I've followed along pretty well with Buddye at A2A simulations for some time.
He has made huge improvements in the AI performance.
Then of course the BDG team also built an AI engine called the Merlin.
Here is a recent thread link, which describes 80+ manuevers,etc.
http://www.a2asimulations.com/forum/vie ... 10&t=13562
I've posted this for several reasons.
The BOB has a very small number of flyable aircraft, which means refinement of AI is not near as difficult as it is with a huge number of aircraft as in the IL2 series.
I don't think allowances have been made at this point " FOR THE PLAYER".
By that I mean there are things like keeping things reasonable for the player.
Afterall, there is no human player alive that could compete with the AI. The AI has to be progammed for game enjoyment of ONLY THE PLAYER.
Last night as I was running a mission with 8 friendly at Veteran and 8 enemy aircraft at average the Veteran friendly just mopped up on the 8 avearage AI in short order. Nothing wrong with that since I the player was just riding (letting my plane fly autopilot). In no time flat there were eight friendly and 2 enemy getting their butt handed to them. The 8 friendly ganged up on them, and it was over post haste.
I sure would have hate to be the player flying average with 8 veteran on my 6. Needless, to say I couldn't get my butt away from there fast enough.
The AI is performing now at levels I never would have suspected. I mean when I build a misison the AI does their job so much better... and they appear to have some sense about things.
I don't know how much the Tab Commands and skill level can be utilized to enhance AI performance,
We do need some tactical ability to work with the AI. Example... During 1943 the Soviets implemented tactics flying the P-39 that were unique and worked very well. The soviets would fly in altitude tiers... The P40s would fly low head into the bombers, the P39s would be in tiered altitude layers above. Then when the German fighters jumped from above onto the P40s a tier or two of P39s would B&Z with that big nose cannon into the fray. The higher tiered altitude P39 still would hold out of the mix as long as things went well for their comrades below. If more German fighters entered the fray... then the final upper tiers of P39s would drop into the mix.
Actually, there is no way for P39s to defeat BF109Gs and 190s without this kind of strategy in the game. Currently, I delay arrived of higher altitude P39s is the only way to do it.
If we could actually give commands that would not be overriden whenever our flights recognize enemey aircraft and take after them. Now, our flights go for the enemy aircraft first and work thier ground targets into the fray.
Also, if I am on a misson at high altitude and an enemy flight passes under us, even at very high altittude the AI drop into a dog fight. When flight leader says attack... that should not be overriden.
This is the crux of it "When flight leader gives commands the commands should be obeyed, not overridden. "
When the AI is flying around a flak infested airbase taking out targets they all get shot down. The player can be banging his finger blue on the tab key trying to get them to go for next waypoint.
I'm not thinking of adding new commands at the tab, just want AI to respond to the commands when given and not being self directed.
Are there workarounds.. yeah, you let the AI their stuff and hope they run low on fuel before they all get blasted out of the sky. LOL
Anyway, the AI are a quantum leap improved right now.
At some point maybe you could work with Fireball so as to develop AI behavior to use the new carrier catapults when instructed?
