AI use of Air Force

[jbavon]

I hope this gets fixed soon, because it is so obvious in EVERY game that the feature is almost completely broken.

 

[Dearmad]

So... AI using em?

I am glad it wants to pillage more.. but not made it to modern ages yet.
Anyone?

 

[RohirrimElf]

Would like to know as well. Just got home from playing 2 hours of tennis.

 

[Mummiesforpeace]

In the last game I finished, I had been rapidly sweeping the map with 4 jet bombers when I uncovered a new enemy city. I was horrified to discover it had an airport with 5 jet bombers. Uh-oh!

As it turned out, this presented no problem: instead of attacking with those bombers (or even retreating them), the AI did nothing as I bombed his airport repeatedly, and soon crushed his air forces. After that, I won the game.

Needless to say, the AI's use of air power leaves something to be desired.

 

[Tech Osen]

Was this before or after the patch?

 

[Mummiesforpeace]

Before.

 

[The Economy]

Now that this thread has been ressurected from the dead for some reason, we might as well hear about new experiences from after the patch. My game hasn't progressed past medieval yet.

 

[Tech Osen]

Now that this thread has been ressurected from the dead for some reason, we might as well hear about new experiences from after the patch. My game hasn't progressed past medieval yet.

Same, will find out this weekend.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Now that this thread has been ressurected from the dead for some reason

Because from the patch notes:

AI will now better handle air attacks
- Bombers will attack Districts, Improvements, and then Units in that preference
- Fighters will prefer to attack other air units

I'm very interested if there is any improvement in the AI's handling of Air Combat and Air Unit Production. Unfortunately, the little bit of anecdotal evidence I've seen post-Summer patch isn't encouraging.

 

[Mummiesforpeace]

Well, in my current game, I did see the AI withdraw one jet bomber from an airport to a city center, before I could destroy it. But it never used the bomber, even though I had a modern armor unit posted in a threatening position a mere two hexes away. I'll post my observations during my next game.

 

[Victoria]

I was happily sailing past Gilgamesh with 5 frigates and a bomber came out of the fog and attacked a frigate. Rather disturbing. I am pretty sure he used a bomber to nuke me also.
Deity game badly out scienced

 

[gfeier]

I had a game recently, AI had 2 bombers and a Fighter in an airfield near my border. He declared on me, I brought my forces up, bombed the crap out of everything, and not once did he use his air force. When I took the airfield, he had moved his units to the nearby cities. Not once did he use them against my forces.

Before or after the latest patch?

 

[Laurana Kanan]

@gfeier Considering that post was on the 7th of July, I think it's safe to assume it was from before the Summer patch.

I was happily sailing past Gilgamesh with 5 frigates and a bomber came out of the fog and attacked a frigate. Rather disturbing. I am pretty sure he used a bomber to nuke me also.
Deity game badly out scienced

Not exactly the great stride forward I was hoping for, but at least you saw the AI use a bomber (I've never) once (maybe twice), so I guess that's something.

How about interceptions by defending air units? Or, use of AA units?

 

[sfchammer]

Just finished an emperor domination victory as Norway.

During my wars, I had a couple of my battle ships finished off by Roman fighters, saw another leader (can't remember which one) move a fighter out of an airfield just before I conquered the city (perhaps coincidence), and had three of my bombers destroyed by AA units when attacking Madrid very late in the game. Was shocked the first time so I threw more bombers at the same city to make sure (just like a lab rat that doesn't learn ... or Homer Simpson)



Wouldn't say they used their air warfare capabilities to the best, but I've never seen any of that before so was pleasantly surprised. Good to see.

 

[sonicmyst]

I just saw an AI jet fighter attack my cavalry in my game earlier. Also in my previous game, AI bomber attacked my ship.

 

[It'sPat]

Has anyone verified whether anti-aircraft strength does or is supposed to scale up with the formation of fleets and armadas as regular combat strength does? It doesn't seem like it does to me. I had a battleship armada slaughtered by an aircraft the other day. I thought it was a jet fighter, but I can't figure out how a jet fighter could one-shot a battleship. 85 vs 65 should not be enough, unless maybe the Strafe promotion applies to naval units? And certainly you would have to presume no +17 to armada anti-aircraft strength? Maybe it was a jet bomber and I was just too shocked by what happened to notice.

 

[Timothy001]

Before or after the latest patch?

It was well before the summer patch. I have been too busy to complete a game to see if the AI uses their air units yet.

 

[DrJambo]

Has anyone verified whether anti-aircraft strength does or is supposed to scale up with the formation of fleets and armadas as regular combat strength does? It doesn't seem like it does to me. I had a battleship armada slaughtered by an aircraft the other day. I thought it was a jet fighter, but I can't figure out how a jet fighter could one-shot a battleship. 85 vs 65 should not be enough, unless maybe the Strafe promotion applies to naval units? And certainly you would have to presume no +17 to armada anti-aircraft strength? Maybe it was a jet bomber and I was just too shocked by what happened to notice.

I had battleships getting one-shotted by City defences which felt a little OP.

 

[Mummiesforpeace]

As of now, I have seen no evidence that the AI has learned how to use air power, beyond merely building and deploying planes.

For example, in my latest (post patch) game, I was laying siege to Cairo, which I had surrounded by several field cannons, when I saw a biplane appear in an adjacent air strip. At first, I got excited... my first post-patch encounter with enemy air units! Hoping to provoke a reaction, I rolled a cannon onto the air strip; this caused him to move the plane to the city center.

I then proceeded to pound Cairo over a long period. During this time, the AI never attacked with his plane, even though some of my units were badly damaged and could have been picked off. Eventually, I took Cairo, without the biplane making so much as a whimper.

Not exactly a Spitfire performance worthy of Dunkirk, I must say.

 

[sonicmyst]

As of now, I have seen no evidence that the AI has learned how to use air power, beyond merely building and deploying planes.

For example, in my latest (post patch) game, I was laying siege to Cairo, which I had surrounded by several field cannons, when I saw a biplane appear in an adjacent air strip. At first, I got excited... my first post-patch encounter with enemy air units! Hoping to provoke a reaction, I rolled a cannon onto the air strip; this caused him to move the plane to the city center.

I then proceeded to pound Cairo over a long period. During this time, the AI never attacked with his plane, even though some of my units were badly damaged and could have been picked off. Eventually, I took Cairo, without the biplane making so much as a whimper.

Not exactly a Spitfire performance worthy of Dunkirk, I must say.

nice reference to a Nolan movie.

back to the topic, I think we have to check if the enemy AI will use their planes if they have the Airpower agenda.