AI musings

[Sherpa 0]

I have been getting back into FE, dogfighting in single missions on an unmodded installation of FE+EXP+Nov08 patch.

 

All the game options were set to hard except normal HUD. I played a number of offensive sweeps /defensive CAP missions, only retaining the equal fights (i.e. 2v2, 4v4 or 8v8) for my observations.

 

I noticed that almost all battles quickly turn into a blowout with all the planes on one side getting shot down and no losses on the other. This is the same whether the AI is set to normal or hard.

 

It appears to me that, in single missions at least, all planes are set to the same skill level and only the slight performance advantage of one aircraft against another determines the outcome.

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

[+Tailspin 3]

Not me. I have seen the AI run the gamut from easy kill to nearly impossible to do so. I think it does depend a lot on aircraft type too...as it should. I can't see any real pattern to who "wins" encounters among equally matched aircraft. I think the AI is pretty well balanced. There are "cannon fodder", there are "hot shots", and various levels in between. Good AI pilots in "lesser" aircraft can still be tough.

[Sherpa 0]

Do we know how AI skill levels are allocated in missions/campaigns? Presumably, if you pick "hard", you should normally receive some aces with the skill levels of other AI pilots gradually going down to rookies.

 

I know the player has some control over his own squadron through the "Roster", but what about the enemy AI? I presume there must be a setting in an INI file.

Edited January 7, 2009 by Sherpa

[Sherpa 0]

Did some more testing...or rather flying, still the same issue.

 

Dogfighting in 1917, the Camel and the SPAD VII outclass the Alb III and V, resulting in allied victories most times. I think part of the issue is that the AI has a problem flying the german planes to their full advantage.

 

The AI is very good, but like most AIs, its preferred tactic is the turn fight. The german planes are better for boom and zoom and fighting in the vertical. When the AI in an Alb gets into a turn fight, it is at a big disadvantage, especially against the camel.

 

I just started the 1917 campaign, shot down two planes, but lost all 3 planes in my flight. I may have to adopt Richtoffen's strategy and make sure I always have numerical superiority...

Edited January 8, 2009 by Sherpa

[+Tailspin 3]

Are you giving the order to "Engage Air"? That makes a huge difference in how your mates fight.

 

Try Peter01's flight models. The AI is modified in those. A comparison of the AI data in those with the stock files will also give you some idea of which files in the game are involved.

[Sherpa 0]

Are you giving the order to "Engage Air"? That makes a huge difference in how your mates fight.

 

Always do at the beginning of the engagement. I also tried using "rejoin" or "RTB" to get my flight to break off with varying degree of success.

 

I did notice the AI will break off and return to base when its aircraft is damaged. It also appears to sometimes breakoff and RTB if it is losing a fight.

 

Of course, the Alb III and V were outclassed by the Camel and the SE5, so the results in equal matchups are not totally unexpected.

 

It works out better in the campaign where you can choose what scraps to get into. For example, in a campaign mission last night I was flyng CAP with 8 Alb V. We pounced a flight of 4 Camels and later on 4 SE5s. We lost 2 Albs but shot down 6 enemy AC, which was more to my liking...

 

Obviously, your AI wingmen require a certain amount of babysitting to get them home safely, but it is not better or worse than other flight sims.

 

Try Peter01's flight models. The AI is modified in those. A comparison of the AI data in those with the stock files will also give you some idea of which files in the game are involved.

 

I will eventually but want to get a good feel for how the stock game works first. So far, the only thing I have seen which looks really out of whack is the excessive yawing of the AI SE5.

[+Tailspin 3]

Yeah, I'm spending most of my time with the stock game too. Never did like the SE-5a much. Too "skittish" and that darn Lewis gun is a PITA.

[Heck 496]

that darn Lewis gun is a PITA.

 

Many British pilots didn't like it either. And most apparently couldn't reload it above 10000'. They either had to descend to reload, or, more commonly, they'd fire off the Lewis drum, and then just use the Vickers, not wanting to give away any altitude they had just to reload the damned thing. Other than the stories of Albert Ball having some say in the plane's armament, I've never read any reasoning as to why this mixed armament was chosen, since it was a PITA , and the aircraft would have been much better with the twin Vickers armament of the Camel. Then again, it's a bit hard to explain many of the things the Royal Aircraft Factory did during the war, and a great many pilots lost their lives because of them.