AI

[bongo0310]

I want to come back to this game, remembering how fun the random campaigns were. I was wondering if the newest patches make the AI more of a challenge. Are any of the veterans of this game getting shot down by AI every once in a while haha? I realize that a 1v1 against the AI might be a little one sided, but the campaigns have dogfights with multiple AI on both sides. Also you have to make sure you're attacking an enemy if you play with the tags off. With all of these factors together, are the campaigns still a challenge?

[greybeard1]

For random campaigns do you mean dynamic? Tha's to say DGen (or DCG)?

I'm not a veteran; I started only three years ago already with v4.10. Personally, I found AI always performing unreal evasive maneuvers, and lately situation worsened. Historical reports tell of dive or throttle-back (to be overshoot) as most common evasive maneuvers: I never read or saw on gun-camera footage scissors, barrell-rolls or volo folle and false spins, as lately added by v4.11.

About enemy AI offensive capabilities, from v4.11.1 it got an unreal aiming accuracy: once it gets at your six, you're dead (whilst veteran pilots often told they realized to be under attack by enemy tracers missing them). In addition, IL-2 is the only world were a Focke-Wulf 190A can outturn and outclimb a Spitfire, so whole scenario is IMO really hard for player (given also the little help you can get from mates).

In a poll I did at SimHQ forum about v4.11.1 I got most users thought enemy AI had become otherwordly, but there was also a minority thinking it was still too easy. Afterwards the poll was polluted by a gang of wranglers and I was forced to ask moderator to delete it, so I can't link, sorry.

I think last v4.12.2 much improved flight models (meaning that they are significantly more realistic) and enemy AI seems "calmed down". I find the whole effect pleasant and I'm loving it.

But why to ask? Updates to latest version are free (thanks to TD): just try!

[bongo0310]

Thank you so much that sounds great! I will try it out for sure, I just wanted some reassurance haha.

[IceFire]

The AI got a bit of an overhaul and continues to be worked on. Some of the biggest changes are that the AI now cannot see through their plane (they used to be able to) so what you can see out of the cockpit is what they can see. They now have to make a calculated guess for under the nose deflection shooting... speaking of which, the AI now perform deflection shooting. Previously they did this very poorly. Ace AI are extremely accurate (as good as the top 1% of online pilots) and then things go down fairly logically from there. They also have to open their radiators to cool off engines... previously they were unaffected by overheats. Oh... also AI bombers in tight formations won't shoot through each other to hit attacking fighters. This is great particularly with multi-gunned bombers like the B-17, B-24, and Pe-8.

So some good stuff overall. Still a few tweaks here and there maybe. You should check it out!

[bongo0310]

I will thanks! It sounds better with every reply haha.

[Derda508]

Originally Posted by bongo0310

I will thanks! It sounds better with every reply haha.

Definetely, you should give it a chance. Since 4.12 it looks (and also sounds if you want) like a new game. The AI changed enomously since 4.09. Naturally you will always find some people who will say that they are so terrific, that AI is no challenge at all. Just ignore that. As an offliner I found that especially re-playing old campaigns is much more challenging than before, because the campaign designers used a lot of veteran and ace AI, that now is much better than before. I also think that they apply much more sophisticated team tactics like drag and bag (never try to attack the leader first and ignore the wing-man!). Sadly I have the impression that friendly AI got even more useless than before. Besides their old suicidal ground attack behaviour they now sometimes do just the opposite of what you want. ("Cover me!" "I'm with you" ... and off they go to land on the home base). You will find very often that your whole flight will chase one single enemy plane and leaves you to deal with all rest of the bandits, who are deadly determined to wipe you and only you out of the sky. And they will always find you even from many miles away.
Since 4.10 I had to learn to fly smart, keep up energy and stay out of furballs at any cost (forget the bombers you have to protect, just try to survive.)

Have a lot of fun,

Der Da