Arcade Mode Question

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Return to Base/RTB = Serious damage to the plane, but no actual effect on behavior in combat.

They will try to get out of the trouble and RTB... if they can.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by EJGr.Ost_Caspar

They will try to get out of the trouble and RTB... if they can.

Good to know. It just seems that most AI aircraft aren't very aggressive about RTB so it's hard to tell.

For example, for QMB missions on the Pacific Islands map where there is a friendly airbase just minutes away, an aggressive attempt to RTB would be to dive out of combat (assuming combat takes place at altitude), abandon existing waypoints and aim directly for the base. Instead, badly damaged planes, especially bombers, keep formation and try to follow existing waypoints, often crashing into hills or ocean on the way back home.

Additionally, AI RTB planes which are in serious trouble - with problems like fires or inability to keep altitude don't recognize that the better strategy would be to ditch or bail out. Instead, the pilot will often fly his plane towards an airbase until it's too late to bail out or ditch and will end up crashing.

[jameson]

Caspar, something I've been wondering about is why when the ai tries to run away, he always climbs and tries to reach 2km (starting height of our quick mission) with his engine damaged and smoking? Surely it would be more logical to leave on the deck to achieve seperation (as per Shaw) thereby putting the engine under less stress. The ai engine never blows as he climbs and performance does not appear to be impaired while doing it?

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by jameson

Caspar, something I've been wondering about is why when the ai tries to run away, he always climbs and tries to reach 2km (starting height of our quick mission) with his engine damaged and smoking? Surely it would be more logical to leave on the deck to achieve seperation (as per Shaw) thereby putting the engine under less stress. The ai engine never blows as he climbs and performance does not appear to be impaired while doing it?

Odd, in the default game (4.07?) I always feel that the autopilot does dive for the deck (or perhaps some low waypoint height), while over enemy territory, with a damaged or even stopped engine. If over enemy territory and with debatable power to reach the front line, climbing is what I will do if I can, so I stand a chance of gliding as near to home as I can, because the front line can move towards your base as well as away from it, and a MIA is a death in this game.

[Pursuivant]

[QUOTE=Igo kyu;510779If over enemy territory and with debatable power to reach the front line, climbing is what I will do if I can, so I stand a chance of gliding as near to home as I can, because the front line can move towards your base as well as away from it, and a MIA is a death in this game.[/QUOTE]


If I have a damaged engine and a long way to friendly territory/land then I do like you do and try to climb to gain altitude. In some cases, I'll even turn off the engine and glide to save what remaining engine power I've got for final approach. Otherwise, I dive hard as I can and run for home as fast as I can.

But, then, I like to pretend that there are realistic consequences as to when or how I crash, bail out or ditch.