OK... why is the AI so stupid?

[ColTreize]

So I've been flying the Normandy campaign, in a P-38. In almost every escort mission, the AI spends so much time circling, weaving, and wandering (including frequently losing sight of the bombers completely) that, even in the P-38J... a plane which, if properly flown, could easily go to Berlin and back with DTs... multiple AC in the formation, INCLUDING the flight commander, have run out of gas and crashed into the Channel in each sortie. Meaning that the P-38s are running out of gas flying from almost the English coast to Cherbourg and back. A round trip taking less than an hour.

So, when I finally got a chance to lead one instead of flying wing, I changed things up.

I got 5,000 feet or so above the bombers and throttled back to where we were going about 200Mph with the ability to hold formation. Once I got far enough ahead, I circled back behind the bombers and started the 'racetrack' again. We got to the target, started weaving and circling to look for fighters, covered the bombers, rejoined, escorted them back the same way we escorted them in, and landed... with fuel still left in the RESERVE TANKS, and never even switched over to mains. 

So WHY does the AI seem determined to burn through every drop of fuel when you let it have its way??

Edited 16 hours ago by ColTreize

[GrumpyGnome]

The AI own stock in standard oil, Shell, and Texico. 

[kraut1]

From my experience the MCU Cover works sometimes well and sometimes not, depending partly on the plane type.
I have tested AI in long range escort missions from the North West Netherlands to Frankfurt area in Germany:

P51 is the best, P47 the same issue as you have mentioned, works only if the player is the escort leader and plane manually controlled.

Russian fighters seem to works well as escorts, at least for short/ medium range missions, with P39 and P40 I have obeserved major issues near the mountains of the kuban map (reported and confirmed as an issue in 2024).
Bf 109 not perfect but acceptable for missions with ca. 150km to target. The leader falls back for some time at the beginning but is able to close near the target.
FW190: leader has sometimes major issues.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by kraut1