AI aircrafts setup

[Led Zeppelin]

In CFS3, some AI aircrafts are really impossible to dogfight.

The Corsair have no chances againqt Zero, the Emil can't win a dogfight against Spitfire....

I found a simple trick this week-end to make those AI aircrafts less invicible.

1) Open Aircraft.cfg

2) Search for [flight_tuning] section

3) change pitch_stability = value to something above 1

Doing this, the aircraft will not be able to perform a turn as tight as it was with a value of 1.

I've tested a Spitfire MkI with pitch_stability = 10. With this value, a dogfight of 4 Emils (player) vs 4 Spits gave the following result: 4 Spits shot down in flame (one by me, piece of cake), all 109's came back home safely.

Conclusion, it's working because with a value of 1, all Emils are shotdown within 30 seconds.

Of course, 10 is really too high, it was just a test, I haven't started to tune this accuraltely.


This method requiers to build a standard aircraft an an AI (this is what I've done for all the Spits in my BoB install).

[greycap.raf]

Eh... if you're going to do the hard work of creating an individual AI version of every aircraft, why not just add the fuel + ammunition + pilot weight to the AI versions instead of tweaking their capabilities in a most artificial and "unsimulational" way?

Because that's what makes the difference - the AI controlled Spitfire doesn't have 400 kg of fuel, 100 kg of pilot or a couple of dozen kg of ammuniton while your Bf 109E does. When you add those the opponent will fly like a loaded Spitfire should, not like you want (which isn't an universal view by any means) it to, and if it still outmanoueuvres the Messerschmitt it might just be because it's a better dogfighter in real life too. Luftwaffe didn't use boom and zoom tactics for nothing when tackling those Spitfire and Hurricane formations over southern England, they did it because a turning fight would have put them in a disadvantage.

[Vogelscheuche]

Eh... why not just add the fuel + ammunition + pilot weight to the AI versions......

How exactly do you do that?

[Led Zeppelin]

Luftwaffe didn't use boom and zoom tactics for nothing when tackling those Spitfire and Hurricane formations over southern England, they did it because a turning fight would have put them in a disadvantage.
Yes, I know all of that. Trouble is that your wingmen will ALWAYS engage a dogfight against ennemy aircrafts, they never use boom and zoom or any other tactics.... boring CFS3 limitations....

You can add the fuel, pilot, ammo or whatever weight to a Zero, they will always shot down the Corsairs one by one and very quiclky, you are alone in the sky against all of them. Not funny at all.

If you do this, the only solution is to fly 1 vs 1 missions. Then, you can fly your Corsair from the same way the real pilots did and the AI will try to engage a dogfight with it's Zero just like what really happened. But these types of missions are not immersive at all.

[Led Zeppelin]

As usual, it's a matter of balance between gameplay/immersion and historical accuracy.

[ndicki]

How exactly do you do that?

Go and download one of my recent Fairey Battles or Bf109Gs and you'll find out!

Basically, it's using a weighted dummy pylon.

[Nonato]

As usual, it's a matter of balance between gameplay/immersion and historical accuracy.

A quick question: choosing the adversary skill as "rookie" and your own wingmen as "ace" makes no difference at all then?

[greycap.raf]

Basically, it's using a weighted dummy pylon.

I would've gone the "back to basics" way and calculated the weight of the said things, converted it to pounds and added it to the empty weight - naturally this only works if there are separate AI aircraft folders as it's dependant on editing the Aircraft.cfg but having interpreted the opening post properly (I hope) it has already been done that way.

[Talon]

I tweak the cfg file for the planes I fly,The Corsair I have can take on the Zeros with no problem and that includes the ai Corsairs.


Talon

[ceechow]

Talon I think what he is saying is that the 2003 AI friendlies don't use the correct tactics for the aircraft they are flying.However I have chosen four wingmen in me-109E's in the past, against waves of the stock Spit Mk IXC with no losses on my side,Flight Model on Hard,G forces on..auto mix,and to do waves you'll need Unlimited fuel and ammo. I did get shot up by over zealous wingmen when I was on the tail of one of the spits but the split command got my "team mate" off my 6. I never think "nerffing" AI is the way to become a better dogfighter.