Orbiting UAVs

[John Osborne]

Question on Orbiting UAVs. This is the quote from the DA Help patch 2.0.3 on Orbiting.

"Orbiting. UAV and Army Helicopter units now have the capability to hover in a stationary orbit. AH units conducting a screen or UAVs assigned to "watch" a specific area such as a bridge or crossroads will find this feature most useful".

Now I plot the UAVs course to the location for it to orbit over the battlefield. After the turn was done and I was able to see the Blufor SITREP for that turn. It showed that the UAV has landed at the location for it too orbit. According to the DA Help. It is not suppose to land but hover over the location that I select.

Is this a bug? :(

John

[CPangracs]

No, it is not a bug. Just like with any other air unit you can control, you MUST plot a route BACK to where you began or some other landing area, or it will land where it is and eventually either be destroyed or surrender where it sits. All helo units use 50% of their logistics when they just take-off, so they either need to be plussed-up with logistics before the mission or have a convoy waiting for them when they get back. I believe UAVS operate much the same way, however, they can cover a total of 400km per turn.

Now, to plot the UAV route correctly, make sure you have a route back to its startpoint, then click on the "hover" icon and select the node where you want the UAV to hover. It will hover there until its log level gets to a critical point, then it will fly home on its own,...as long as you have that last node going home! You should also have a logistics unit waiting for it so you can do an immediate turnaround the next turn.

Another tip. I believe the UAV's in the base scenario's only have a 1km view radius. You can change this in the unit editor to replicate the ACTUAL view distance of real UAV's. I believe the DAW program can also let you create your own UAV type.

Curt

[John Osborne]

Dam, That was quick ;)

Thanks Curt. I've just finished redoing the Axis of Evil scenario using patch 2.0.3. I was thinking on waiting until the next patch comes out.

I have some more questions about the Scenario Editor. I notice that there is some information that is not on the first two pages of the scenario. ie Daily Bomber Allocation, Daily Air Strike Allocation, Current Air Strike Total, Current Bomber Totals, and I notice that on the Air Superiority only the Blue side is indicated but not the Red side. This is the first two pages of the scenario Axis of Evil.

================================================== =======
GAMEAUTHOR: John Osborne
GAMEVERSION: Version 2.0.3
GAMEFILE: C:\Decisive Action\Scenarios\Axis of Evil 1.sce
BSCALE: 0
SCENARION: 3
SCENARIOT: 0
MAPFILE: Kuwait1.jpg
MAPSCALE: 2.51
HEXWIDTH: 3
NUMROWS: 302
NUMCOLS: 335
TERRAIN FILE: Kuwait1.ter
WINDD: 1
WINDS: 2
VSTATUS: 6
BLUEVP: 800
REDVP: 0
RBMAX: 2
BBMAX: 2
RBNOW: 0
BBNOW: 1
AIRSUPER: 80
INITIATIVE:
MAXGTURN: 28
GTURN: 0
GTIME: 0500
GDAY: 2
GMONTH: May
DDAY: 0
BMNT: 500
EENT: 2100
TIME_OF_DAY: Day
NBCSTATUS: 0
ULLAT: 31.32374
ULLONG: 45.00391
DLATY: -3.597122E-03
DLONGX: 3.90625E-03
BFIREF: 80
RFIREF: 20
BRCP1: 658.8
BRCP2: 0
BMANL: 0
BARTYL: 0
BAIRL: 0
BADAL: 0
BNBCL: 0
RRCP1: 1119
RRCP2: 0
RMANL: 0
RARTYL: 0
RAIRL: 0
RADAL: 0
RNBCL: 0
BEPW: 0
REPW: 0
LOGPLAYR: 0
LOGPLAYB: 1
INTELPLAY: 0
TERRAINE: 0
BNAI: 5
RNAI: 4
BNAIMAX: 8
RNAIMAX: 4
BFOBJ: 1
RFOBJ: 1
BTAI: 0
RTAI: 4
BTAIMAX: 8
RTAIMAX: 4
BOBST: 15
BOBSTMAX: 15
BFORTS: 3
BFORTSMAX: 3
ROBST: 0
ROBSTMAX: 6
RFORTS: 0
RFORTSMAX: 0
RCHMAX: 8
BCHMAX: 0
RCHNOW: 0
BCHNOW: 0
RMFILE: AoER.rtf
BMFILE: AoEB.rtf
RSEED: 0
BLOCSIDE: 2
RLOCSIDE: 0
PBMT: 0
MRLOSS: 40
MBLOSS: 25
BCFZ: 0
RCFZ: 0
BCFZMAX: 6
RCFZMAX: 4
BCFFZ: 0
RCFFZ: 0
BCFFZMAX: 6
RCFFZMAX: 4
BSEAD: 0
RSEAD: 0
BSEADMAX: 4
RSEADMAX: 2
AARN: 0
NAIAR: 0
BAIAB: 0
====================

John

[CPangracs]

I believe that the Blue air superiority is given, because it is a % of 100%, and the remaining percentage is automatically assigned to the Red team. In other words, both sides can't have 100%, only numbers which equals 100%. This is unlike the Counterfire Acquisition percentage, which can, indeed, equal 100% for both sides.

[John Osborne]

Hi Curt,

Ok, that I can understand ;) But what about the other issues, This is what I put in the scenario Axis of Evil, Scenario Editor

Daily Bomber Allocation-Blue 4, Red 2.
Current Bomber Total- Blue 4, Red 2.
Daily Air Strike Allocation- Blue 60, Red 40.
Current Air Strike Total- Blue 60, Red 40.

If you look at the previous post, where is it shown in the scenario itself? I don't see those numbers anywhere on it.

More questions will follow :nuts:

John

[John Osborne]

No, it is not a bug. Just like with any other air unit you can control, you MUST plot a route BACK to where you began or some other landing area, or it will land where it is and eventually either be destroyed or surrender where it sits. All helo units use 50% of their logistics when they just take-off, so they either need to be plussed-up with logistics before the mission or have a convoy waiting for them when they get back. I believe UAVS operate much the same way, however, they can cover a total of 400km per turn.

Now, to plot the UAV route correctly, make sure you have a route back to its startpoint, then click on the "hover" icon and select the node where you want the UAV to hover. It will hover there until its log level gets to a critical point, then it will fly home on its own,...as long as you have that last node going home! You should also have a logistics unit waiting for it so you can do an immediate turnaround the next turn.

Another tip. I believe the UAV's in the base scenario's only have a 1km view radius. You can change this in the unit editor to replicate the ACTUAL view distance of real UAV's. I believe the DAW program can also let you create your own UAV type.

Curt

Seem to be having problems with the UAVs :cheeky: I plot my UAV out to a distances of 24kms and with a return plot back behind friendly lines. I click on the Orbit command and then click on the node to where I want the UAV to hover. The logistics is at 100%. Now with the UAVs having a total distances of 400kms. I would think that the UAVs will stay at the node I select to hover until it gets down to a critical point for it to return. But after one turn the UAV returns back behind friendly lines. And the UAV still has 100% for logistics. It didn't reduce down to a critical level for the logistics. It happens everytime I use the UAV.

Am I doing something wrong?

John

[cbelva]

Seem to be having problems with the UAVs :cheeky: I plot my UAV out to a distances of 24kms and with a return plot back behind friendly lines. I click on the Orbit command and then click on the node to where I want the UAV to hover. The logistics is at 100%. Now with the UAVs having a total distances of 400kms. I would think that the UAVs will stay at the node I select to hover until it gets down to a critical point for it to return. But after one turn the UAV returns back behind friendly lines. And the UAV still has 100% for logistics. It didn't reduce down to a critical level for the logistics. It happens everytime I use the UAV.

Am I doing something wrong?

John
Hi John, I had previously written Col Lunsford about UAV supplies. He wrote back and explained that he has set UAV to always be "supplied" 100% at all times. In other words, you do not have to resupply UAV. If my memory is correct, he did this to make it easier on the player. The UAVs would normally have to return to base to be refueled, so they return after each turn. He just eliminated the step of actually resupplying them.

[John Osborne]

Hi John, I had previously written Col Lunsford about UAV supplies. He wrote back and explained that he has set UAV to always be "supplied" 100% at all times. In other words, you do not have to resupply UAV. If my memory is correct, he did this to make it easier on the player. The UAVs would normally have to return to base to be refueled, so they return after each turn. He just eliminated the step of actually resupplying them.

Ok, Thanks. Still if thats the case then why do we have a command for the UAV to orbit at a hover when it doesn't do that but returns after each turn.

[cbelva]

Ok, Thanks. Still if thats the case then why do we have a command for the UAV to orbit at a hover when it doesn't do that but returns after each turn.
It does hover at the point you select. If you watch the UAV during the turn, it will fly to the point you selected for it to orbit. It will then stop at that point (and hover/orbit) until it has just enough time to return to it base. Just remember, the farther it has to fly the less time it has to hover. I hope that this helps. If you do not use the hover command, it will fly it route without stopping.

[John Osborne]

It does hover at the point you select. If you watch the UAV during the turn, it will fly to the point you selected for it to orbit. It will then stop at that point (and hover/orbit) until it has just enough time to return to it base. Just remember, the farther it has to fly the less time it has to hover. I hope that this helps. If you do not use the hover command, it will fly it route without stopping.

Ok, I see now :nuts: Thanks. I've just finished my scenario Axis of Evil and will post it tonight. After I run through some turns again. Then I will finish up the other two scenarios and get them posted by this weekend.

John

[Don Maddox]

Okay, that makes more sense. My UAVs kept landing at the end of their route and were subsequently destroyed. :hurt: Now I understand what to do. Thanks for the info.