AI Air Force Incompetence

[Ajantaka]

AC and Crossfire is the best strategy game ever made.  But the worst weakness I find in it is the ai's total incompetence in use of air units.  Typically the ai builds huge air forces and they do nothing except attack formers or drones.  If used to attack resources it would go a good deal towards making the ai more competitive.  Also, if the ai would use its air units for CAP.  Does anyone know of a mod or patch that has the ai actually use its air units to fight and bomb?

[Yitzi]

If Kyrub's doesn't, it's a safe bet that there isn't one yet.

[kyrub]

Air AI will be boosted considerably - that is all I can say at the moment.

And before you ask: NO, I cannot give you strategic bombing of resources. I will be happy if AI can mount a decent challenge and attack your cities, counter attack your planes and in the ideal word - use the bomb and drop tactic.

[Yitzi]

Air AI will be boosted considerably - that is all I can say at the moment.

And before you ask: NO, I cannot give you strategic bombing of resources. I will be happy if AI can mount a decent challenge and attack your cities, counter attack your planes and in the ideal word - use the bomb and drop tactic.

When you do, make sure to have it consider the strength of AAA as well; if someone mods to make chop-and-drop weaker, that shouldn't cause the AI to do it anyway as if it was its old strength and end up getting destroyed for that reason.

[kyrub]

I am pretty sure this is already implemented in SMACX. AI simulates every combat before it decides whether to go on offensive.
(I have noticed the smac wiki here is wrong on this in at least one entry (modifying combat bonuses for higher elevation. ANY combat bonuses are taken into consideration by AI.)

The simulation, however, is used wrongly by the AI - at least I think so. AI is too careful in general. This is devastating for air combat, where there is yet another self-penalty inserted. Simply speaking, AI wants to be sure it gets its target down, before it attacks with a plane. This may seem logical in general, but it leads to helpless sitting back and waiting for its own death in many situations. It was a dumb decision by the programmers.

[Ajantaka]

Kyrub,

Thanks for the reply and for your work on a fix.  As one who is computer dumb I appreciate the work of all those who provide these wonderful patches.  It is ok if you can't get strategic bombing; if the air forces of the ai will just get more aggressive this will improve the game tremendously.  You confirm what I always suspected, that the ai will not attack with an air unit unless that unit is almost assured of victory; which is a prescription for rarely attacking anything except formers and the weakest units.

Also, is my experience with the Drones over the last 15 years atypical?  Has anyone else found that the Drone air force is far more aggressive than the other factions?  This has always seemed to me to be a curious, intriguing and fun anomaly.  Thanks again.