4.11 - AI debugging

[apexGP]

Just wanna add a few observations of my own;

Generally, AI (friend and foe) will not withdraw from an engagement zone after sustaining damage that causes heavy oil and/or fuel loss. I would imagine that this should realistically illicit a fairly immediate RTB protocol at the first opportunity. There are some exceptions of course, such as with heavy bombers approaching a target zone, but with flights of smaller A/C (singles or even mutli-engine), they should generally withdraw in an attempt to save themselves and their A/C, being that their ability to execute their mission objectives would at that point be severely compromised. I often see fighter AI with critical engine damage just carrying on like nothing's wrong until they fall out of the sky.

Fighter AI (friend or foe) can often pull off spectacular deflection shots, but then fail to hit a non-maneuvering (and often damaged) target that's directly in front of them. This one has caused me some issues. I've seen my own AI wingmen (of all skill levels) pull off amazing snapshots with a single burst, but then fly right up behind a damaged, non-maneuvering opponent and miss repeatedly until they decide to break off (in frustration?) and leave a potential threat that they should have taken down to become a threat again. They don't attempt to re-engage. I've left several wingmen's wing before when they were literally only moments from serving the coup de grace (ie; sustained guns blazing) on a damaged, straight and level foe, to deal with other threats, only to be later shot down by that very same damaged enemy that my AI wingman let off the hook! Sometimes other wingmen in my flight were right behind me just watching it happen too Almost like the rounds they were firing and missing were actually seen by them as hits, and they broke off their attack cuz they now considered that enemy dead and simply didn't 'see' them anymore. Very strange.

Often, ace AI (QMB) will stay with their A/C after the engine has been disabled in what at first seems to be an attempt at a dead-stick emergency ditch, but ends up becoming a funeral pyre because they don't try to find open areas to attempt the landing. I've witnessed behavior where they actually fly right into a town instead of any of the surrounding fields they had the option to glide to when they still had the altitude available. These pilots are alive when this happens, I fly by and look and then I sometimes observe them in the replay. Dead-sticking carries risks of course, and I'm not implying that every AI should survive when attempting one... but they seem to not give themselves the opportunity because they don't try to guide their planes to open areas.

Most of these observations happened in single-player missions with varying levels of mission complexity, with the exception of the last example.

Excellent work so far! I appreciate all your efforts immensely