When to expect the "Ground attack" AI to be fixed ?

[fjacobsen]

Title says.....

 

Right now - at least in QMB - Getting Your wingmen to attack ground targets doesn´t seem to work very well.

This makes ground atack missions a lone wulf experience, dragging Your wingmen behind You as clay pigeons not contributing the slightest to the attack.

 

This is very apperent with the JU-87 Stuka, but also with other attack aircraft like the IL-2, PE-2 etc..

 

[6./ZG26_McKvack]

When you are saying "at least in QMB" do you mean it works in campaign for example or just that it happens more often in QMB? I'll give it some tries also a track would help if you got one  

[fjacobsen]

The nature of the QMB makes all AI aircraft fly with a fighter pilot brain.

 

In the detailed mission editor You can set a flight to attack clearly defined targets, like buildings, vehicles and area's.

You can also define ow they should react to treats via a priority settings for both waypoints and attack area.

While setting up the parameters to make J-87 Stukas do dive bombing attacks are finicky, it's still possible.

This way it's possible to make scripted ground attacks, but player commands seem to be as unusable as in th QMB.

 

In the QMB all these extra parameters doesn't seem to exist so every engagement via the QMB will be setup for air to air combat.

 

Most often I use QMB since setting up missions in the detailed mission builder is too cumberstone for quick missions.

 

I would really like to see extra "circles" on the QMB map for ground attack missions, where the waypoints are setup correctly for the selected type of ground attack aircraft, like level-area bombing (HE-111, PE-2, JU-88 etc.), Direct attacks (IL-2, Fighter bombers etc.) And dive bombers (JU-87, JU-88,PE-2 etc.) Making ground attack high priority and air to air defence low priority.

Edited October 20, 2016 by fjacobsen

[ShamrockOneFive]

I would really like to see extra "circles" on the QMB map for ground attack missions, where the waypoints are setup correctly for the selected type of ground attack aircraft, like level-area bombing (HE-111, PE-2, JU-88 etc.), Direct attacks (IL-2, Fighter bombers etc.) And dive bombers (JU-87, JU-88,PE-2 etc.) Making ground attack high priority and air to air defence low priority.

 

I would like to see this VERY much.

 

Especially when ships are coming and I'd like to practice my attack runs against them. Tanks, bridges, and vehicle convoys too.

[Blitzen]

Title says.....

 

Right now - at least in QMB - Getting Your wingmen to attack ground targets doesn´t seem to work very well.

This makes ground atack missions a lone wulf experience, dragging Your wingmen behind You as clay pigeons not contributing the slightest to the attack.

 

This is very apperent with the JU-87 Stuka, but also with other attack aircraft like the IL-2, PE-2 etc..

Amen!

[fjacobsen]

Hmm setting the correct altitude for JU-87 stukas seem to do the trick

With a starting altitude of 4000 meters, and then keeping the AI stuka wingmen close in formation issuing the "Attack ground targets" when near, f.ex artillery" make them start their dive bombing runs.

 

Next problem for me is to make a detailed mission getting the Stuka AI wingmen to take off properly and follow me (I´m lead).

Right now they do take off, but doesn´t seem to want gaining altitude, though their speed set for each waypoit is only 210 km/h.

They simply start flying at very low altitude and stay there until they crash

Fuel level is 30% with 3x250 bombs.

 

Any hints on how to make them take off properly and follow my to the waypoint altitude of 3500 meters ?

 

Best regards

FinnJ

[Lusekofte]

I do not knowhow qmb´s work here, but in old IL2 you had to build them on equal teams at minimum 4 planes each side and the AI was performing as it was told wether it was in campaign or qmb.

In early stages they too behaved oddly and fighter like, but became tweaked over the years. I do not think people remember how long it took for old IL 2 to develop into a great sim. 

I think we need patience, AI is obviously a priority for the developers, we got a lot of patches involving improved AI behaviour. I like what I see in the development department of this sim, it is actually the only CFS in the market with this kind of progression no matter how you look at it. In my point of view the developers have proven the negative part of sim community wrong, and it was about time someone did.

I do not know why, I know the intention of topics like this is not negative, but the sheer amount of them focusing on faults in this section is a bit too depressive. I like people to put more work on their critique and put them in a bug report  topic somewhere else, just not right here in General section. It gives a impression of constant complaining, even though it is not ment to. 

[fjacobsen]

It was by no means meant as negative critics.

I concure with the fact that the IL-2 devs are working very determined and progressive with constant and steady enhancements. But the JU-87 has been around since release and the problem with the AI, especially for the JU-87 has not been fixed yet.

[PatrickAWlson]

Unfortunately the AI is very finicky.  DIve bombing, for instance, requires the proper altitude, path, and way point priorities.  I would like to see AI rely a little more on aircraft type.  Regardless of WP priority (which seems to be the most significant contributor) I do not want to see a bomber behaving like a fighter.

[fjacobsen]

Unfortunately the AI is very finicky.  DIve bombing, for instance, requires the proper altitude, path, and way point priorities.  I would like to see AI rely a little more on aircraft type.  Regardless of WP priority (which seems to be the most significant contributor) I do not want to see a bomber behaving like a fighter.

 

Exactly

 

I wish the devs would put more effort into fixing remaing AI issues intead of keep making more aircraft and maps, if the problem is ressources to do so.

 

Overall IL-2 BOS/BOM feels very polished with great graphics, FM and for air to air fights also decent AI, but the most prominent issue, which has been around for a long time, is the finicky ground attack AI.

[Dakpilot]

Exactly

 

I wish the devs would put more effort into fixing remaing AI issues intead of keep making more aircraft and maps, if the problem is ressources to do so.

 

Overall IL-2 BOS/BOM feels very polished with great graphics, FM and for air to air fights also decent AI, but the most prominent issue, which has been around for a long time, is the finicky ground attack AI.

 

Fully agree with these sentiments, but one must remember the people who make Maps and Aircraft are not those that program for the AI, but the Maps and Aircraft will provide funding for further development...

 

There have been mentions of future improvements in this area (AI) coming soon (ish), here's hoping

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[fjacobsen]

I just tried a QMB mission starting from a runway with 4 JU+87 and a single JU-52 so far away that my wingies doesn´t start to chase it.

I take off and level off with max 220 km/h and wait for my wingmen to catch up, which they eventually do.

But when I start climbing with modest engine power, they simply stay at low altitude and never starts to climb.

When I dive down towards them, they simply crash into the gorund.

 

So something is realy out of alignment for the AI JU-87

[Dakpilot]

I remember in the SP mission Dive Bomber that shipped with the game, that the JU-87's performed the mission well from takeoff to bombing when all left on autopilot

 

Perhaps it is worth checking that this mission still plays correctly (AI) and if it does, maybe there is something to be learned there by observing, or evidence of new JU-87 AI bug

 

Cheers Dakpilot