Matrix Games Forums

It seems in my 13+ year old scenario that I created 9 US training squadrons (3 USAAF, 4 USN and 2 USMC).

I'm not concerned about creating a few Veteran or Elite pilots but instead want to generate as many decent (rookie and experienced) pilots as quickly as possible.

I have some questions I probably knew 13+ years ago but am not so sure about now.

1. What is "general training"? I looked in my manual but I couldn't find it mentioned.

2. For pilot skill which category is more important? For example for my VB(T)-1 squadron the training is set for Naval Attack so would it be the NavB skill or the overall Exp skill that I should look at?

3. Finally, what is the difference in training fighters for Sweep versus Escort?

My observations from gameplay:

When you set a squadron to "General Training" the pilots will improve their abilities in various disciplines in a random manner. Leave a squadron on general training for a month and then check the pilots. You will see improvement scattered across the board. I usually set a squadron to this setting once they have improved their abilities to near 70 in all the area pertinent to the squadron's mission (but their overall EXP is not up to what I want).

The NavB skill determines how well that pilot will do performing that type of attack. The overall EXP rating seems to determine how well he flies an aircraft; i.e., how likely he is to survive any flight (say, transferring from one base to another or getting a damaged aircraft home from a bombing mission).

I've never quite figured out which training mission is better for fighter pilots. Logically, one would think that training them for sweep would create more aggressive pilots but I have no idea if this is the case.

These are just my opinions, based upon what I have experienced over the years.

Re: General Training - Alfred said that was the fastest way to build experience. The skill the AI works on for a particular pilot is usually their lowest skill. Since the lower ones take fewer training points to reach the next level, those will progress faster and each progression contributes points to raising the Experience score.

Re: Training Naval Attack - that is absolutely most important for Naval bombers against ships. Note that specifying Torpedo armament for the Torpedo bombers' training mission will train them in NavT even at 1000 feet. (You do not have to have torps at the base or on board for this training to happen). Specifying Bomb armament will cause them to train NavB at 2000 feet or more and LowN at 1000 feet.

Players who follow the Air part of the game closely recommend Escort to train the Air skill. Sweep also trains that but I don't know why it is less desirable.

Note that ALL pilots need Defensive skill to help them dodge flak and fighters and their own squadron's aircraft when flying through clouds! Flying low level training (1000 feet) and Strafe training (100 feet) trains Defensive skill fastest.

What's been said plus

1. General training trains all pilot skills working on the lowest first but height matters
2. I don't know what a VB(T) is? Standard scenario doesn't have this unit but the T could indicate it can carry torpedoes so set torpedoes as load out and train naval, normal or low. You can also train using bombs.
3. None that I've seen except at 100' when sweep trains straffe and escort trains air but a 100' training is specialised.

Try looking here starting page 46. It's got all the stuff people have found out.

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 3&t=396274

Chris21wen wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 6:53 am What's been said plus

1. General training trains all pilot skills working on the lowest first but height matters
2. I don't know what a VB(T) is? Standard scenario doesn't have this unit but the T could indicate it can carry torpedoes so set torpedoes as load out and train naval, normal or low. You can also train using bombs.
3. None that I've seen except at 100' when sweep trains straffe and escort trains air but a 100' training is specialised.

Try looking here starting page 46. It's got all the stuff people have found out.

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 3&t=396274

Here's my training squadrons and what I have them set to do:

VF(T)-1 - Navy Fighter Training Squadron

Training: Escort 100% Altitude: 2000 Range: 0

VB(T)-1 - Navy Dive-Bomber Training Squadron

Training: Naval Attack 100% Altitude: 10000 Range: 0

VT(T)-1 - Navy Torpedo-Bomber Training Squadron

Training: Naval Attack 100% Altitude: 5000 Range: 0

VP(T)-1 - Navy Naval Patrol Training Squadron

Training: Naval Search 100% Altitude: 6000 Range: 0

VMF(T)-1 - Marine Fighter Training Squadron

Training: Escort 100% Altitude: 2000 Range: 0

VMSB(T)-1 - Marine Bomber Training Squadron

Training: Ground Attack 100% Altitude: 5000 Range: 0

1st OG(T)/1st PG (T) - Army Fighter Training Squadron

Training: Escort: 100% Altitude: 2000 Range: 0

1st OG(T)/1st BG(T) - Army Level Bombing Training Squadron

Training: Airfield Attack 100% Altitude: 15000 Range: 0

1st OG(T)/1st OS(T) - Army Recon Training Squadron

Training: Recon 100% Altitude: 20000 Range: 0

You will train the core requirement with these setting but there's something you perhaps don't appreciate. There are only three possible height setting when it comes to training,
100', 1k and >2k. Just like mission flying, high or low altitude setting cause greater fatique but whereas it necessary for missions it isn't for training, speciically those above 2K. I believe the game has now been tweaked to cause more training accidents and I assume more fatique.

Take a F flying escort training trains in Air and Def. Nothing else, no matter what height you use. If you train sweep instead, at 100' its S,D any other height is A,D. Using very high setting are of no benefit and very low is limited to specific skill training. Please see the table on page 48.