Why is my AAW strike engaging other targets?

[ColonelMolerat]

Hi,
I'm doing one of the tutorial missions, and I have an AAW Strike targeting an enemy AEW.
I'm using F22s, with the intention that they fly in stealthily past/behind the enemy fighters and take out the AEW.
However, they keep just shooting the first target that comes close.
I've set a strike mission, engage opportunity targets is off and strike member focus is set to focus on the target, but they still just shoot any old enemy that comes close.
What am I missing?
(Save Attached) - the strike mission is called... 'Strike'

[tylerblakebrandon]

Hi,
I'm doing one of the tutorial missions, and I have an AAW Strike targeting an enemy AEW.
I'm using F22s, with the intention that they fly in stealthily past/behind the enemy fighters and take out the AEW.
However, they keep just shooting the first target that comes close.
I've set a strike mission, engage opportunity targets is off and strike member focus is set to focus on the target, but they still just shoot any old enemy that comes close.
What am I missing?
(Save Attached) - the strike mission is called... 'Strike'

Mobile right now so I can't check your save but I'm thinking the Raptors are engaging targets based on self-defense WRA as you state "they still just shoot any old enemy that comes close."

[ColonelMolerat]

I had ruled that out because the enemy planes don't seem aware of them - the enemies don't face them, no missiles are fired at them, and if I (reload the save and) order them to hold fire, they fly unmolested all the way to the target.

Maybe it could be possible that they think they're being attacked? But there aren't even any other friendlies around - it's not like the enemy are attacking anybody else.

Thanks for responding, even though you were on mobile.

Edit: Related to this - often, my strike gets targets automatically added (they get names like 'AUTO xyz') - which setting prevents this? It seems I can prevent it, but I've tweaked so many settings, I'm not sure which one does it exactly.

[tylerblakebrandon]

I had ruled that out because the enemy planes don't seem aware of them - the enemies don't face them, no missiles are fired at them, and if I (reload the save and) order them to hold fire, they fly unmolested all the way to the target.

Maybe it could be possible that they think they're being attacked? But there aren't even any other friendlies around - it's not like the enemy are attacking anybody else.

Thanks for responding, even though you were on mobile.

Edit: Related to this - often, my strike gets targets automatically added (they get names like 'AUTO xyz') - which setting prevents this? It seems I can prevent it, but I've tweaked so many settings, I'm not sure which one does it exactly.

Self defense rules activate when enemies are within in WRA self defense distance. I would recommend tweaking the self defense distance or disallow it for.

There is a check box to limit action to assigned targets only.

[thewood1]

I took a quick look at and its not WRA. Its something to do with the mission and how targets were assigned. When I first started it, the F-22 group kept switching back and forth between the A-50 and a closer Su-30. It eventually settled on the AWACS, but had already started the defensive moves. on the fighter.

Were the AEWs the target from launch or were they added later?

[ColonelMolerat]

Hmm, I can't be certain (I've run the scenario several times by now), but I'm 99% certain this behaviour happened when they were the targets from launch.

In this particular save, the strike force was assigned a to support mission (to fly along a particular route), then added to the strike mission shortly before the game was saved.

I've also just run a quick test, creating a new strike mission and assigning aircraft at base to it - they exhibit the same behaviour, targeting other hostiles that aren't on the strike list. (Even when they've just taken off, right back at base, I can see that their behaviour is targeting enemy fighters)

[ColonelMolerat]

There is a check box to limit action to assigned targets only.

Where's this check box? I've disallowed engage targets of opportunity, and tried it with and without checking the box next to it, if that's what you mean.

[Mark352]

Try adding both targeted aircraft to Targeting Priority (Aircraft>AEW>Any, Aircraft>Electronic Warfare>Any). That worked for me.
I tried it two times and the fighters headed right towards the targets, ignoring all the aircraft in the area, and successfully engaged them.

[ColonelMolerat]

Try adding both targeted aircraft to Targeting Priority (Aircraft>AEW>Any, Aircraft>Electronic Warfare>Any). That worked for me.
I tried it two times and the fighters headed right towards the targets, ignoring all the aircraft in the area, and successfully engaged them.

Yup, that works - thanks!
I don't know if the other behaviour is a bug or working as intended (this game is so complex!) but I can try to remember to do that in the future.

[thewood1]

The reason I asked about how the mission was built is that I have seen weird things happen on air intercept missions using aircraft already in flight. Especially if they were already targeted to other aircraft.

I found the target priority settings also worked, partially. Its the first thing I tried. The wingman does let off a couple AAMs at the fighter before it heads out.

[ColonelMolerat]

They definitely didn't have any other target.

I think in my earlier saves, I was creating the mission and then assigning parked aircraft to it, and it was still happening.
I tested it again and did it this way (in that attached save - I created a new strike mission and assigned aircraft at base to it) - and the same thing happened.

When I changed the priority though, the planes acted as I intended - they didn't fire any other missiles like they did in your test. I only ran through it once though.

[Nikel]

Perhaps there is a bug.

From the revised manual.

Head to the targets tab and set Opportunity Scrambling to “Focus on strike targets”, set engage
to shotgun to ‘Engage until winchester’ and then set Target Destroyed to “RTB”.
These options ensure we won’t get distracted along the way with a tasty target.

And they still get distracted.


This error also happens in the save, and is printed many times in the exception log.

FB.png (24.86 KiB) Viewed 159 times

[ColonelMolerat]

This error also happens in the save, and is printed many times in the exception log.

That only happens when I load the save - when I run the mission it doesn't appear. I think it has something to do with CMANO not liking the change in file path from running a saved game. (ie, maybe it's loading something with a filepath relative to the mission file in the game folder, and when run from a save it can't find the file it's referencing).

This isn't related to the intercept behaviour issue though.

[Nikel]

I do not see it when loading the save but later, while playing.

It is related with one of the missions, or so it seems from the text of the error.

You may create a bug report thread in the tech support forum.