AI is on top of my list

[nearmiss]

I remember several years back building missions. I was stopped dead in my tracks so often by poor AI, and lack of comms ability to have any power of your player flights...except go home.

Pokryshkin developed tactics to beat the Germans in G2s and 190s, by using his flight groups at tiered altitude levels. The p40s were at lower altitudes to take on the german bombers. The P39s would drop in from tiered altitude levels when the german fighters went for the p40s. Pokryshkin kept the E advantage with flights at several levels higher and as the battle advanced they would drop down incrementally. The p39s with those big cannons in the nose made short work of the german fighters.

I could not keep the Russian fighters at the tiered levels. The moment the germans attacked the p40s all the p39s from all levels, except player would drop into the fur ball. The P39s were no match for the G2s or 190s without E advantage.

So, yes communications with power for managing flight groups is very necessary. I'm just thinking in terms of this one example.

You can tactically fly Online with comms, but Offline you are subject to whatever a stupid (ultra-stupid) AI aircraft will do.

I realize good ai performance makes a difference online, but there was never much flak from online players about AI performance as I recall.

[Madfish]

Actually what I meant was that with this new completely open design AI planes could be used much more constantly than in the old IL2.

Actually there could be a constant presence of certain flights on almost all servers. Basically what I want to say is that the new multiplayer could involve a lot more AI than it did in the past. Huge dynamic campaigns or constant scenarios that have a realistic amount of AI planes, ships and ground vehicles present at any time.

Good example regarding AI though. I wonder if somethink alike would / could be implemented.

[nearmiss]

As I understand it. WHen COD is working at finished levels 128x128 should be realistic number of aircraft in air combat at one time = 256 planes.

That would be a whopping big order to put together that many human players at one time.

AI is the only possibility for large groups of planes in the air at one time.

So... I would naturally think the devs have good understanding that competent AI performance would be required.

[Iku_es]

My current wishlist is:
1-communication
2-AI
3-dynamic campaign

+1

Once they have the game optimized, revamping the AI is necessary.
I play a lot offline, because I don't have enough free time to look for a populated server and pair up with wingies. Just 10 minutes to start the game, and try to shoot some bad guys. Fighting against either planes flying bee lines or crazy rolling AI planes is not very funny and also it teach you a lot of bad habbits .

256 online players mixed with AI ... it would be an amazing experience but, today, it seem unlikely to me. That will put our system above their capabilities. If I try to join a sever with 256 players and Ai planes buzzing arround, my PC will laught at me.
My system is not a "Top specs" one, but when I play online, everytime an AI flight is spawned or a player joins the server, i have heavy stutters.
My guess is that this situation will improve with the following patches.

Maybe in 2013, we can experience massive online raids over London, who knows. (Fingers crossed)