Questions and Observations

[Gous 0]

1)When I am flying in campaign, and one of the other flight member crashes, does the OFF manager consider (AKA die roll to see what to do) killing him/wounding him? Because today I lost all of the other 4 flight members and none of them got killed.  Yesterday my wingman stalled and crashed in front of my eyes and then when I RTBed he was still alive... .  Maybe my squadronmates are just lucky...although I remember that in like the second mission I flew in P3, I saw a flight member getting hit by flak and crash. Then when landed, the campaign informed me that he died. 

 

2)I really am a little confused with the Balloon Busting missions when not on the lead. I have played two of them so far. At about 6NM before reaching the target, the flight descends really fast and then they just keep flying around 4NM away from the balloon, often strafing the enemy trenches while looking for trouble with EA.

 

3)And now something I have noticed since P2. When engaging with EA at high altitudes, the enemy is always diving really really fast towards the ground. Then they level off at 1000 feet. They always dive at full speed vertically then level off. This has happened in every single dogfight I have been in since P2. During the last days of SoH I had made similar reply to a thread saying this, and a couple of other members replied saying that they have noticed the same thing happening. I dont think it is only me experiencing this. Is it fixable?

Edited March 5, 2009 by Gous

[Rickitycrate 10]

With item #1 there is a bit of benefit in that when you make a claim report there is a decent chane the witness you report is still alive to confirm kill.

For #2 it is a known issue and the best advice to this point is to select "always lead" for now.

#3, yes it would be nice to not go to the deck so soon in a furball.

[77Scout 3]

1. AFAIK, the death and injury of squadmates is random (as you say, essentially a dice roll) within the OFF Manager. There is no connection to actual events during your flight in CSF3. Maybe some day.

 

2. Winder has posted that CSF3 AI are programmed to mimic human behavior. This includes picking an alternate target if the main target is heavily defended, or sometimes attacking the wrong target ( basically getting lost). I see this as a very realistic aspect of the game. Real pilots did not have a magic-waypint-line to follow...just think, if you weren't using the TAC for help would you have been able to find the target on your own?

[Gous 0]

1. AFAIK, the death and injury of squadmates is random (as you say, essentially a dice roll) within the OFF Manager. There is no connection to actual events during your flight in CSF3. Maybe some day.

 

Oh no...I hoped this was a feature Can it be added in the future?

 

2. Winder has posted that CSF3 AI are programmed to mimic human behavior. This includes picking an alternate target if the main target is heavily defended, or sometimes attacking the wrong target ( basically getting lost). I see this as a very realistic aspect of the game. Real pilots did not have a magic-waypint-line to follow...just think, if you weren't using the TAC for help would you have been able to find the target on your own?

Never saw it that way..! :rapage:

 

But it would be very good if the fast descending issue was wiped out..

[+Polovski 414]

1. Maybe, if sales go well we can use the data we record better and add perfect mission results to everything.

2. As the guys say, plusmake sure you have 1.25 installed. 1.26 better in this regard.

3. Strange some see it in some combat, I see it sometimes othertimes not at all, so must be related to craft you fly, CPU etc too.

[Hoghead 0]

1)When I am flying in campaign, and one of the other flight member crashes, does the OFF manager consider (AKA die roll to see what to do) killing him/wounding him? Because today I lost all of the other 4 flight members and none of them got killed. Yesterday my wingman stalled and crashed in front of my eyes and then when I RTBed he was still alive... . Maybe my squadronmates are just lucky...although I remember that in like the second mission I flew in P3, I saw a flight member getting hit by flak and crash. Then when landed, the campaign informed me that he died.

 

2)I really am a little confused with the Balloon Busting missions when not on the lead. I have played two of them so far. At about 6NM before reaching the target, the flight descends really fast and then they just keep flying around 4NM away from the balloon, often strafing the enemy trenches while looking for trouble with EA.

 

3)And now something I have noticed since P2. When engaging with EA at high altitudes, the enemy is always diving really really fast towards the ground. Then they level off at 1000 feet. They always dive at full speed vertically then level off. This has happened in every single dogfight I have been in since P2. During the last days of SoH I had made similar reply to a thread saying this, and a couple of other members replied saying that they have noticed the same thing happening. I dont think it is only me experiencing this. Is it fixable?

 

Gous,

 

1.) I see that a lot myself. You see them shot down, crash, explode etc. but yet when you RTB there they are. I don't think it's actually a bad thing sorta simulating the variable odds that the pilot manage to set her down, or was lucky and walked away from the crash etc.

 

2.) Yeah I'm not sure if this is something the devs did on purpose or something is wrong with the code and somehow the "mission" is getting dropped by the AI and they just don't know what to do and so they default to the old stooge around until dead thing.

 

3.) Again this is kinda annoying as it even happens when the enemy AI's plane has the advantage on you in maneuverability. They will often give up their advantage and dive away putting the advantage back in your court. I'm sure programing AI must be a Herculean task and for the most part I think OBD has done a wonderful job, on a par with the other current flights sims on the market. To be honest though I have had several good fights at altitude where the AI chooses to knife fight in a phone booth vice dive and open datum. I find the diving away most often happens when I'm in good position on the AI's tail and we're in a mostly flat turn and I give him a burst. His response is to roll inverted or nearly so and pull the nose down (basically a split ess) and open out. The part that really makes me nuts is the fact that I can't follow because all the AI can roll so much faster than you. However if you think about it, your pulling around hard, you look back and the enemy is high on your six turning with you and is starting to turn inside and pull lead, what would you do? You really just have two options, hard roll to the outside and hope to force the over shoot then reverse and start a sicissors or roll hard to the inside and pull straight down and open out. Given the AI's superiour roll ability I'd like to see more of the first option and less of the second but still all in all it's not to bad.

 

Scott

Edited March 6, 2009 by Hoghead

[RexHannover 0]

3)And now something I have noticed since P2. When engaging with EA at high altitudes, the enemy is always diving really really fast towards the ground. Then they level off at 1000 feet. They always dive at full speed vertically then level off. This has happened in every single dogfight I have been in since P2. During the last days of SoH I had made similar reply to a thread saying this, and a couple of other members replied saying that they have noticed the same thing happening. I dont think it is only me experiencing this. Is it fixable?

 

Hi there

 

If I understand your description correctly, you have encountered an Ace level AI who thinks you have an advantage on him. If they are high enough they will execute a maneuver that sounds like the one you are describing.

 

Annoying as hell, isn't it? Damn aces.

 

If there are other bad guys around I usually let him go rather than give up all my altitude. If he is the only one around I give chase. You don't really need to follow his every turn. Just be in the neighbourhood when he gets to the bottom.

 

.....rex

[Queeg 0]

2. Winder has posted that CSF3 AI are programmed to mimic human behavior. This includes picking an alternate target if the main target is heavily defended, or sometimes attacking the wrong target ( basically getting lost). I see this as a very realistic aspect of the game. Real pilots did not have a magic-waypint-line to follow...just think, if you weren't using the TAC for help would you have been able to find the target on your own?

 

I had this exact situation last night. Our mission was to attack an enemy airfield. The Flight Leader (not me) followed all the waypoints to within 3NM of the target, then suddenly diverted to bust a balloon and strafe some trenches. After about 20 minutes of that, he led us on to the airfield and attacked it. Completely unexpected, but had a very realistic feel to it.

Edited March 6, 2009 by Queeg

[Gous 0]

1. Maybe, if sales go well we can use the data we record better and add perfect mission results to everything.

2. As the guys say, plusmake sure you have 1.25 installed. 1.26 better in this regard.

These are good things to hear.

 

And maybe the flight leader not going directly to the ground target adds realism! :yes:

 

3. Strange some see it in some combat, I see it sometimes othertimes not at all, so must be related to craft you fly, CPU etc too.

If I understand your description correctly, you have encountered an Ace level AI who thinks you have an advantage on him. If they are high enough they will execute a maneuver that sounds like the one you are describing.

 

Annoying as hell, isn't it? Damn aces.

 

If there are other bad guys around I usually let him go rather than give up all my altitude. If he is the only one around I give chase. You don't really need to follow his every turn. Just be in the neighbourhood when he gets to the bottom.

 

.....rex

 

Well thats really not the case. Lets say that I create a Quick Combat. 5 Se5s against 5 DrIs. Enemy skill Rookie, enemy position normal, altitude 10000 feet.

Start, we approach head on , then when the two flights meet, all 5 Dr Is dive vertically towards the ground until the 1000 foot mark.

The same applies if I put the skill to Veteran or Ace, or if I put Alb DII, DIII, Dva or Pfalz or Fokker EIII. They will ALL dive.

 

The same happens if I am flying in campaign. Me in an Se5a at 10000 feet chasing some Albatrosses who fly at 11000. Once we approach, and they become aware of our presence, they bank hardly and dive dive dive.... this was only one case which happened two days ago. I have been seeing it since P2. Yesterday while flying at 7000 I was attacked by some Albatrosses from above (never noticed them). In the last minute I banked hard and he missed me. Then, he didnt level off and start turning to get to my six, but he kept diving instead, and then he got to 1000 feet,

 

If you are suggesting that maybe it is related to what type of craft YOU are flying, I have played QCs with Noops and Spads and Camels and the same thing is always happenening. I will keep "testing" with different craft on QC and campaign and will report back.

Edited March 6, 2009 by Gous

[Gous 0]

I just flew several QCs flying many different planes, (Spads Noops and Camels) at 10000 feet with random enemy skill. The EA were mainly Alb DII/DIII and Fokker DrI. Comparing to the Se5 there is a rather notable difference. When I fly the Se5, the enemy tends to dive more often and faster. In any other plane, the enemy dives less steeply. I also flew a campaign in different planes. What I have to report from the campaign is that the enemy there tends to dive many more times than in QC. Maybe it is a CPU issue combined with what aircraft you fly??

[Mr. Lucky 0]

I've seen it both ways myself. Fighters staying at altitude and turning with me as well as diving for dirt. I will say that the diving seems prevalent.

Like Rex said, and it's a basic tenant of air combat, if there's more than one, let the diving guy go and take himself out of the fight and concentrate on the high guy. He'll have more energy to spend. Classic strategy when there's two of you, one goes low and the other guys high. The high guy attacks if the EA follow the low guy. The counter to that is to follow the guy going high.

[Womenfly2 0]

3) And now something I have noticed since P2. When engaging with EA at high altitudes, the enemy is always diving really really fast towards the ground. Then they level off at 1000 feet. They always dive at full speed vertically then level off. This has happened in every single dogfight I have been in since P2. During the last days of SoH I had made similar reply to a thread saying this, and a couple of other members replied saying that they have noticed the same thing happening. I don't think it is only me experiencing this. Is it fixable?

 

Just a Q: if the AI plane dives at full speed from altitude, straight down, and levels off ...... would not the AI planes suffer from structural failure as us? I know this all depends on the plane the AI is flying.

 

Has anyone see this happen?

 

Curious,

WF2

Edited March 6, 2009 by Womenfly2

[+Polovski 414]

Well I am sure you see what you see, I do not doubt it. But I can assure you I have "twitch twitch" flown a lot of planes in campaign and QC whilst testing the many things we have to, making the flight models etc.

I see all sorts of behaviour, for example try DVII v random skill Camel, if they all dive to the deck everytime, then I'd suggest something odd going on because here they nearly always stay high.

 

If you do not already, I suggest you choose the default QC Dogfight mode, and Enemy Situation:normal - you may see a different behaviour.

 

BTW some tactics used in the war for example Albatros would often fight using slashing attack not stay and turn fight.

[Gous 0]

Ok. I have another question. You said that the stuff going on in in CFS3 are not connected to what happens in the campaign. So if a friendly flight member crashed during a campaign mission, he will be still alive when you get back. I saw one post some days ago back at SoH which showed which file you have to access to see your campaign squadron data. This file contains the names of the other squadron members etc. etc. My idea is, to see what has happened to the flight members during missions (if they crash or land behind enemy lines erc.) and then randomly decide by yourself what to do with them and make alterations to this file I mentioned above. Can you tweak this file yourself in order to change the status of a fellow squadron airman? (with status I mean: Missing, or Injured, or KIA etc. etc.)? And where is this file anyway?

[Creaghorn 10]

Ok. I have another question. You said that the stuff going on in in CFS3 are not connected to what happens in the campaign. So if a friendly flight member crashed during a campaign mission, he will be still alive when you get back. I saw one post some days ago back at SoH which showed which file you have to access to see your campaign squadron data. This file contains the names of the other squadron members etc. etc. My idea is, to see what has happened to the flight members during missions (if they crash or land behind enemy lines erc.) and then randomly decide by yourself what to do with them and make alterations to this file I mentioned above. Can you tweak this file yourself in order to change the status of a fellow squadron airman? (with status I mean: Missing, or Injured, or KIA etc. etc.)? And where is this file anyway?

 

it is possible, my sirtaki dancing friend .

 

go to CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields/Campaigns/Campaigndata/Pilots/pilotwhateverDossier

 

there you can make the changes to your squadronmates. even add or take away kills.

 

i hope either someday it will do it by itself

 

creaghorn

[Gous 0]

Thanks mate!