Here is the main problem that has existed since WOFF phase one. Many of the aircraft in WOFF UE (player controlled and AI) can dive at unrealistic speeds. While the speed is slower in WOFF UE than it was before, it is still too high. The human player, however, cannot risk diving too fast because of the risk of overspeed damage. Unfortunately, as JJJ has pointed out, AI controlled aircraft are not affected by overspeed damage.

In WOFF phase three, I discovered a way to work around this (I have dabbled in WOFF FM's myself). At that time, WOFF still relied a lot on variables supplied by CFS3. In particular, one could edit the CFS3 air.cfg file to increase the parasitic drag factor which controlled the maximum dive speed (as well as cruise speed and maximum level speed to a slightly lesser effect because parasitic drag increases in a dive) of each aircraft in the sim, both human and AI controlled. Furthermore, by adjusting other values in the air.cfg file, you could adjust maximum G limits and overspeed limits. Unfortunately, even then, the AI was not impacted by these limitations. At least with my modifications, the AI could not dive any faster than the human controlled aircraft, except when the human player was flying a plane with wings sensitive to overspeed damage such as the Alb's.

With WOFF phase 4 (I think that is the correct phase, not sure anymore) OBD decided eliminate its reliance on the CFS3 engine in many respects having to do with the FM, including doing away with reliance on input from the air.cfg file. I'm sure that opened up some new avenues for OBD to pursue in terms of the FM, but unfortunately, third parties can no longer mod the drag values directly.

My hope is that OBD may one day decide to revisit the maximum dive speed for both human and AI controlled aircraft and lower them across the board. At least then when the AI dives away from you because they are not affected by overspeed damage, at least they will dive away from you a little slower!


“With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me it is merely good manners. You may judge which motive is the more reliable.”