The ability to fly as any member of the flight in single player.

As the title says I think it would be good to be able to play as any member of a flight in single player. You can kinda do this now, but it’s clumsy. I would like to see the flight lead make appropriate radio calls, and what not. In campaigns this would give a realistic means of advancement. It would also allow for more flexibility in designing missions. From a play experience you would get the challenge of operating your aircraft while trying to maintain formation. Plus flying number 3 on a level bombing mission, and releasing your weapons on flight lead looks cool as hell. Anyway just a thought.

As the title says I think it would be good to be able to play as any member of a flight in single player. You can kinda do this now, but it’s clumsy. I would like to see the flight lead make appropriate radio calls, and what not. In campaigns this would give a realistic means of advancement. It would also allow for more flexibility in designing missions. From a play experience you would get the challenge of operating your aircraft while trying to maintain formation. Plus flying number 3 on a level bombing mission, and releasing your weapons on flight lead looks cool as hell. Anyway just a thought.

Good news!

Improved AI (which is basically what you're asking) is in the pipe line :thumbup:

I can only assume ED will also improve AI flight leads

Sure, but can you as the player fly a mission as the number two, three, or four member of that flight? I know the new Ai is on the way. And I’ll glad it is, because it is one of the most needed upgrades to DCS. But as I said I want to be able to fly as a member of the flight. Start off as a wingman, move up to an element lead, move up to flight lead. I think this would be a good way to add some progression to a dynamic campaign.

Sure, but can you as the player fly a mission as the number two, three, or four member of that flight? I know the new Ai is on the way. And I’ll glad it is, because it is one of the most needed upgrades to DCS. But as I said I want to be able to fly as a member of the flight. Start off as a wingman, move up to an element lead, move up to flight lead. I think this would be a good way to add some progression to a dynamic campaign.

You can already fly as no. 2, 3 or 4. Just have to set the desired flight position to "player" in the mission editor.

But indeed, currently you can't switch during flight (take control of AI aircraft and leave your own aircraft in AI hands)

Edit:

This function would however probably receive a lot of resistance from the die hard "realism" fans here ;)

Have you tried that? Because I’ve been using the editor since 2009, and the only position that has ever had the player option is the lead. Now you can make a client any position in the flight. But that is super clunky, and the work around I alluded to in the OP. I’m asking for single player to spawn in as a #2, 3, 4. And since there working on a new AI to have the flight lead issues the same basic commands that we issue to them.

Also I believe you can switch in flight. I haven't attempted to abandon a functional aircraft in awhile, but I have definitely swapped recently to get revenge on the bot that killed me. At one time you could definitely swap.

Have you tried that? Because I’ve been using the editor since 2009, and the only position that has ever had the player option is the lead. Now you can make a client any position in the flight. But that is super clunky, and the work around I alluded to in the OP. I’m asking for single player to spawn in as a #2, 3, 4. And since there working on a new AI to have the flight lead issues the same basic commands that we issue to them.

I was under the impression that in 2019 or 2018 ED implemented the ability to make any plane in a flight the player aircraft.

You can fly as another position, i've just built a mission for a campaign doing just that. Al i then did is add radio transmissions to tie in the fact i couldn't make them myself as number 2.

The graduating to flight lead is probably a good training campaign idea. I'll have a think and maybe start one off. There was a host of Basic and Advanced flight training campaigns done for the A-10C i remember. Might be as involved but will give it a go.

That’s cool if you can do that, but on my build you cannot. You can set the client to anything you want. But I’m asking ED to make the player position in single player available for any member of the flight, and to have organically generated radio commands for the flight to fallow. Think call for rejoin after takeoff, call to engage bandits when inside parameters, call for rejoin after an engagement, make go to waypoint calls, that sort of thing. And to do it organically as part of the editor. I know there are workarounds, I know most of them. I’m asking Ed to make the workarounds unnecessary. I know this is probably nich, but there’s lots of talk about dynamic campaigns. So singal player is a thing people are doing. As a mostly single player, I think this is something that can be implemented, and would add the the experience. Again I know there are workarounds, I’m asking Ed to look at making them unnecessary as they overhaul the core game.