It was discussed here but I do not see the obvious Workshop setting nor can I find the post where I read it.
What was the setting that, essentially, made the AI "shoot more" based on their skill level but it didn't neccesary make them more accurate?

And I am sure I asked this before. Does the AI carry the same ammo load (number of rounds) as the player?

Duke, the "Workshop" has now two pages - click on the bottom right corner.
Second page will show the AI settings.

Yes but nothing that seems to indicate to me "AI shoot more" or did I completely misunderstand the discussion?

I think you did. Pol wrote, that you can select wether the AI is more careful,
and may not eneter afight, or retreat earlier - or an AI that will engage you
always, and fight you to the death.
But not sure, how the settings are called, sorry - you must find out yourself.

Hmmm...I must be having a stroke then.
Let me look some more.

Ok found it.
It is not a click box but a already incorporated feature so I am only partially senile.

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4255816/Turn_off_features_of_WOFF_3_?#Post4255816

So...

AI Enhanced Skills 'ON' = stupid AI that fights to the death?
AI Enhanced Skills 'OFF' = smart AI that weights odds and preserves itself?

Seven answers later this still makes no sense to me, and still seems completely backwards.

Well disregard all my posts sir.
I am guilty of hijacking the thread and talking about a whole different feature

Yes. I guess just think of it as "TERMINATOR AI is ON or OFF.
For people who want every fight to the death, which is how it used to be back on OFF, they can have that option.

So, let's talk AI settings until one of the devs pitches in.

Here are the workshop AI options and their descriptions:



AI Never Backs Down
This seems similar to AI always engages, so my selection is "Off"

AI Enhanced Skill Levels
-There are 3 skill leves: Novice, Veteran, Ace.
-Seems to allow "self preservation" as well if turned "Off". So 1 vs. 12, that one will try to engage the 12. No, not for me.

AI Reduced Vision
-As Creaghorn explained, I'd leave this on to keep the AI's vision reduced.

AI Damage Affects Skill
-I keep this on because it seems that some of the aircraft parts do not allow partial damage. e.g. ailerons, cables, instrument panel, Pilot injury (not death).

What are your thoughts folks?

Thanks Hellshade. Based on what you've confirmed, I do think this setting could have a better name ... along the lines of your suggestion (Terminator AI). The term 'Enhanced' had me baffled (still does, hah-hah) since the setting doesn't 'enhance' the AI skills but rather seems to do just the opposite (takes you back to a stupider AI).

I will set this item to 'off' and get back to exploring WOFF3 in all it's glory!

Agree with all your setting ideas there OldHat, and will be using the same for myself.

It seems it's both skill-dependent and numbers-dependent.

I have to say, I love the more cautious AI, both because it's much more realistic and because it gives me a whole new set of things to decide. Now when I show up with a full flight, enemy flights often just pack up and leave - and I notice (even from observing the "AI" logic that the TAC suggests) that they don't leave in a panic like they might if they're being outfought, but they simply turn away and head back home at their cruise altitude. If they had an altitude advantage, they don't surrender it willy-nilly or break up their formation. Now you have to think about if you're gonna chase them over the frontline to the other side, and whether next time, you might want to sneak up on them by hiding in cloud. Decisions decisions! Decisions are good

Those are the settings I use.
And, the way Creaghorn explained it (or as I understood his explanation), "AI Reduced Vision" is not some flat reduction in vision range but just more factors go into what and how the AI sees.
And yes indeed CCIP, so far so good with the 3.0 AI behavior.

So after more than a year, are the AI settings
OFF
OFF
ON
ON
still they way to go?

Yes,I think that most people would agree that those are the best default settings. However, about half of the time I set the first one (AI never backs down) to on. Doing so results in long drawn-out dogfights, which I greatly enjoy. When set to off the enemy will eventually run away. Then you either just let them go or give chase. However, they'll let you just pull up right behind them and shoot them down, which isn't much fun.

Not always true. I've seen them going into spiraling dives where it looks like they will crash and then at the last minute, they pull out and zoom away towards their own lines. I've given chase to them as they run away, only to find their friends are now latched directly onto my tail and I must turn and face them or be shredded myself. Sometimes you can grab some easier kills as they try to fly away but there are other times when things turn out to be not so simple.