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Merging/splitting fighter squadrons


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Is such a feature planned or feasible?

I've had a couple situations where splitting a squadron could have been useful. Something like grouping a Mig and a F-17 together to take out a close target, not expending the Mig's missiles and then detecting a far-off target while the squadron is still in the air. Meaning that the Mig still has the fuel to get that target, but the F-17 doesn't.

Similarly, it could come in handy to be able to merge squadrons, for example if you launch several single interceptors to take care of a couple of scouts only to detect a fighter squadron or corvette or whatever once they're in the air. Or for attacking a single, very powerful craft with craft from two bases.

Interface-wise, I could imagine it working as a menu similar to the interception launch one, with the planes that "stay in base" forming one squadron and the "launched" ones another. Opening that menu could be an option when a squadron reaches a waypoint (for splitting) and when you have one squadron "intercepting" another (for merging).

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just started playing and I am already hyped!!! After that understatement, let me share my experience :)

I noticed once (in v14) that all 3 F-17 formed a squadron and engaged an alien scout...After that, I can't seem to be able to form a squadron by myself....

I keep sending the planes individually to intercept and when they do, I tail the target in hope that they will form a squadron but to avail...

Do we have any info on that... I don't want to reach a point where I will have to fend of a big ship with only one puny F-17!

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It would be a bit usefule to be able to split groups. If you send your entire fleet to chase one UFO, and another one shows up, it would be nice to be able to split them into two squadrons to chase both.

But I guess it's a minor issue. The current behaviour is sort of nice too, as you have to make a choice: Do you send everyone or do you save a few if something else shows up?

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are you sending them all out from the same intercept window or are you sending out one plane per window?

Thanks for the reply! I was launching from the same window, but I was actually waiting for the selected plane to be highlighted, so I clicked on each a few times...apparently I de-selected them that's eventually only one would take off to intercept!

So...another good suggestion would be to highlight which plane you have selected, so you can arrange the squadrons accordingly!

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  • 1 year later...

(I realise I'm necroposting)

I'm not sure this is such a minor issue. Splitting and merging squadrons is a very natural thing to do and, as a new player, I found it very unintuitive that this was not possible.

It's often the case that several UFOs arrive at once and, at least in the early game, most of them can be dispatched with a single F-17 but perhaps there's a heavier craft too. The larger craft are difficult to assault with a single fighter and it would make sense to combine several nearby fighters into a single squad to attack a larger ship or to combine several low ammo fighters to attack a smaller craft.

This is some of the only unintuitive behaviour I've found in the game so far

Other weirdness:

* hiring more personnel was initially confusing until I realised they took some time to arrive, this could be improved by a short message under the hire button feeding back that that the personnel have been hired and will arrive in a day or two.

* A couple of aliens have not been targetable when initially sighted

* No tooltips or information in the encyclopedia about various base facilities (was looking to see if multiple radar might be useful, if garages are required to manufacture vehicles, etc)

Overall, the game is a very impressive remake of X-COM. Congratulations!

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If I only have three fighters and UFOs tend to come in bunches of 4 or 5, I would have to choose to leave some UFOs in the sky for longer or get more jets when it feels like it should be quite easy for three jets in the same area to join up or separate between engagements.

It's strange behaviour and there's no gameplay reason I can see not to have this feature. I understand that Xenonauts is approaching release and might be feature frozen, but it's a strange thing not to have in the first place that will surprise people who don't remember that behaviour from X-COM. It also seems like it could be a small fix.

@Chris,

Good to hear that two of the other points will be addressed soon.

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  • 8 years later...

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