Arcade Mode Question

[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.