Split/reform air groups

Hi there, first off sorry if this has already been covered, I must have missed it.

Basically what I ask is that it be possible to split up and add together air groups - by this I mean groups of interceptors. For example, when you don't know what a threat is, you may send two planes (one with faster missiles/gun, one with torpedoes) to try to take it down. When you fight it, it may turn out to be a scout for instance, and taken down by plane 1 with plane 2 not being involved. However plane 2 is still bound to the group and has to return to base before being able to go out again, even if it has fuel left and missiles still ready to be fired. If another threat appears, even though you have this functional aircraft already in the air, you can't split it off to do something.

Similarly, you may send two seperate aircraft off on different jobs, then find there is a larger enemy and want to attack it with both aircraft. However this is just not possible to do.

Logically, it makes sense. You have two planes, you should be able to give them different orders even if they launched at the same time. Or you have two planes, you know where they are, you can direct them to group together and form an air wing. But this is not possible in-game.

I don't think the lack of this feature really adds anything to gameplay other than restricting your choices and forcing you to take unnecessary gambles that make no logical sense. So all of this is why I ask that, if possible, the makers of the community patch add this into the game at some point.

Many thanks for reading

Could you be more specific about how the mechanics of this would work. I don't mean the GUI element, but the actual mechanics of how it would work. You see, if mix and matching is created, you can have the following states for the formation of a squadron:

• Three aircraft each landed at a different base
  
• Two aircraft landed and one in the air each from a different base
  
• One aircraft landed and two in the air each from a different base
  
• Three aircraft landed each from the same base
  
• Three aircraft each from the same base in the air
  
• Two aircraft landed and one in the air from the same base
  
• One aircraft landed and two in the air from the same base
  
• Two aircraft landed in one base, and one landed aircraft from another base
  
• Two aircraft landed in one base, and one aircraft in the air from another base
  
• One aircraft landed in one base, one aircraft from the same base in the air, and one aircraft landed in another base
  
• One aircraft landed in one base. one aircraft from the same base in the air and one aircraft from another base in the air
  
• Two aircraft in the air from one base, one aircraft landed in another base
  
• Two aircraft in the air from one base, one aircraft in the air from another base.
  
• Two aircraft landed in the same base
  
• Two aircraft in the air from the same base
  
• One aircraft in the air, one aircraft landed in the same base
  
• One aircraft landed in one base, one aircraft landed in another base
  
• One aircraft in the air from one base, one aircraft in the air from another base.
  
• One aircraft in the air from one base, one aircraft landed in another base

How would the mechanics of that work? You don't need to use a programing language, just more specifics in a proasic style.

Ok I think I understand the problem. I don't understand what you mean with having a squadron with some aircraft in the air and some on the ground - I meant that aircraft both had to be in the air and within proximity of each other to 'meet' and form a squadron (in the same way an aircraft must be in proximity with a UFO).

However, there could be an issue with aircraft from different bases being joined into squadrons together upon needing to return to bases. I would say the system would need to track which aircraft were from which bases, and automatically 'return' them as and when they ran out of fuel (bar that needed to return to their base), at which point the aircraft would automatically return to the base.

I have no experience in how the game currently handles aircraft and minimum fuel needed to return to base, so it would be difficult to say exactly how this would work behind the scenes. However I can attempt to come up with something.

Fuel = F

Fuel use/km = U

Distance to base (km) = D

Base (number) = B1, B2 etc (imagining that bases are numbered to differentiate them).

So when a plane launches from a base, the game keeps track of which base it is from (B1 etc), how far it is from the base, and the minimum amount of fuel it needs to return to the base (which will constantly be changing based on D*U). Minimum fuel needed can be called Fmin

Every time unit in the game, the game calculates these units for each plane, and if F≤Fmin, the plane will detach from the current squadron and return to its base. This is just a guess - basically calculate this for each plane (rather than squadron) like the game does, when it has to return to base.

In combat, if a plane hits Fmin, that individual plane will break off combat with a forced retreat command. This means for each individual plane, the game will have to check if F≤Fmin to know if it needs to break off the combat.

When a player orders a squadron to return to base, planes will split up based on the bases they are at. Basically the squadron will reform based on base number - so planes marked B1 will create a new squadron, planes marked B2 will create a new squad, etc. They will then return to their specific bases (unless commanded otherwise).

Does this make sense? I'm afraid as I have no real programming experience etc myself at all, I can only be of very limited use explaining how such a mechanic may work. I've probably left gaping holes in this too, I'm afraid.

I apologise, I misunderstood - I thought you want to mix and match airplanes both on the ground and in the air. If you want them in the air then that makes the number of cases much simpler and far more streamlined. About ordering a squadron back to base - wouldn't you want a tool which allows individual aircraft to return rather than the whole squadron splitting up automatically? The case where one aircraft out of three can't continue to be airbourne but the other two can would be common enough to be annoying if the aircraft automatically split up if the RTB button was hit.

I was thinking you could basically us a button to say 'split group' and choose how you wanted to split. Then you split off the aircraft you want to return, and return it. Alternately, there could be a 'return to base' button for each aircraft as well as a general one. However I think splitting the group manually would be fine.

If aircraft are returning automatically (low on fuel) it will just be the relevant aircraft. If you want to tell them to return manually, as I said, split off ones you want to return if you want some to stay out.

When an engagement finishes, instead of the automatic action being to return to base, it should be just to stay in the area (apart from troop transport which should auto-return). This way it means after every combat you don't have all your group splitting up and returning (if from different bases).

However I also do not forsee aircraft from different bases being mixed together too often. They only have a limited fuel range and unless you are building bases close together, by the time an aircraft arrives from another base its almost time to go back again. However the ability to mix them should still be there - it could be situationally useful - just not used too often.