AI is on top of my list

[ChocsAway]

Originally Posted by buddye

I agree with nearmiss but ....

Why is it so difficult to make AI planes that follow the same rules of physics and gunnery that human-controlled planes do in flight sims?

I also am very interested in AI. As a volunteer BDG (BOB Development Group) member, I have worked on the BOBII AI over 6 years trying to improve it and make it more human like.

In BOBII the AI and the player use the same FM and code so they are equal with only two exceptions (1) the AI do not black out or white out and (2) the AI can see through clouds (the AI do have blind spots as they can not see through the solid A/C parts [wings, rear, nose, etc] or see into the sun). Customers do sometimes complain that the AI can pull more G's and does not black out but in my opinion the advantage is small against a human pilot.

In BobII the AI can stall, spin, crash, and do stupid things. The AI ability to fly effectively is controlled with "skill level" which the player can select in Instant Action Missions and skill level is assign or user controlled in the Dyamic Campaign. The higher skill level AI are more effective in Air Combat as they have the ability to fly more maneuvers and they fly each maneuver more effectively and efficiently.

Why are the AI not more human like?

In one word the answer is "cost". The AI can not just be designed and implemented. It must be tested, re-worked, and re-tested over and over. The quality of the testers giving feedback must be exceptional and the amount of time and manpower is very large and it can never end as you are never done. The AI is not just designing to a spec. The AI is more of an art. It is cheaper to put you game money into things that can be designed, scheduled, and implemented (Multi-Player, Landscape, cockpits, and more eye candy). Also eye candy sells well but customers seem to always complain about the AI.

You did a great job with the BoB2 WOV AI Buddye. They could do with some of your expertise on CloD.

As many in this thread have said, the AI is a mess. I haven't fired up CloD much in the last month or so because the awful AI has always been the biggest immersion killer for me since release. The eye candy is all very nice but IMO it's worthless without some pretty serious tweaking under the hood on the AI and AI flight models as many of them are laughable at the moment.

Here's hoping that getting it fixed is also near the top of the devs list.

[Codex]

Didn't Illya say in one of his updates that he had recently hired someone or was going to hire someone with sole purpose of reworking the AI in CoD?

[nearmiss]

Buddye has done a fabulous job with the BOB II WOV. I mean fabulous AI performance after hundreds and hundreds of hours working with the AI. Then going back and forth with the community of users for feedback.

Alas, the problem with most gamer type developers their ego gets in the way. Then we get stuff like MSFT CFS3 from Hatfield that just ruined a great sim with his so-called improvements. I knew it would be junk when I started it the first time, the pilots were hanging around the garbage cans.

It would great if Luthier consulted with Buddye, he couldn't do better. I say that because NO ONE has a better AI performance package for WW2 air combat sims. I think I own every WW2 air combat sim produced for the past 12 years, so I haven't missed much.

Glad you dropped in Buddye, I'm glad to toot a horn for you.