. My MPA planes have this weird behavior where sometimes they climb up to 36000ft and then circle downwards right above the target they are trying to identify. Why does it do this and how can I stop it?

3. When using fighters to intercept enemy bombers I was having real trouble telling my planes to expend all their ammunition, including their guns. Sometimes they would even RTB when they still had missiles left! Manually allocating the weapons didn't always seem to work either. I'm sure this issue comes from me not understanding the weapon loadout/RTB settings. In short, how do I tell my planes to expend everything they have before RTB?

4. When my fighters become "engaged offensive", they almost always speed up to afterburner and start burning fuel like crazy. I would much prefer them to get close to their targets on cruise/military speed and only use afterburner once their engagement starts. Is there any way to do this?

Thanks in advance!

ORIGINAL: PhyseterCatodon
1. When having my MPAs or helicopters on ASuW patrol (Northern Inferno scenarios), they tend to get way too close to their targets and stray into their missile range. Is there an option that makes my units more cautious when trying to classify their targets? Now they tend to go for their targets in a straight line, but I would much prefer them to circle around their targets to get an identification.

It's probably not a good idea for an MPA or helo to overfly a hostile warship after hostilities have commenced. It's better to protect them by operating them well within your friendly SAM and fighter bubble. Let more survivable or less valuable platforms get close to things (e.g. submarines, fighters, stealth platforms, satellites, offboard SOSUS type sensors, UAVs).

If you must use them in a surface surveillance role, use support missions to have them fly tightly defined orbits, and use your long ranged sensors to ID ships. If a possible hostile warship is too close, pull them back. You should never enter into their weapons range with an MPA or helo. The good thing about a helo or an MPA is that it's faster than a warship, so unless you tell it to go close it shouldn't.

2. My MPA planes have this weird behavior where sometimes they climb up to 36000ft and then circle downwards right above the target they are trying to identify. Why does it do this and how can I stop it?

Maybe have them patrol and attack at a lower altitude? I mostly use P-8s so I always set their patrol/attack altitude way up high with the HAAWC, so I get a little longer loiter time. I also don't use them the way you do, though.

3. When using fighters to intercept enemy bombers I was having real trouble telling my planes to expend all their ammunition, including their guns. Sometimes they would even RTB when they still had missiles left! Manually allocating the weapons didn't always seem to work either. I'm sure this issue comes from me not understanding the weapon loadout/RTB settings. In short, how do I tell my planes to expend everything they have before RTB?

On the doctrine menu, under "Weapons State, Pre-Planned" set it to the second "Winchester" option which allows air-to-air guns. Fair warning: You'll kill more but you'll probably lose more too! I try to avoid that setting unless I'm in a desperate defensive situation. Otherwise, I'd rather just sit back, shoot my radar missiles, and go home. Up close is where you start racking up loses.

4. When my fighters become "engaged offensive", they almost always speed up to afterburner and start burning fuel like crazy. I would much prefer them to get close to their targets on cruise/military speed and only use afterburner once their engagement starts. Is there any way to do this?

Yes, but you'll have to pay close attention. Set their attack speed to cruise or military then manually set them to afterburner when you feel the time has come to go fast.