Drone Carrier Software 2 (DCS2) v2.07a

[DrBullwinkle]

The "Engage Enemies" AI is still slightly bugged. It does not happen often in my game, but bombers do sometimes get stuck like that.

I have not had a good opportunity to fix it recently (real life interruptions). I will try to get it fixed soon. Or soon-ish, at least.

[Bandus]

Ah, so I am using the mod as intended. No problem; I understand that bugs happen. If there is any info I can provide to help you track it down, please let me know. Thanks!

Edit:

Doctor, I dug around and found log08562.txt and found this that I think may be helpful/relevant to what is happening (to some extent). The log files indicates this:

Drone Interceptor (M4) launched to attack Kha'ak Corvette (similar entries to this several times in a row)

then, I assume after the corvette is killed, it changes to this:

Drone Interceptor (M4) launched to attack null (this happens over and over again)

It looks like after it kills the initial target, it isn't finding another target properly?

Incidentally, this happens every engagement, without fail. That is what makes me feel like maybe I messed something up or am doing something wrong...

[LameFox]

Are the remaining enemies smaller than the corvette? The 'null' message is what I get when it launches them for small ships. I think (maybe because I have XRM?) it can't identify them or something.

[DrBullwinkle]

I did not see Bandus's edit until just now, but he has it right. It is not about XRM -- it is about the original target being killed and not re-acquiring.

As I have said about 50 times, I am aware of the problem, and have completely re-worked the AI target selection for the next version.

[gastovski]

So, in new version interceptor will target fighters and bombers target only M6s and above?. Also when i select my weapon depot for my M1Carrier with alot tomahawk missiles but my bombers won't pick them.

[DrBullwinkle]

So, in new version interceptor will target fighters and bombers target only M6s and above?

Some of it depends on how my tests work out. Launching and targeting are two different things. Currently all drones launch on M6 or higher but will attack all enemies within range.

when i select my weapon depot for my M1Carrier with alot tomahawk missiles but my bombers won't pick them.

What kind of bombers do you use? Do they use Tomahawks?

The default bombers use Firestorms or Hammerheads.

[gastovski]

I use Teladi Hawk and sometimes Falcon Hauler (Playing XRM ofcourse). I especially bought hundreds of tomahawk missiles just for my bombers to use them but noone does. It's just frustrating twenty bombers attack enemy m2s with only main guns.

[DrBullwinkle]

I think the heaviest missile that a Falcon Hauler can use is a Thunderbolt. Falcon Haulers would be terrific as Interceptors, but a bit light as Bombers. Nevertheless, a wing of Falcon Haulers should be able to kill an M2 with EBCG guns alone. I used them that way many times (before DCS2).


Does a Hawk use Tomahawks? If it does, then it should get missiles from the Weapons Depot. You are using the current version of DCS2, yes?

[gastovski]

I don't remember in details but my bombers only use two kind of missiles. Mosquito and compatible torpedos/missiles. When i go home i'll check it again but they use no missiles at all. Ofcourse i use the latest version and i have no problem other than targeting issues and using missiles/torpedos properly.

[DrBullwinkle]

OK, good.

Make sure that Tomahawks are the correct torpedo for your Hawks (I expect that they are). Do the Hawks launch the Tomahawks if you add them directly to the bombers (using the Cheat Package)?

If so, then try stocking the Tomahawks on the carrier and set missile resupply settings for your bombers appropriately. It this works, and you want to use it as a workaround, then extend the bomber lifetime in the language file. The default is 600 seconds (10 minutes). You could try 100000 (100,000) seconds, which is more than a game day.

For the next version, I will double-check that Tomahawks are drawn from the Weapons Depot when required.

[gastovski]

I reinstalled the mod and edited nothing. Then activated the mod on my Valhalla but still the same problem. When couple enemy capitals shows up bombers starting to produce but they don't acquire any missiles whatsoever. Mostly Falcon Hauler (uses regular commonwealth missiles)-sometimes Ariadne- spawns and i got hundreds of commonwealth missiles on my Valhalla and weapon depot selected as it is.

[DrBullwinkle]

I did not ask you to do any of that, and you forgot to tell me the results of the questions that I *did* ask.

[gastovski]

Oh when i manually install missiles ofcourse they are using them but when they spawn bombers don't equip from weapon depot. I couldn't find any missile resupply options anywhere(Could be mods interfering?). Also now i can't make iit spawn Teladi Hawk anymore. I change third subtype number to correct Hawk number but it spawns Ariadne or M1 as bomber instead .

[DrBullwinkle]

Thank you.

Missile resupply options are at the bottom of the Guns panel (Ctrl-G while in space).

[builder680]

Bullwinkle this is pretty sweet but I have a question. My Split Panther is building drones and then decides to autopilot (defend sector) every now and then. It's my personal ship and I'm not really into defending sectors just yet (it's a relatively new game).

I turned off "engage enemies" but it still does so. Also there are no enemies to engage anyway in the sector I'm in. (EDIT: I guess there were some Xenon out of sensor range, default engage is set to 50km and it knew they were there I guess... even though I turned off auto engage). I changed range to 0 km and it seems to keep my ship from autopiloting for now.

XRM game if that makes any difference. Thanks!

Also I lost 11 million credits when I told it to build drones, then told it to stop about a minute later. Nothing was refunded in fact like I said it just took 11 mill.

RTB hotkey not functioning

[DrBullwinkle]

[Playership Defends Sector; ignores Engage Enemies Off]

[L]ost 11 million credits when I told it to build drones, then told it to stop about a minute later. Nothing was refunded.

RTB hotkey not functioning [Engage Enemies Off]

Interesting. Good stuff, builder680. Thanks for the report!

[builder680]

Does engage enemies have to be on in order to get my hotkey for fighters to return to base to work?

[DrBullwinkle]

The intention is that the RTB function should work even with Engage Enemies Disabled. However, the hotkey does interact with the menu, so there is a possibility of a bug there.

It would be easy enough to test. Just enable Engage Enemies and issue RTB.

[builder680]

I'll do that shortly. Although I have been able to get RTB to work from the menu. It's the hotkey that isn't doing anything.

EDIT:

Right now engage enemies is launching fighters with the range set to 15 km. They then sit in space doing nothing. RTB hotkey still does nothing.

EDIT 2:

Okay, RTB hotkey is getting them to return after targets disappeared through gate. Fighers did not engage at all, they just sat motionless as enemy waltzed by. I can get them to engage via a standard wing attack (they're red wing).

EDIT 3:

Okay, I'm confused. This time they are engaging. Sorry for the rash of info, it's just spotty and trying to communicate what I'm seeing in action.

EDIT 4:

It appears it wasn't the hotkey making fighters RTB (in EDIT 2) but rather the absence of enemies in range. They dock automatically when nothing is in range. Problem appears to be that I can't use hotkey in combat to get drones to dock, but I can do it from the menu (for a quick retreat for example).

EDIT 5:

Ok this time I had a lockup. Fighters launched automatically with enemies in range and then did nothing again. At this stage I transported myself to a nearby freighter of mine to dock via Docking Computer with my M7. Then I manually told my fighters to attack all enemies, and while they were forming up in "X formation" to attack I just killed them myself in my M7. Orders defaulted to "None" after this for fighters so I hit the return to base hotkey and the game froze forcing a reboot.

EDIT 6:

Had a group of 4 enemies. 1 Xenon M6 and 3 Xenon M3's. The M6 came within range first (15 km per my settings). My fighters launched and headed for the M6, which was then destroyed by a Teladi M2. At this point the Xenon M3's were now also in 15 km range, but my fighters defaulted to "none." Presumably their target was the M6 and it confused them when it got destroyed?

OTHER:

Is it possible to get an option of what type of Bombers to build such as we have for Interceptors? Additionally, is it possible to turn off the building of Bombers in general, but let it build Interceptors (either automatically or per our choice of what Interceptor to build)?

Will give more info as I play. Hopefully this info is somewhat useful, as I really do like this script. It makes carriers fun

[gastovski]

It's a known bug that interceptors and bombers stop attacking when no Corvette or above class enemy ships around. Also when i disable DCS command from menu i don't get any money but it's ok i manually add via cheat menu.