Is this a bug?

[Phoenix100]

The screen shot shows what happens when I try to add escorts to a strike mission.





It's a land strike and the escorts don't have weapons for that.

[mikmykWS]

Try adding the entire group instead of the AAW escorts incrementally. Without knowing much more I don't think its as much a bug as an attempt to get users to do the right thing although I do understand your concern.

Thanks!

Mike

[Phoenix100]

Thanks, Mike, but, selecting the entire package, bombers and all, makes no difference - I still get that message for the escorts. Note that this is only appears when I try to re-assign fighters already airborne. So I send fighters and thuds, say, to a marshal mission (support) and then, once they're all assembled, I try to move them all into the strike mission. And then I get this message. It doesn't happen setting up a strike mission from scratch with aircraft on the ground, providing I designate the fighters as escorts. So, I think it's a bug. Because I don't seem to be able to put together strikes with a mixed package of bombers and escorts from already airborne planes. And I should be able to, right?

[Eggstor]

Try having the "escort" tab active instead of the "strike/air intercept" tab. You should be able to add Boulder 1/2 to the package that way.

[Phoenix100]

OK. Thanks. Will try that.

UPDATE: No. Makes no difference. Whenever I try to add already airborne fighters into a land strike package I'm told I can't.

[Mini_Von]

When ever an AIRBORNE aircraft with an A2A loadout is assigned to a strike mission I get this message also. I am able to add A2A aircraft to the mission that have not yet taken off.

[Eggstor]

Thanks for the save, Mini_Von. I can see what's happening here, though it will take a couple additional saves (attached) to fully explain:

- The "base" save has a reconstituted Flight 1085 (2 F-4B, NE-100 and NE-101, the latter as group lead) and 2 non-grouped F-4B (NE-102 and NE-103) freshly broken off from Flight 1085 unassigned and airborne. The escort flight size is a section of 2 aircraft with "below flight size don't launch" unchecked (same as the original save), with the main strike flight size is 2 sections (4 aircraft) and "below flight size don't launch" unchecked (the latter differs from the original save).

- The "ME add" save, where I attempted to add the reconstituted Flight 1085 and the non-grouped NE-102/103 to the mission via the Mission Editor, had the following results:
- NE-102 and NE-103 remained completely unassigned, both in the Unit Status window and in the Mission Editor, with the error message in the OP given when I attempted to assign them.
- Flight 1085 (in group view) and NE-101 (group lead, in unit view) remained unassigned in the Unit Status window, with the error message in the OP popping up for NE-101 when I attempted to assign the group. However, the group and its components were listed as escorts in the Mission Editor, and NE-100 was listed as part of the mission (not as escort) and "RTB (mission over)" in the Unit Status window.

- The "ME add" behavior is also reflected in the original save from Mini_Von, with Flight 1085 listed as an escort in the Mission Editor, NE-100, NE-101 and NE-102 (the group lead in that save) listed as unassigned in the Unit Status window, and NE-103 listed as part of the mission (not as escort) and RTB (mission over) in the Unit Status window.

- The "CM add 1" save was taken after I attempted to add Flight 1085 and NE-103 to the main strike mission and NE-102 to the strike mission as an escort by right-clicking on the units/group and choosing "Add to mission". Flight 1085 and NE-103 remained fully unassigned with the error message in the OP popping up for NE-103 and NE-101 only. NE-102 is listed as an escort to the mission in both the Mission Editor and the Unit Status window with no errors, and indeed went "engaged offensive".

- The "CM add 2" save was taken after I assigned Flight 1085, NE-102 and NE-103 to the strike mission as escorts the same way as "CM add 1". NE-102 and NE-103 both added to the mission the same as NE-102 in "CM add 1" above. However, there are issues with Flight 1085:
- No error message popped up.
- Flight 1085 itself, but not its component aircraft (NE-100 and NE-101) is listed as an escort in the Mission Editor window.
- In the Unit Status window, Flight 1085 (in group view) and both its component aircraft (in unit view) are listed as part of the main mission (not as escorts), and are "RTB (mission over)".

[Phoenix100]

Not working as intended, then?

[Eggstor]

I'm not sure that, within the context of the current Mission Editor UI, escorts can be added on-the-fly that way. The other way to add escorts on-the-fly (via the right-click context menu) appears to be only half-working (working for individual units, not working for groups).

[mikmykWS]

ORIGINAL: phoenix

Thanks, Mike, but, selecting the entire package, bombers and all, makes no difference - I still get that message for the escorts. Note that this is only appears when I try to re-assign fighters already airborne. So I send fighters and thuds, say, to a marshal mission (support) and then, once they're all assembled, I try to move them all into the strike mission. And then I get this message. It doesn't happen setting up a strike mission from scratch with aircraft on the ground, providing I designate the fighters as escorts. So, I think it's a bug. Because I don't seem to be able to put together strikes with a mixed package of bombers and escorts from already airborne planes. And I should be able to, right?

Yeah If you are adding strike aircraft and you're getting a message it's a bug. I'll add it to our list.

Thanks,

Mike

[JPFisher55]

FWIW, I have never found that assigning an airborne AC to escort a strike mission works. The assigned AC usually RTB's or refuses to escort. Assigning AC at airbases to escort works fairly well.

Often assigning airborne AC to a strike mission fails and the AC RTB's, but sometimes it works. It doesn't bother me. I often manually control these AC.

[Lowlaner2012]

JP I have found this also, escorts tend to act a bit strange, I usually create a CAP mission that covers the area around the target as a workaround...

I didn't think it was a potential bug, I thought I was doing something wrong when setting up the escort part of the mission..

Cheers