4.11 Development Update

[BF-109-Flier]

Hello everyone!
This is my first post.

I noticed there are coming AI changes in the 4.11 patch. This is very interesting. I have one suggestion for a possible AI problem.

When playing Ngen online campaigns with a friend we have noticed problems when an AI flight returns to base early.

For example an AI flight is performing CAP over an airfield or an area and then returns to base with no enemy contact. Then enemy AI flight attacks this group that is landing / circling. The AI planes do not seem to care about being attacked much, but continue circling their home airfield and perform landings. They eventualy get slaughtered on the runways and in the air one by one.

Now the AI planes try to evade when attacked, but do not start a dogfight with the enemy. They act wery passively. That is if 1 AI plane gets attacked while landing the other friendly AI planes just continue waiting for landing clearance and circle the airfield.

Would be much better if the AI flight that is trying to land would cancel their landing and engage as a group against the enemy. And only after the enemy has been driven away / or destroyed would they continue their landing attempts.

Maybe some kind of AI code that tells the AI not to land if there are enemies in the vicinity of the airfield. So they would try to shoot these enemies down before trying to land. Maybe the AI could even take off again if the home airfield was attacked...

Even if they run out of fuel or ammo it would be more realistic, I think, if they would rather bail out or crash-land than try to calmly land on their home airfields with enemies in the air.

P.S. I have also tested this by creating a Full mission builder scenario where an AI flight of 4 planes with full ammo and fuel has a waypoint to land. Then another AI flight with 4 planes has a waypoint over that airfield where the other AI lands. The AI that lands seems wery passive about the fact that it is attacked.


And thank you for making these great updates to this old game! Exelent work!

[GF_Mastiff]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

UBI is NOT the developer, why after 10+ years don't people understand that yet.

UBI is merely the publisher for the West.

They have no hand in day to day operations of Maddox Games or IL2 in any way.

We are better off if they just maintain their current "hands off" position reagrding IL2.

Well they do have a foot in the door here in the west, and is our publisher here in the west. so stands to reason. I'm still very surprised they have'nt thought about turning this onto a DLC market.

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

Originally Posted by GF_Mastiff

Well they do have a foot in the door here in the west, and is our publisher here in the west. so stands to reason. I'm still very surprised they have'nt thought about turning this onto a DLC market.

They would have failed.

[ElAurens]

+10000000000000000000

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by BF-109-Flier

The AI planes do not seem to care about being attacked much, but continue circling their home airfield and perform landings. They eventualy get slaughtered on the runways and in the air one by one.

This is an old AI problem. Perhaps it will be fixed in the 4.11 patch.

If not, while it's fun to have a "turkey shoot" against AI planes circling to land, it's not realistic. Bombers should scatter or try to get back into formation, call for fighter support and/or move so they are protected by flak.

Fighters should go back into fighting formations and try to fight back. If that's not possible, they should behave as bombers do.

Planes damaged on landing approach shouldn't circle endlessly, but should be cleared for an emergency landing and go straight in to land, ahead of their undamaged peers. If necessary, due to fuel leaks, fires, etc. they should not bother with the usual "upwind" and "downwind" legs of the landing pattern.

Finally, it appears that planes circling to land go in a descending circular spiral. And they always land one by one. In some cases, it would be more realistic for planes to orbit at a distance from the airbase, maintaining speed and altitude, and peel off singly or in pairs for landing.

Landing pattern could be changed slightly to have planes flying a more typical "race track" pattern on final approach under visual flight conditions. That is, orbit in a circular holding pattern at altitude until given landing clearance, then do "race track" like upwind and downwind legs to check that the runway is clear, then go in for final approach.

If there were historical variations in landing behavior, it would be cool if they could be modeled in the AI, or at least at an option in the FMB.

[BF-109-Flier]

Looks like the 4.11 patch was released just hours after my post. Unfortunately the AI landing "turkey shoot" still seems to be in the 4.11 version. Oh well, maybe in future versions it will be addressed now that they have started adjusting the AI in other areas.

[EAF331 Starfire]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

UBI is NOT the developer, why after 10+ years don't people understand that yet.

UBI is merely the publisher for the West.

They have no hand in day to day operations of Maddox Games or IL2 in any way.

We are better off if they just maintain their current "hands off" position reagrding IL2.

Hear! Hear!

I wish Red Storm haden't sold Rainbow Six to Ubi
(long and sad story)

[EAF331 Starfire]

I would like to thank the Daidalos Team for patch 4.11
I found so many exiting features which will help increasing the playablity.

The sorting of feature in the difficulty screen are very indeed.

The ability to disable outside view exept when you are standing still will be a great help in carrier missions when the HSFX/SEOW team get the 4.11 implemented.

The SmartThr to control 4 engines w. a dual throttle setup need a small twitch but I love it allready.

The ability in the FMB to use static a/c as spawnpoint are really making me smile

The new FM of the Fw190 is a dream, but the it is now impossible to land since I can't loose speed even with gear and flaps out. Finally a -4 can beat a Spit V. As a member of an Allied Sqd I should not be so fond of it. I expect that we will loose a lot of pilots due to lack of respect We just need to get better


My heart danced when I first flew the IL-4. I have been waiting for good flyable one for years. Finally an alternative to the Pe2/Pe3.


There are so many more changes, but I would just like to say thanks.
Seyou at the Bug report

Good job guys

[SA_Chaney_475th]

I just don't know where all this is going. Too much is moving too fast. I'm now hearing about 4.12. And besides...what's with DBW? Will DBW and SAS have 4.11 support? Real pilots wanna know. lol. Cheers

[DD_crash]

Originally Posted by SA_Chaney_475th

I just don't know where all this is going. Too much is moving too fast. I'm now hearing about 4.12. And besides...what's with DBW? Will DBW and SAS have 4.11 support? Real pilots wanna know. lol. Cheers

You need to ask this at the SAS site. Although they have said the they are sticking to 4.101 as the base.