Liberation/ DCS Ai

[MadKreator]

Is the Ai dumber than a sack of ham candles or is it just me?

I play liberation a lot and I see a lot of random crap happening in my missions. Like I have a couple ai a-10’s  go on a CAS run at the front line.. they have a certain engagement area to stay in ( noted by a circle in the ME) but if they destroy all the front line targets, instead of returning to base, they will fly off in some random direction toward another airbase or FOB that’s well outside of the AOC they’re assigned to. Or when I setup an ai run to do a sead/dead strike on a SAM site and give the flight two escort fighters, it seems the sead/ dead flight will release ordinance, the turn around and RTB but the escorts will keep flying all the way to the Sam site waypoint instead of sticking with the sead/dead package. Or when a mission is nearing its end and groups of enemy fighters start charging my airbase to attack, and they’re all but ignored by the CAP fighters if they’re returning to base, even though they may have a full load of missiles still.

Is this because of the way the Ai is scripted in DCS or is it something with liberation that I’m completely missing? I used to just play liberation quickly and end the turn when I was done with my mission or when the main packages completed their missions, but lately I’ve enjoyed watching the missions most of the way through, and started noticing these things more and more. It’s kind of annoying lol 

Edited March 31, 2022 by MadKreator

[DeltaMike]

If you like to design your own missions, Liberation is a God-send.  It automates a great deal of drudgery and does an amazing job of it.

Having done that, I see what a challenge it is to get the AI to do what you want it to do.  You kind of have to take what it's willing to give you and under what circumstances.  

Take CAS for example

• Cobras do a fantastic job.  Take names, kick butt.
• Harriers seem intent on getting themselves shot down.
• Your wingmen have an amazing ability to find ground units.  Take a section up, cut em loose.  You can work with the JTAC or provide high cover.  Just reel em in before they all get killed.  Otherwise it's a long lonely ride back to the carrier.  

First couple of times playing Liberation it was like the Keystone Kops out there.  It was hilarious (and a sense of humor goes a long way here).  Now that I'm kind of figuring out the rules of the game, I've grown to really appreciate the dynamic campaign.  I spent hours yesterday not flying, just playing the game itself as a turn based strategy game.  They did a really good job.  They should charge more.  

Part of it is, I put hours into developing a Straight of Hormuz campaign.  It was designed to show that those who don't recall the history of the Dardanelles campaign are doomed to repeat it.  As it turns out, that's the exact scenario of the PG "Scenic Route" scenario in Liberation, to the point where I strongly suspect that was the designer's intent precisely.  The result (in my hands at least) is what I expected   so far at least.  And... dang.  I put hours into that project.  Now all I have to do is press a couple of buttons.  

I don't take DCS as seriously as I used to.  If I did, I'd still be doing MP.