Jump to content

Useful AI gunners and wingmen


Recommended Posts

I want to make a shout out to have useful AI gunners and wingmen.
The AI gunners and wingmen in other simulators today are utterly useless! They don't call out enemies to warn about incoming threats
and they don't give proper directions to targets what so ever and that is extremely annoying.

// regards

  • Like 6
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think people also overestimate how many should be shot down. If you look at the kill records off all aces of World War II the average pilot flew 3-4 missions for every claimed kill. Yes, there were examples of multiple planes in one mission, but that was the exception, not the rule. For example, Chuck Yeager, who famously made ace in a single mission downing 5 enemy planes, would fly 64 combat missions and end the war with 12 total kills. Even the high-scoring German aces (regardless if you believe the totals or not) like Erich Hartmann who claimed 352 kills that were spread over 1,404 combat missions flown. Lots of shooting without kills is realistic, lots of shooting with lots of kills is not. 

The lack of good AI coms is a different story lots of room for improvement.

The problem is AI is hard, and time-consuming to write all the routines (nothing intelligent about it more like a giant block of code giving options and when to use them), and the better you make it, the more system resources it consumes, making a better computer necessary

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the topic of AI opponents...

European Air War had an update one time that turned the rear gunner in the BF110s into Arne VonOakley, and his 7.92mm turned into a deadly stinger that could take out a P47s R2800 with ridiculous ease and a handful of rounds. 😳 Yeah, was glad they put that back to normal in a subsequent update. 

 

That said, EAW had some decent AI on both sides, although there were quirks. For instance, half of a German fighter Squadron would chase after a straggling damaged bomber that had already dropped its bombs and turned tail for home. Hey guys, let's get back up into the real fight! Had to recall the Squadron more than once to get them to go after the bomber group still heading for their target. EAW did have some massive air wars, in keeping with its name! Graphics weren't that great, but game play was immersive. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to clarify, I'm not interested in "sniper" AI but rather useful AI calling out threats and targets accurately as real gunners and wingmen would do. I'm aware of difficulties in programming these things but perhaps the AI development going on in other areas could be used in the game engine to facilitate better realistic behavior.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/22/2024 at 6:29 AM, Skelthos said:

I think people also overestimate how many should be shot down.

With regards to BoX, no, it's really is just that they're dramatically less accurate than even the most unskilled human gunners under certain reproducible conditions (and simultaneously too accurate under other conditions). Take up a position parallel to and off to the side from a bomber and they'll struggle to land a single hit, even under conditions where relative motion is small and no lead at all is needed. They don't even aim in your vicinity!

This is the current status quo in BoX, and I'd really like to see better in Combat Pilot:

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Strike Fighters: Project 1" had some decent AI. You can designate your wingman or a flight to attack a ground target with decent success. A 3rd party guy had released a P47N, that was interesting to fly on my "Danger! Bering Straits" map. You draw the early Migs into a turning fight with good success, just stay low and they couldn't get to you. Fun stuff. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...