Did AI get worse recently?

[frizball]

I'm new to the P-47 and this campaign.   I've read the guidance on climbing with AI and can manage to (mostly) keep up during the initial climb.  The problem I'm having is that after reaching cruising altitude, the AI never seems to reduce their unrealistic power settings.

Mission 1, which I am still stuck on, the whole AI fleet is balls-to-the-wall all the way until the relief flight shows up.  I can climb (mostly) with my flight up to altitude and be within range of catching up, but even if I leave the aircraft at 52/2700, cowl flaps closed, oil/turbo coolers neutral, cruising at 250mph IAS, the AI flights still outpace me.  Occasionally I can close some of the distance if I under cut one of their turns, but as soon as I turn back to following, they outpace me once again.

I've watched videos that are a couple years old of the flight in this mission where it seems the player is keeping up just fine wile cruising around 200mph IAS.

Once the relief flight shows up and our flight heads off to RTB, it seems everyone slows down to a reasonable cruise speed and I am able to catch up.  Of course by that time I am so low on fuel that I won't be able to make it home.

Edited November 19, 2023 by frizball

[Reflected]

Now they circle overhead the bombers, and that is achieved by 'follow' commands. And in this case it's hard coded into DCS how fast the AI flies. I have no control in the editor. Same as during climbs, really.

This being said they don't use more than 52" and 2700 RPM. In WW2 aircraft it's not easy to overtake someone, and if the difference is 10 mph it takes a while, it's not very apparent.

Try to cut inside the circle as they turn back.

 

 

[Bloyamind]

I tried a mission in the previous update which I had flown before and it seem the formations didn't form, different flights were all over the place. Because of the original jumble with take-off I had lost the rest of my flight and had no chance of finding them back. I'm talking flights being miles apart flying different headings. Will try again sometime soon :). Also diving into the MiG-21 and my track ir solution doesn't work when the sun is shining. Also: no mods. Also: not a complaint whatsoever, just a mention, I was just browsing this sub forum to see if AI troubles were being mentioned by others. Love your campaigns, just got V, will also dive in at some point. Also: no issues with keeping up, got used to being tight during Beware! Beware! :).

[Reflected]

Which mission? Can you be more specific? I just flew the campaign again a month ago and haven’t seen anything like this. 

[Bloyamind]

Mission one (I restarted the campaign). Let me try it again right now. I'll post an update here in a bit :). 

[Bloyamind]

edit: I've watched the video you posted above and the circles make sense now sorry I didn't watch that before posting, however in practice it doesn't seem to work with the erratic turning behaviors. You loose your flight every single time, sometimes you need to do a yoyo to slow down, but then you can't catch up because you lost speed. I must admit I need practice, but still.. The other flights are also all over the place mostly.

Also I have an idea: the information you give in the video is very useful in understanding what needs to be done, is it maybe an idea to add it to the mission briefing? Now it still just states the headings for a straight course and an indication of a formation where Halstead Red is up front on the left. 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Bloyamind

[Reflected]

OK I flew the mission again.

Everybody took off and set course as briefed, RDV was made, then the squadrons assumed their escort positions. I could keep up with the AI, they stayed together more or less. Don't expect them to fly parade formation, nor should you. But the AI didn't do anything more stupid than it has been doing for the past 10 years.

[wowbagger]

That bad eh?

[Reflected]

2 hours ago, wowbagger said:

That bad eh?

no.

[Bloyamind]

9 hours ago, Reflected said:

OK I flew the mission again.

Everybody took off and set course as briefed, RDV was made, then the squadrons assumed their escort positions. I could keep up with the AI, they stayed together more or less. Don't expect them to fly parade formation, nor should you. But the AI didn't do anything more stupid than it has been doing for the past 10 years.

Ok. Just to make sure: on your end, do formations form before you reach RDV at Ramsgate? In any case, thanks for checking again!

[Reflected]

2 minutes ago, Bloyamind said:

Ok. Just to make sure: on your end, do formations form before you reach RDV at Ramsgate? In any case, thanks for checking again!

Yes, they do. They climb in formation - bit dragged out but that’s quite normal, but more or less together. You can recognise which flight is which. 

[wowbagger]

9 hours ago, Reflected said:

no.

Ya, well it was just a joke.

[pachuco70]

Reflected,

Any tricks to keeping up with them?  I can keep up in the climb but the circling formation is tough.  I have tried all kinds of engine settings...and blew a few engines as others have...but even flying WFO ( Wide F'ing Open ) and cutting the corners, I can't stay in the formation.  I was afraid the speed was set by the AI and not by you ( as you mentioned elsewhere ).  It would be nice if their speed was decreased by 10% to 20%. 

I have flown this campaign a dozen times and I must say, aside from the speed they fly, the new formations and the circling pattern is a lot more fun to fly and the mission doesn't feel like it takes as long.  You look out and see a lot of action going on and it makes more sense to fly it like this because you have eyes pointing in all directions!

If you didn't increase the fuel loaded...I don't think you could complete the mission with the old fuel load out.  Flying WFO burns a lot of gas!

Edited December 2, 2023 by pachuco70

[Reflected]

Fuel should be plenty with the drop tanks. The thing is, they fly at max cruise but accelerate at WFO. So if there is already some distance, even if you’re all out, it takes time to close the gap at a difference of 5knots or so. 
So open up flat out to close the gap, and cut the corners, that’s all. But even if you don’t catch up that’s not a problem either, you don’t have to fly parade formation. 
 

It would be nice to limit their power somehow but we don’t have that tool in the editor. 

[Mav87th]

Hi Reflected

 

Thanks for a crazy cool campaign - love it. Just ended the last one on my 5th mission in the campaign getting shot down over Newpoort.

 

How many droptanks should the planes have? Mine have one centerline on these missions.

 

Like others in the thread i have trouble keeping up with the formation - even at maximum continuous flight settings. Perhaps i should experiment with more aggressive engine settings....