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When creating a support mission a validation test is performed just like in a patrol mission. If the validation fails there is a warning message stating this will cause problems for the AI navigator.

Does the AI actually have problems (as the warning message states) if the unit on a support mission merely goes from point to point as apposed the random within the area as a typical patrol mission?

thanks

Orca,

Many of my support missions are setup on two points with no issues, if that is what you are asking.

I think the only thing you have to worry about is if the loop coordinates are completely misaligned. Its just a guess, but having them all out of a normal sequence might throw a validation error. I have done it both ways, with correct validation and without. But if the ref. point sequence is completely out of whack, you might end up with some weird and unexpected paths in the support unit's looping patrol path.

This error started popping up quite a while ago when the mission logic and interface was significantly improved. Until that point I often had support missions with 4 points make an X. Had to go back to a bunch of scenarios and clean them up.

I really don't know the impact is, but I follow the advice of the validation message now, unquestioningly. You can achieve everything you need and still get a valid test so I go with that.

In my recent experience, the validation error is only relevant to patrol areas, if the waypoints are setup in a repeatable loop, then the warning is irrelevant and the aircraft will follow the waypoints in order. I am building a mission with waypoints that move, and as the scenario progresses, these errors appear when loading a save when the waypoints have moved into an "invalid" orientation, but on investigation, it did not affect the patrol aircraft and they follow the loops just fine.

While there is a validation check for support missions, it doesn't matter. Units will follow the RPs in order, no matter if its a valid polygon or not.

As p1t1o pointed out already, it does matter for patrol missions if using the random within area movement setting. However, when using the repeatable loop it will act similar to a support mission; show a validation error but follow the RPs as the are ordered.