4.13 development update discussion and feedback

[sniperton]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

But, AI sucks at all levels against bombers. Even Ace AI attacking from the front will pass up easy head on attacks. Then, they pull up, take their sweet time turning around, and rather than gaining speed and position to make an overhead beam attack or have another try at a head on attack, they go straight for the 6 o'clock level attack that gets them shot to pieces.

Confirmed. I noticed several times that Ace AI builds up an altitude advantage over enemy bomber formations just to gain speed for a level attack from 6. Once above (or nearly above) the bomber, Ace AI doesn't directly dive on the bomber to aim for a deflection shot, but dives behind the bomber for a fast level attack. Possibly the built up altitude/energy advantage (generally 5-600 m) is not sufficient for a proper dive attack. Or the AI is coded in a way that it cannot tolerate for long the loss of visual contact to the target.
The situation is somewhat similar when the AI decides not to level out at the altitude of the bombers, but to dive below it. Instead of closing up to the bomber at that lower altitude and attacking it from a steep climb, the AI soon begins a shallow climb and makes a level attack after all.