SlowdownDistance

Flag:	SlowdownDistance
File(s):	rules(md).ini
Values:	Unsigned integers: All non-negative whole numbers from 0 to either 32767, 2147483647 or 4294967295.
Applicable to:	AircraftTypes, VehicleTypes, InfantryTypes

Over-ride which specifies the distance, in leptons, that this object must be from its intended target location before it applies de-acceleration.

• Using really high numbers here (presumably in the 10,000s) will give an aircraft a behaviour similar to the Aurora Bomber from Generals: the aircraft will approach its target at full speed, unload its weapon, then return to base, and as it does the latter, it will fly very slow, as the base it intends to land is within the very large SlowdownDistance, thus it deccelerates. (Note: It seems that the relationship is more complex - meaning that high SlowdownDistance does not directly induce this behaviour - and perhaps includes the nature of the weapon carried by the aircraft. Apparently, it has something to do with wether the weapon is fired in a strafing pattern or not. Further research is required.)

• Using a value of 0 results in:
  • either an aircraft that never lands, but instead hovers above its landing location, as if it was a BalloonHovering VehicleType (This works in TS; presumably it works in RA2 as well, but this needs to be verified)
  • or in an aircraft that circles in the air above the location it is intended to fly to. This effect is observable in RA2, but unconfirmed for TS. It is not known what factor causes the aircraft to decide for one of these two behaviours, but it could be related to the Fighter= tag or the weapon it carries.
    • The radius of the circle the aircraft flies around its destination is determined by the ROT and the Speed of the aircraft - a higher ratio of ROT:Speed means a smaller circle, while low ratio of ROT:Speed increases the circle.
    • If an aircraft has a large circle, it will not return to its airport but circle the area indefinitely, propably because it is unable to ever fly directly above its destination and so never gets to complete its movement command.