New clouds AI pathing in career mode

[FTC_Zero]

First and foremost, the new cloud stuff is super beautiful and looks just stunning. High five to the IL2 team 
?✋

Only one thing worries me an that is the AI pathing. Constantly flying though cloud formations, with no navigation issues of course.  It was always a thing, but it did not troubled me so much because of the "less dense and volumetric" nature of the clouds. Now cloud layers seem to be versatile high and much more volumetric, which is again just fantastic looking ?. No way i prefer the old ones, but i hope you could improve the choice of altitude in the career generator to accommodate the cloud changes.

 

[Ace_Pilto]

An optional Artificial Horizon widget for WW1 planes would be nice, just to keep formations together.

[Gambit21]

 

There's no way at this juncture for the Devs to automate missions/flight paths and have the AI steer around/through clouds.

The limitation here will be above, or under and that's about all VikS or whomever is working on the AI logic can do unfortunately.

Even this would take some effort as every cloud pre-set would have to be accounted for. So likely just a handful would be used in this case, but that's just a guess.

 

 

[FTC_Zero]

6 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

 

There's no way at this juncture for the Devs to automate missions/flight paths and have the AI steer around/through clouds.

The limitation here will be above, or under and that's about all VikS or whomever is working on the AI logic can do unfortunately.

Even this would take some effort as every cloud pre-set would have to be accounted for. So likely just a handful would be used in this case, but that's just a guess.

 

 

I suppose so, but I am not asking them to avoid clouds all together, just asking for more higher or lower waypoint altitude, depending on the weather data. Cloud parameters seem very different than before and I would be surprised if tweaking based on the new cloud data would not be possible.

[cellinsky]

What type of cloudsets do you encounter in carriere mode? Mine is allways the same and "similar" to the old ones. Are the new sets implemented in carrer mode at all? Not much change for me in terms of cloud formations so far. Are the complexity of the clouds still dependent on ones power of the comp?

Edited December 11, 2021 by cellinsky

[FTC_Zero]

14 minutes ago, cellinsky said:

What type of cloudsets do you encounter in carriere mode? Mine is allways the same and "similar" to the old ones. Are the new sets implemented in carrer mode at all? Not much change for me in terms of cloud formations so far. Are the complexity of the clouds still dependent on ones power of the comp?

You are kidding aren't you? New clouds are soooo different and clouds are changed in all modes of course. Before clouds were mostly a layer of repetitive patterns, now we have pillar like shapes with gapes and differences in height.  It is like a different game to me.

[slipper]

10 hours ago, ZeroCrack01 said:

First and foremost, the new cloud stuff is super beautiful and looks just stunning. High five to the IL2 team 
?✋

Only one thing worries me an that is the AI pathing. Constantly flying though cloud formations, with no navigation issues of course.  It was always a thing, but it did not troubled me so much because of the "less dense and volumetric" nature of the clouds. Now cloud layers seem to be versatile high and much more volumetric, which is again just fantastic looking ?. No way i prefer the old ones, but i hope you could improve the choice of altitude in the career generator to accommodate the cloud changes.

 

 

 

Yes I agree, it would be good if somehow the altitude could be changed to be above or below the main cloud layer.

 

Historically I believe cloud base was used as cover, so it would make sense if you had overcast with a base of 2000m and you were looking for ground targets, then you would fly just under this cloud base in order to spot targets, but also so that you are protected from being 'bounced' from above.

 

I had it with a career mission yesterday, the cloud base was about 1500m, and was mainly about 200m thick. The waypoints and routes were bang in the middle of the cloud layer, which resulted in flying blind the whole time, while a difference of a few hundred meters up or down would of made a difference.

 

Do the new cloud effects affect AI visibility at all?

 

p.s I must say though that the new clouds are really amazing, so I'm not moaning about them, just an issue that they have created with pathfinding.

 

cheers all

[FTC_Zero]

13 minutes ago, slipper said:

 

 

Yes I agree, it would be good if somehow the altitude could be changed to be above or below the main cloud layer.

 

Historically I believe cloud base was used as cover, so it would make sense if you had overcast with a base of 2000m and you were looking for ground targets, then you would fly just under this cloud base in order to spot targets, but also so that you are protected from being 'bounced' from above.

 

I had it with a career mission yesterday, the cloud base was about 1500m, and was mainly about 200m thick. The waypoints and routes were bang in the middle of the cloud layer, which resulted in flying blind the whole time, while a difference of a few hundred meters up or down would of made a difference.

 

Do the new cloud effects affect AI visibility at all?

 

p.s I must say though that the new clouds are really amazing, so I'm not moaning about them, just an issue that they have created with pathfinding.

 

cheers all

For AI clouds do not exist, also had sortie where the ai squadron could fly just some 100m lower to be under the thick layer of clouds, but it was nonstop blind. Without autopilot it is impossible to follow. Before it was same, but it more about breaking through the clouds layer, and i feel that the cloud layer height is way more dynamic and in general higher than before. Also not complaining here, i really love the new clouds, just waypoints related to the weather system needs an overhault imo

[LukeFF]

I'm sure this is something that will get there with a bit of adjustments - and perhaps it will lead to more varied waypoint altitudes. 

[Avimimus]

On 12/11/2021 at 12:21 PM, LukeFF said:

I'm sure this is something that will get there with a bit of adjustments - and perhaps it will lead to more varied waypoint altitudes. 

 

Speaking of cruise altitudes  - The cruise attitudes on the Battle of Bodenplatte AQMG missions should probably be raised. This is especially true with the 1944/1945 anti-aircraft guns often shooting down aircraft which are cruising within range. Raising the altitudes would also allow some dive-bombing.

 

@LukeFF  I know you do research to support the campaign development and campaign templates - and since you are in touch, I thought you might want to pass this observation along (regarding BoBP AQMB).

[Roshko]

I actually had three career missions in a row, where the object was ground support, where the AI would fly to target and circle it inside the clouds (rather difficult to spot approaching enemies from within there - but no enemy appeared - in all three missions. That felt like a long hole in the career ?