Matrix Games Forums

Hey there,

I have been training pilots in squadrons for a while and swapping them out when they hit 70 for newer recruits, I often send these good pilots to overall reserves. Now I am wondering is this effective? Is there better, what the hell is TRACOM.

I want to make sure my pilots are the best they can be, but also making sure I am effective in my usage of pilots.

You may want to check the "Training Command" post in the War Room.

Welcome to AE Lowesy!

This is one of my favorite topics. +1 to LSTs recommendation you check out the recent related post. Will try not to repeat what you'll find there.

Pilot training is a game within the game, you'll find many of those games within the details and levels of AE. There is no "right" way to play it. Depending on how you chose to play, there are more and less effective actions you can take. Assuming for the moment you're playing AI vs a human opponent you'll (generally) have less pilot attrition. More time to build up reserves in the Reserve Pool and hence more need and use of that pool.

The downfall of using the Reserve Pool is pilots residing their gain no additional experience while waiting assignment back to a unit. Plus side is they are readily available and easy for you to pick out and assign vs. fishing through various units. Using the pool also frees up otherwise occupied units to train the next batch of pilots. Adding new pilots from the Replacement Pool (e.g. Flight School) is a balance between:
1 = Letting them graduate flight school with a decent skill level (usually in the 30s is considered "good") into an on board training unit*
2 = Open/available training unit spots for your graduating flight school replacements so they can build experience
3 = Then building skills in these training units to a decent level (70s is "good") in both their general and specialized categories
and of course, 4 = Your need for front line pilots due to casualties, new squadrons coming on line, et.al..

*of note here...as you are pulling replacements, usually once a month just after the 1st as pilots in flight school evolve on a monthly basis, note that the most experienced are pulled first. Watch the average flight skill #s drop each time you pull a group out. So you'll want to populate your most pressing needs first to give those chaps a "leg up" on getting ready for front line duty. Typically your Replacement pilots will spend 60-120 days in training units to reach skill(s) in the 60-70s.

also note...there is a limit, watch your #s of noobs your pulling into units as Replacements from flight school. You can run out. Skill #s of these chaps dropping into the high to low teens is a red flag the well is about to run dry.

Take a look at the link LST cited for how TRACOM helps. As you get specific questions, please chime in!

Game On. Kevin

Thank you for the clearly thought out answer, but there are few things I don't quite get.

usually once a month just after the 1st as pilots in flight school evolve on a monthly basis, note that the most experienced are pulled first. Watch the average flight skill #s drop each time you pull a group out.

- What do you mean pulling a group out?

-How do you access TRACOM, and what does it do? I looked it up and couldn't see a good explanation of how to put pilots into it etc.


Thank you

-How do you access TRACOM, and what does it do? I looked it up and couldn't see a good explanation of how to put pilots into it etc.

Pilots eligible to join TRACOM (exp >80) have their names shown in yellow on the pilot rooster of their air unit. Left-clicking on the name will show the transfer option to the training command.

Each batch of 10 pilots in TRACOM increases the chance of accelerating the training of replacement pilots in the off-map flight schools - instead of a full 12-month course, a random number of new replacement pilots may graduate in 11 or 10 months for example. So you may get some replacement pilots faster.

Note that the graduating exp level goes down for Japanese pilots over time - the quality of the replacements will get worse as the war progresses. The remedy is on-map training in air groups set aside for this purpose. You'll have fewer frontline units, but better pilots.

However, while the TRACOM pilots are not supposed to increase the experience level of the freshly graduated replacement pilots above the predefined national graduating exp level, there is a bug - massive numbers of TRACOM instructors will in fact not only accelerate training but also increase the exp values of the graduating replacement pilots above the predefined national exp level for graduating pilots.

To pull pilots from the training command into an air unit - for example to create an elite "killer" group flying the best and latest airframes - you have to set the "From" switch to "TRACOM" - or if you pull pilots via "request veterans" you have to toggle the "Show pool" switch to "TRACOM".

Thank you that helps massively. I have been keeping some Air Units for training, but didn't know about TRACOM. So thank you for that.

I was just about to post something asking about TRACOM! I guess I don't need to now.