Air / helo escort of a surface fleet

[spinecruncher]

How do I get a helo to just trail or loiter around it's home ship or other ship to to give it an extra set of eyes and protection? I do not see that drop down option anywhere. Thanks!

[Cik]

set up a patrol/support mission by use of reference points and then set those points as relative to the ship or surface group in the missions + ref points menu.

[spinecruncher]

Sorry I do not quite follow that. a patrol mission does not have an escort option, so is it a support mission? I will look again in the manual but it didnt see it. thanks!

[thewood1]

Page 73 in the manual...and its in the menus

"Making Reference Points Relative: These properties give you the
ability to anchor reference points to moving surface unit of your or
a friendly side. These are set by selecting reference points, choosing
the property in the drop-down list and then selecting the unit or
group in the display they will be relative to. This allows you to create
mission(s) with defined areas that move relative to a certain unit or
its course, such as assigning any aircraft to a mission that protects
a moving surface unit (AAW, ASW) or units.
Make selected Reference Points Relative (Fixed) bearing to… :
Reference points set to this maintain their position relative to the
selected unit or group. This is useful when you know the bearing
of a known threat and want to keep a patrol between it and the
selected unit regardless of the unit’s course. Reference points that
are set to this always have an [f] in their name.
Make selected Reference Point(s) relative (Rotating) bearing to …
: Reference points set to this maintain their position relative to the
selected unit or group’s course. This is useful when you would like
to patrol ahead of a group or unit regardless its course. Reference
points that are set to this always have an [r] in their names.
Locking and Unlocking Reference Points: You can lock and unlock
reference points in the game by selecting the reference points and
choosing the Lock and Unlock Ref. Point(s) selections in the Mission
+ Ref Points drop down menu. Locked reference points appear as
padlocks are unchangeable by players in game mode."

Make a reference point that is relative to the ship. Assign the air unit a patrol mission using the reference point. The air unit will follow the ship around.

[spinecruncher]

you are so sweet now Wood

[spinecruncher]

This is a bit more technical than I am accustomed to. I understand moving reference points around, and have moved the points around as needed. what is more advanced is manipulating the units within the points. It's a learning curve thing. This title aint exactly beer and pretzel.

[thewood1]

That is because you are trying to do too much. My suggestion, again, for multiple times...is play through and look things up in the manual on your own. You will actually learn it faster than creating multiple threads for very basic questions. The questions you are asking are mostly learned by trying things. You are still missing some VERY basic concepts that are important to play the game.

[spinecruncher]

edit
Edit: and I will go back and check Baloogan's tutorials.

[spinecruncher]

Do I need to get the next unit (helo) on a fixed bearing to the frigate?

[thewood1]

Without know what you are doing, there is no way to tell. I'm also not sure what you mean by "next".

Suggestion, most larger scenarios have some relative reference points with patrols set up. Go into the editor and look at how they are doing. In fact, I think at least one of Baloogan's videos has mentions of it.

But I'm sure that will just lead to more questions.

[Cik]

ORIGINAL: ballyhoo

I am reading the manual, but trying to learn the applications. For example I created a reference point, then I wanted to make it relative to a frigate group, and that was done, the name of the points changed to reflect the rotating reference points and the frigate name is part of the reference point(s). I am still not 100% in understanding to what that all means though. Not sure how to have one of the helos on the frigate loiter along with the frigate. I didn't see anything in the manual that shows me how to do that -- to get a helo to loiter with it's home frigate. I am sure it is just part of the learning process, and it will take me
time.

Edit: and I will go back and check Baloogan's tutorials.

the mission fixes the unit's patrol or support area by use of the reference points- relative reference points enable the reference points to move dynamically independent of player input along with the ship or group they are relative to.

IE, if you want an ASW sea king to patrol or support a frigate, you create a mission under whatever type you want, bounded by reference points that are relative to the ship(s) you want.

then as the ship moves, the reference points (and thus the mission area where the sea king is patrolling) move along with it.

[thewood1]

I am not sure how much more clear the manual needs to be...

"This allows you to create mission(s) with defined areas that move relative to a certain unit or its course, such as assigning any aircraft to a mission that protects a moving surface unit (AAW, ASW) or units."

So just in case...

Create your reference point, make it relative to the ship, make sure the new rp is the only one selected, create a patrol mission, assign the helo(s) to the mission. Is that enough detail?

[spinecruncher]

that makes sense.

[mikmykWS]

Try opening up scenarios and seeing how they're constructed. Sometimes that's the best way to get up to speed.

Mike

[spinecruncher]

What wood posted in that two sentences got me very much up to speed in what I have been trying to accomplish. Now I can get the helo or whatever else to loiter/patrol along the path of the homebase ship or any other unit. I place the reference point next to the ship, and however close it is will determine the rotational axis, or fixed point. I can accomplish more now. I think the manual should have just plainly stated how to do it.

[thewood1]

It does. Everyone else has figured it out.

[thewood1]

So this is my suggestion from earlier in the thread...

"Suggestion, most larger scenarios have some relative reference points with patrols set up. Go into the editor and look at how they are doing. In fact, I think at least one of Baloogan's videos has mentions of it."

And this...

"This allows you to create mission(s) with defined areas that move relative to a certain unit or its course, such as assigning any aircraft to a mission that protects a moving surface unit (AAW, ASW) or units."

I posted this twice. It is straight from page 74 in the manual. Again, I'll ask, what more has to be said.

[spinecruncher]

Wood you should lobby the admin to shut down these boards to people only read the manual.

[Cik]

[:D]

[thewood1]

The devs wrote the manual for a reason. Most of what you ask is explained in the manual. If you add in videos, its pretty much all there. The devs can't force you to read the manual. But I will continue to remind you that you are still wasting people's time. Again, you have sucked 3 or 4 people into a thread to answer a question you should have and chould have been able to figure out yourself.

I backed off a little figuring maybe you were smart enough to see that figuring stuff out on your own is a better way to learn the game. I see I was mistaken.