"Tips & tricks" / Tactics to be used with AI
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I’m flying campaign missions as a single player with AI wingmen, starting off with AA missions (BARCAP, SWEEP, ESCORT).
I realise that real life tactics with wingmen will not work with the AI wingmen, so my question is - is there any tips & tricks on how to deal with AI in such missions?Cheers!
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You can check the manual (“comms”, I think? Sorry, this is from memory) for the various tactics the AI wingmen are capable of employing. I’ve mostly had not-so-good results with the AI in A2A BVR engagements, but then again I’m not too good at them either so I probably gave the wrong commands / instructions when it mattered.
One important point to remember is that if you don’t issue “weapons hold” when the AI asks for permission to engage or calling “hounddog”, it’ll assume your consent automatically after 20 seconds or so and go haywire after the bogey that he’s got his or her sights set on.
All the best,
Uwe
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@kenguan said in "Tips & tricks" / Tactics to be used with AI:
I’m flying campaign missions as a single player with AI wingmen, starting off with AA missions (BARCAP, SWEEP, ESCORT).
I realise that real life tactics with wingmen will not work with the AI wingmen, so my question is - is there any tips & tricks on how to deal with AI in such missions?Cheers!
First I make sure to keep them in close formation using the “Close up(?)” wingman (and same to Element in a 4 ship) command over and over. until very tight. Unless all hell breaks loose I will assign a target to #2 and give the “Attack my target” command. Unfortunately you can only give one command to the Element lead for #3-4. Keeping you wingmen close and on “Weapons Hold” assures when you are in range, he will be also and not flying off into the oblivion. it’s not uncommon that given a “weapons free” command to find your wing 25 miles away, not so good when your next command is “Clear my 6”… Now if I find myself in a big mess, it’s Weapons Free and say a prayer…
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Anyone prefer 3-ship over 4-ship, for SP flights, just to be able to control all the AI?
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In a different thread I remember someone mentioning “Flex” commands AI wingmen to anchor and circle … ending up in ~5 mile trail position.
Seemed like it might be useful for approximating a grinder separation, for barcap. (But I haven’t tried it.)
Get IDM going in continuous-mode, and play around in the TR mission for barcap…
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@airtex2019 said in "Tips & tricks" / Tactics to be used with AI:
Anyone prefer 3-ship over 4-ship, for SP flights, just to be able to control all the AI?
Don’t think you will gain much as they seem to both respond to the Element’s commands (both at once of course) fairly well but I understand the logic. The “good” thing is if one gets knocked down you still have command of the element regardless of which is missing (at least I think so?)…
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Definitely, Weapons hold is key to keep them supporting you, but on the flipside I don’t hesitate to sacrifice AI then too because they will make some poor decisions that could get me in trouble as long as aircraft supply in the campaign is good. Of course, that completely changes for MP.
I wish AI gave better contact/spike/nails calls, especially when they have a visual target.
@airtex2019 said in "Tips & tricks" / Tactics to be used with AI:
In a different thread I remember someone mentioning “Flex” commands AI wingmen to anchor and circle … ending up in ~5 mile trail position.
Seemed like it might be useful for approximating a grinder separation, for barcap. (But I haven’t tried it.)
Get IDM going in continuous-mode, and play around in the TR mission for barcap…
Flex might make that work for Barcaps, but there is an actual grinder command for AI for BVR tactics. One of the problems with that though is that often Barcap are only tasked as 2 ships in BMS and I think most of the time it is a 4 ship that will do grinder tactics on CAPs.
One thing I use Flex for is if I have to go into a higher threat A-G run and I’m not ready for the AI’s to engage.
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@airtex2019
It’s a negative, here, I’m afraid.
From my personal experience, it’s useless - also because I can always have the same kind of control over the whole package with those usual commands, regardless of the number of flights in the second part of the package (3 or 4).
In some weird way, since at a certain moment on they start doing all what they have in those little stubborn minds, you know.Conclusively, try on your own however, mate, and find what is better for you.
Tactically speaking, what you are proposing here could turn to be useful to solve some particular situations you may be involved in, at times.Hope this may help.
With best regards.
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If you are against a two ship flight, asking your wingman to “attack targets” (W-8) when you have the lead opfor selected will tell your wingman to engage the wingman opfor. Our AI Wingmen are really good when the enemy runs out of longer range missiles. So one tactic I employ with great success is to bait the enemy into launching fox1 and Fox 3s and then defending, all this time keeping my own wingman close. After a few grinders and the opfor runs out of radar missiles that’s when I let loose the wingman, and I cover him while he racks in Fox 2 or gun kills
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I’m curious to know if there’s a command that gets my wingman to circle in place i.e. keep his altitude and position- for example when I want to attack something on the ground without risking his neck.
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@danster that’s the Flex command but for only 1 orbit. To make them “anchor” you would need to keep issuing it.
@airtex2019 said in "Tips & tricks" / Tactics to be used with AI:
Get IDM going in continuous-mode, and play around in the TR mission for barcap…
Last night as I was trying to see where my wingman was while tanking reminds me that AI will only transmit datalink on UHF channel 6, even when they are obviously supposed to be on another channel like when on the boom or talking to ATC.