A Scenario

[tater]

The AI seeing through clouds (period) would be a major failure to improve on IL-2, IMO.

Fixing the all-seeing AI to force LOS restrictions trumps grass on the ground, etc.

Also, instead of seeing AAA guns explode when strafed, a more realistic approach would have the crews suppressed or killed. The gun itself? You'd not see it burning like il-2, it would simply not be shooting any more.

The argument we usually see for poor ground AI, and poor ground DMs is "this is an aircraft simulator, not a XXXXXX simulator." That argument is only valid to the extent the simulator is aa air to air FIGHTER simulator, and not a bomber simulator.

As soon as the player is tasked with attacking ground targets, the ground targets need a certain fidelity in terms of DM. etc, or the whole thing falls apart, IMO.

This is clear in Il-2. Bombers/ground attack planes work best in il-2—aside from their poor AI having them make multiple passes til dead/out of ammo—as AI planes that are only in the mission for show. Some reason for you, in a fighter, to fly. "Escort the bombers," or "intercept the bombers."

Once you ARE the bomber/CAS plane, you need the targets to be realistic at a certain level. AAA, and many ground targets need to be slightly more realistic than Il-2. Ships, OTOH, need to be grossly more realistic, both in AI capability (ships simply must evade attacks, DM need to be more than X bombs sinks ship in 1 minute).

tater