AI flight models

I can imagine this has been brought up before, but couldn't find the thread so here goes:

What flight models are used for the AI aircraft? I'm asking as in some cases it certainly isn't the same as the one the player has to work with.

Atm quite a few AI controlled aircraft seem capable of energy retention simply not possible by a player in the same aircraft. An extreme example atm is the AI MiG-21, which somehow can give even 4th gen fighters a hard time in a dogfight.

They use the SFM.

They use the SFM.

That makes sense, but what doesnt make sense is if they feature better performance & maneuverability because of this as it should be possible to match EM graphs even with a simpler FM than that of the player controlled aircraft.

AI is cheating and most times harder to beat then other players.

They do not only have a very simple flight model, they also have no g-limitations and they can also see you permanent and everywhere.

It is impossible to sneak to the AI, not even going silent in clouds...

They use the SFM.

More like WTFM.

MiG-21 and F-5E are the worst offenders as far as I've seen.

They are capable of insane maneuvers.

Older AI planes like F-4E or MiG-23 for example, behave much more plausible - relatively speaking.

I remeber one of my early attemps:

Tasked an AI Su-25T to attack a base. Sneaked behind it and as soon as I got a lock with the Magic II (IR), the Su-25T dropped flares, made an inverted immelman nearly on spot and put a R60 directly in my cockpit. Took only seconds. Was not that much fun...

It is depending on the skill level. If you put any aircraft on the lowest possible skill, they're easy. If you put them on the highest, it's just a joke.

Also, learn the pattern of them and you can fool them.

IIRC the skill level does not affect anything on their skill, only the distance from where they start to engage you.

They use the SFM.

They don't even go that far.

A while ago AI planes were able to be made flyable with some file edits. From flying them you could see that they essentially hardcode a g limit for a given speed that is modified by altitude. It's really simple compared to player aircraft.

AI aircraft also suffer no handling issues, like torque from a piston engine or AoA limits. They are always perfectly controllable, although their performance is degraded by flying really slow or at extreme altitude.

I don't think the way AI works is necessarily a problem, but they do seem overtuned in a lot of cases. Especially WWII aircraft and the MiG-15.

IIRC the skill level does not affect anything on their skill, only the distance from where they start to engage you.

Skill level places limits on how hard the AI will maneuver and how quickly they change direction.

Yep and even the F/A-18 Lot20 (my Ai Wingmen) did some crazy high Alpha drifting shit after i ordered him to attack an enemy Mig-21.

Crazy Crazy. It seems they never ever ever loose energy

Try a WWII bomber. They go vertical from 6K' to 30K' without losing airspeed -- and with a full bomb load. Even a F86 can't keep up with them.

march 2019, three new aircraft released, and this is still not fixed?

booo, ED! Not purchasing F14 until the core game is fixed.

I really REALLY hope ED will redo the AI aircraft flight models to be inline with the player FM in terms of performance sometime in the near future, because atm it's just ridiculous.

Should be perfectly possible too, and it's an important part of how the game feels, esp. for those who primarily fly offline (I do both 50/50).

For obvious reasons they can't give the AI same as player FM.

That said the SFM can probably be tweaked so that their inertia bleeds more quickly during increasing AoA and/or G loads. That is the only area I believe realistically ED can improve the realism for AI/SFM handling.

It's like the player flight models work pretty well until you go into the extremes, as any look up table, or other formula goes out the window. Unless calculating the position of about 500 trillion molecules per milisecond interacting with another gazillion on the plane becomes possible, in real-time. Until then we have lookup tables, ones that an AI can't (yet) deal with.

Yeah some of the AI maneuvering is a bit insane. The Mig-21 seems the worst culprit in my experience carrying out some impossible maneuvers. I make them eat a sparrow/AMRAAM at distance rather than getting in a turn fight wherever possible.