Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Fishyyy]

Part 1: Debugging:

Since 4.10 you can set up 16 plane formations in the FMB, with only a few clicks.

A 16 plane formation looks like this in the editor:

All those planes will stay in formation and drop their bombs together with the lead plane. A player can pilot the lead plane, too.

The 4.10 version of this feature is horribly broken, as shown in this video:


The 4.13 version of this feature is different, but still horribly broken, as shown in this video:


Please, someone fix this feature. It has so much potential but it is done so badly.

Part 2: Improvements:

You can also create bigger formations. I tested up to 48 B-24s, which all follow the lead plane.

Editor screenshot:


Ingame screenshot:


Things that work:
All planes drop their bombs on command.

Things that don't work (as shown in the 4.13 video):
They don't stay in formation, when attacked. This defeats the whole purpose of a formation.
They still sometimes randomly crash.
You can order your 4 flights home seperately, but this is bugged.
You can order more then 4 flights home, but this always leads to collisions.

So, my second request is:
Can anyone make changes to the game to make this useable?

With this working, bombing missions could be great. You would be able to lead like 50 bombers to a target. Navigation is irrelevant when you can simply follow another 4 plane group to the target.

Finally i want to ask if the formation spacings could be changed to make it look like on the following image.
The spacings are already defined, when you set it up like shown in the image above, squadron 2 and 3 do have a position.
It just needs to be altered.


I posted on the official forum about this, too. Nobody seems to care, though.
Is there any bomber enthusiast out there who can and would fix this?

[Jimbo947]

 I do,nt seem to have this problem...
Have you tried assigning a different altitude to each 4 aircraft flight    ie   7000m, 7200m,7500 metres  etc  and increasing the horizontal distance to create a box?

[KiwiBiggles]

Hi Arnoritter,

In my view, the fundamental problem is that the AI code was primarily written for Sturmi's, then fighters. Dive bombers and level bombers have more limited functionality, especially in regards to how formations work. Potentially a coder could re-write the details of the formations, but then they would be wrong for Sturmis etc.

To get it right would need a separate formation code for different aircraft types, but particularly level bombers, which would entail an even deeper level of coding.  It is a very cool idea... but a difficult task, and I'm not sure the community would have the resources to pull it off--although never say never, there are some very clever people out there.

Your formations are very nice, and I can see the appeal of playing the lead bomber.

The existing formations code works much better, in my experience, for large aircraft when in flights of *three* (going back to 4.09 and 4.10 using echelon flight formations -- I've tested it much less in later versions).  I'm confident that might solve some of your air-to-air collisions.

Box formations can be plotted reasonably well for *individual* aircraft (flights of one), but that would change the nature of how the mission plays, as you're probably aware.  There are pros and cons to plotting individual bombers.

All the best
KB

[Epervier]

I think the Mod "Frogs_Formation" exist only for 409... shame! 

[vpmedia]

[Dimlee]

The existing formations code works much better, in my experience, for large aircraft when in flights of *three* (going back to 4.09 and 4.10 using echelon flight formations -- I've tested it much less in later versions).  I'm confident that might solve some of your air-to-air collisions.

I have the same opinion.

[Fishyyy]

The 12 plane formation made of 4 flights of 3 aircraft is horrible in 4.10:


I knew how the 12 plane formation would perform even before i opened the threat.

Guys, i made this:


I know how the ai performs. I tested it, i spend days testing it.
I wouldn't have posted the above, if there was a way to get it to work in the editor.

[SAS~Malone]

I think the Mod "Frogs_Formation" exist only for 409... shame! 

yes, it is a HUGE pity that Frog no longer works on mods (at least, publically)
- the Empire will hunt those pesky Rebels to the corners of the galaxy to find the Formation plans!

[Epervier]

I think the Mod "Frogs_Formation" exist only for 409... shame!

yes, it is a HUGE pity that Frog no longer works on mods (at least, publically)
- the Empire will hunt those pesky Rebels to the corners of the galaxy to find the Formation plans!

You can still run, Imperialists! 
      

[vpmedia]

I use the duplicate flight feature in Quick Mission Tuner where you can easily set height and distance offset for each flight = no collisions. I'd never put flights at the same height. The pic I posted shows that they didnt do it in ww2 either.

[printenduevel]

I use the duplicate flight feature in Quick Mission Tuner where you can easily set height and distance offset for each flight = no collisions. I'd never put flights at the same height. The pic I posted shows that they didnt do it in ww2 either.

Sounds good, but unfortunately this tool doesn't work for me. I got a fault message, somesthing with "msinet.ocx" fault.