Flak AI behaviour

[Kongo]

Has there been any work on improving flak behaviour? One very big gripe is the ai behaviour in BoX in which it locks on to the first aircraft it sees when it enters the engagement bubble and continues firing until it exits. This is very easily duped in a multiplayer setting. Any improvement on the horizon in the logic behind this? It would be nice if the aircraft switches  target whem it sees for ex a ground attack aircraft instead ofa fighter and or if the initial threat is no longer facing the gun switch to a target that is... more ideas welcome.

 

[AEthelraedUnraed]

Hmm, you could try to re-trigger the AttackArea command or Force Complete; I think that should probably make it re-evaluate all targets. Run this every 10 seconds or so.

[Stonehouse]

Il2 Box flak always prioritises fighters over other aircraft if a mix of aircraft are within range. So, with an escorted formation the flak will focus on the escorts not the bombers if both are in range. 

Heavy flak should prioritise bombers then fighter bombers then fighters - not quite sure where glider and transports for airborne troops should fit. Higher than fighters. Last would be transports. Light flak should prioritise fighter bombers (as they were often doing flak suppression), then bombers, then fighters. Again, not sure where glider and airborne troop transports fit. Last again would be transports.

Essentially AAA should prioritise the greatest threat to the ground targets it is defending. That is why it is there. Pure fighters should not be first priority if other aircraft of greater threat to the units being defended are in range. Perhaps the only caveat would be if the aircraft was obviously about to strafe the AAA gun. In this case you probably would expect the gun to attack the aircraft attacking it.

Additionally, aircraft should perform flak evasion maneuvers around their base course. By Korea they should also practice attacking ground targets with multiple aircraft in a short time period approaching simultaneous if possible and arriving from different directions to spread the risk from AAA over as many aircraft as possible. As most AAA on both sides was radar assisted and often with VT style ammo by the time of Korea not using such tactics will make ground attack fairly suicidal if AAA is allowed real life accuracy and density of deployment.

Edited November 26, 2025 by Stonehouse

[Kongo]

Flak should be challenging or at least we be given the option if a challenge. Irl,iirc 85% of all downed UN aircraft were shotdown by flak.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

20 minutes ago, Kongo said:

Flak should be challenging or at least we be given the option if a challenge. Irl,iirc 85% of all downed UN aircraft were shotdown by flak.

IMO Flak set to Ace level is quite challenging 🙂

Based on official loss rates, I think their accuracy in-game is about right. Or at least, it can be tuned to be about right.

[Dash,Polder]

It was already discussed in one of the video briefs a whole new reworked system of multiple flak batteries under a single intelligent command director.

What we really need is more guns firing smarter without dragging your computer on its knees running individual targeting and tracking for every gun.  Sounds like that's what we're going to get.

[IckyAtlas]

On 11/26/2025 at 1:46 PM, Stonehouse said:

Heavy flak should prioritise bombers then fighter bombers then fighters - not quite sure where glider and transports for airborne troops should fit. Higher than fighters. Last would be transports. Light flak should prioritise fighter bombers (as they were often doing flak suppression), then bombers, then fighters. Again, not sure where glider and airborne troop transports fit

If you use the editor you can do that and say to the AAA what to attack, when, stop, switch attack target etc. You can do some pretty complex control sequences. But all that is only if you design it. SO you could have gunners targeting fighters, others bombers etc. But all this means more development time, testing etc.

When you play career or existing scripted missions, then all depends if the designer has made a control logic or if it just leaves it to the standard way the game engine reacts.