Shuttles not performing deployment ops

[Supreme Cmdr]

I have researched this and found what the confusion is about.

The flight dynamics system in UC is vastly different from the one in BCM/G. For example, crafts have a landing profile which also uses the CALS system.

The way this works is that the craft engages a landing profile when it wants to land. This disabled the ground collision avoidance when a short distance from the landing point. If the GCA system were not disabled, the craft won't land because CALS would keep it off the ground.

Once the craft reaches a certain distance from the target, it then descends using its VTOL engines.

Here is the problem :

If you set a single deploy waypoint for the shuttle, when it enters the planet, it will be at that waypoint. At which point the CALS system will kick in. But the shuttle will be at very high altitude and then start to circle/descend VERY slowly, since it can't increase speed, having reached the waypoint.

So, you HAVE to create a PROCEED TO NEXT waypoint as the FIRST waypoint in a deployment op. Then set the actual deployment waypoint (e.g. DEPLOY DRONE) at least 2km from the first. The shuttle will ingress at wp1, then engage its landing profile a short distance from wp2. Then shortly disengage its GCA system, fly along a little, then switch from FTOL to VTOL and land at the designated wp.

Remember, unless the shuttle actually LANDS it won't perform ANY deployment ops.

I am closing this issue because it works as designed.

[Banquet]

I had 3 shuttles doing exactly what you described.. I re-plotted the deploy waypoints to over 2km and bingo.. it worked! Cheers

[Werewolf]

It works!!

You should definitely add this info to the manual addendum as I'm sure most people are as lazy as me and tend to place a single "LAND" waypoint.

BTW, a quick and easy fix could be to check during ingress whether there's only one waypoint, and forge in an additional waypoint a few thousand feet above the existing one.

[Supreme Cmdr]

quote:

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Originally posted by Werewolf:

You should definitely add this info to the manual addendum as I'm sure most people are as lazy as me and tend to place a single "LAND" waypoint.

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Way ahead of you. I already have it in the manual revisions file. Check the file downloads page.

quote:

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BTW, a quick and easy fix could be to check during ingress whether there's only one waypoint, and forge in an additional waypoint a few thousand feet above the existing one.

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uhm, its got nothing to do with that. Flight dynamics are different from AI. The AI kernel - in this case - looks at the capabilities of the craft and determines the appropriate profile. Now why would I want to write extra code - possibly break something - when you lazy b*stards should just read the manual?

btw, have you ever actually seen how they perform this landing profile - while you are either standing there (on the ground) or viewing the camera? It pretty cool. And for the dustoff (when it takes off), try it and see.

[ProXimity]

by *chance* I deployed at the second waypoint. Was nice to see the shuttle set us down, and while looking up, watched it proceed to the next wp.

ProX

[Supreme Cmdr]

Yeah, pretty cool, huh?

[Chaoticmass]

Heh, 'pretty cool'?

Here's what I used to do in BCMG.

I'd take a fighter pilot down to a planet and come in low, appoaching an enemy base. I'd land on top of a hill where I had a good view of the base. I'd get out, and using tacops, I'd create waypoints for my shuttles to fly down from orbit and land around the base, deploy their ground vehicles, and then RTB.

Then I'd give the orders and wait. It's so cool to watch the shuttles drop in from orbit, fly down to their waypoint just as the base's defense systems start to wake up. Then zoom in with my scope as they land and deploy the vehicle.

It's fun plotting my own invasion of a city from the safety of my hilltop. I prefer to do it that way than from space, kind of like in those movies about wars where the commanders would watch and orchistrate the battle from the top of a hill.

Uh oh, my HAVs are getting heat from the fighters the bases deployed. Time to call in my fighters as reinforcements.

If the battle doesn't go my way, I'll return to the GCV-Dauntless and either fly down and unleash my PTA system on them, or have my troops retreat and just hit 'em with an OTS if the situation is bad enough.