[Warp Shadow]

I assume this must be either a small issue or one everyone has accepted by now but I simply cannot stand it anymore. Is there any way, through changing of ai, tables whatever, to stop the AI from constantly flying over you and trying to tail you even while being shot at?! It breaks down into them circling around you forever while you try to scroll uop with them, shooting at them and you just circle around each other like this for a while until eventually you win. In a big brawl it's not a problem as the ships fly, evade and change targets so they don't fall into predictable patterns but when one goes after you, it just flies over you, as you are turning, in a never ending circle trying to get behind you. If you break away, then it just falls behind you and shoots and if you turn around while it's chasing you than it will just circle around you again to get behind you. If you slide or afterburn it just keeps trying. If you glide then it follows you while you face backwards and shoot at it. It's so frigging stupid! Otherwise intense dogfights lose their appeal when you have to spend 10 freaking minutes scrolling your mouse up over and over again, picking it up and dropping it back down, holding down the left mouse button and listening to the exciting battle going on behind you. Is there some build where the enemies break off, change directions, switch targets or generally even change their tactics? This circle fighting is driving me nuts. ESPECIALLY with the velocity mod!!! How do the BtRL people stand it?!

[Stormkeeper]

When they fly over you, slow down. Breaking helps to bring them into your crosshairs.

[haloboy100]

I hate to break it to you, but this is how it should be. I mean, the only way to properly chase a target is to be behind him. All the AI is trying to do is shoot at you, and this it's trying to do it.

Also. Get a joystick. The most likely reason why I never even thought about this at all was because with a joystick I'm able to turn fast enough to intercept anybody on my ass.

When they fly over you, slow down. Breaking helps to bring them into your crosshairs.

Forgot about that. But shouldn't the AI be matching your speed?

[Droid803]

Its not a problem with the AI.
Its a problem with YOU.

Why wouldn't they try go get behind you? You want easy killz? lol.
Would you prefer if they're flying in a straight line?
Would you prefer them to sit there?

Whenever I dogfight, I go behind the enemy to shoot their asses off. Its only right the AI do the same.

EDIT: yes, getting a joystick will help. Simply pull up until they appear.

[Warp Shadow]

Its not a problem with the AI.
Its a problem with YOU.

Why wouldn't they try go get behind you? You want easy killz? lol.
Would you prefer if they're flying in a straight line?
Would you prefer them to sit there?

Whenever I dogfight, I go behind the enemy to shoot their asses off. Its only right the AI do the same.

EDIT: yes, getting a joystick will help. Simply pull up until they appear.

I'd say you're the one with the problem here. I'm not stupid. Getting on someone's tail is the smart thing to do. However, continuing to circle around your target like a demented merry go round is just above ramming into your enemy on the tactical intelligence scale. I have no problems with the difficulty. In fact, I already said that I win every time. What I have problems with is the tedium. I would not prefer my enemies to fly in a straight line or sit still. I would prefer them to try a different tactic when the one they are using turns out to be a half baked impractical brainfart. If you've ever seen an actual dogfight, the pilots don't spend 20 minutes flying pretty circles around each other. That just results in the faster turner winning. So unless me being bored of the AI's drudgery is somehow affecting the cosmic balance of the universe and making freespace dumb, it pretty much a problem with the AI. And also, your problem for commenting on a post you obviously didn't understand in a condescending, egotistical and generally ass-hattish way.

TO STORM KEEPER: I hadn't actually tried just braking. I figured the AI would just brake too and intall a new ventilation system on my fighter. Apparently they don't though

In general, this isn't so much a problem I have, as an issue that sucks the fun out of the game. Maybe a joystick would be better for keeping up with them but it would still be irritating trying to shoot them. It's not really too bad at the default two 250 km/h speeds the ships go at, it's just an annoying inconvenience. No, it's when you jack up the speed to the speed that you would expect of futuristic space fighters that it gets unbearable. I would seriosuly try to learn AI coding if it were the only way to fix it.

Try this. Make a FRED mission, 1 on 1 in clear space. Set the velocity on...say the...Ulysses to 160 and the turning to anywhere from 2.0 to 2.9 adn just TRY to gun them down. It's a huge pain in the ass. It's virtually impossible to get behind them and takes forever to circle kill them. Oh and remember to jack up the weapon velocities.

Actually, I think I remember hearing a huge complaint about this on the BtRL forums but I couldn't try it out because it crashed every time I loaded the game.

[Akalabeth Angel]

   The only reason the AI is flying circles around you is because you're following suit and flying circles around him. You're both doing the same thing. If the other guy is too manoeuvrable for you to get on his tail, then send one of your wingman after him and go attack someone else. Yeah, they'll get some free shots, but usually if you break off it'll give you a chance to get back on their tail when they follow you.

[haloboy100]

Plus it takes, like, 10 seconds for your shields to recharge to full anyway, if they get some pot shots.

[blowfish]

You are experiencing dumb AI syndrome.  Basically, the AI is too dumb to know how to get out of circling.  I actually used this to my advantage once.  I was on BtRL, some Scar duel mission, on Hard.  I had no hope of beating Scar normally.  Instead, I got myself into one of these infinite loops.  Scar kept firing at me, even though I was always outside his reach.  Eventually, he ran out of ammo, and I was able to kill him (still wasn't easy though ... squirmy son of a b*tch), but it just proves that the AI has no logic skills.

[General Battuta]

I hate to say it, but this is the way things often work out in real life...they're called 'dogfights' for just this reason. Tail-chasing.

[Commander Zane]

I'd say I have to agree with Warp Shadow, it's particualry annoying on a campaign like Transcend's final mission, having to spend about five to ten minutes to actually take down ships that can fly circles around you three times before you finally complete one elevator roll.

[Warp Shadow]

Ah, I'm glad to see people know what I'm talking about now. I'm seriously prepared to do AI coding or something to fix this. It's not the the AI trying to tail you that is the problem. It's the boring and idiotic way it does it. Funnily enough, if you set computers to fight amongst each other they don't seem to do this. They put on quite a spectacular show amongst themselves. It seems that, however, once they decide to attack a player, they lose all common sense, fear and piloting ability and they dumbly circle around you forever. There should be something in the coding that's like "if the AI stays in chasing state for however many seconds (probably influenced by a stat) without reaching the state where it is behind the player and commences shooting, the AI changes to a different state like shooting from the side, changing directions, breaking off and flying back or even just changing targets". That way, it wouldn't get stuck in a perpetual state of ass chasing.

[Excalibur]

Slowing down does work a little - if there are any large ships around, fly around it and abush the AI.
If you have a mouse, use the 2 numpad key for a min - usually it is easier to fly in an "upwards" circle. I do agree that they don't change their strategy - I have been in loop-de-loop contests before.


Show me something that beats 87 BF reds and I'll show you Hateful Lies!!!

My Colossus with all turrets on BFRed with 1 second recharge rate  Yours are only canon BFReds...

[Stormkeeper]

See, you have to remember that speed and maneuverabilty are opposites. That is, faster you're flying, harder it is to turn. Braking allows you to turn much faster and bring him into your viewport quicker.

The AI doesn't always match your speed though, usually their speed varies based on what you're doing. Not sure about you all, but I'm the one usually matching their speed, and my speedo keeps jumping up and down.

I'd say I have to agree with Warp Shadow, it's particualry annoying on a campaign like Transcend's final mission, having to spend about five to ten minutes to actually take down ships that can fly circles around you three times before you finally complete one elevator roll.

Is it the fight against that stealth fighter?

Show me something that beats 87 BF reds and I'll show you Hateful Lies!!!

My Colossus with all turrets on BFRed with 1 second recharge rate  Yours are only canon BFReds...

... Huh ?

[chief1983]

Actually, pilots _will_ spend some time repeating the same maneuver, if they think they're edging closer to getting a shot.  It's only when one pilot realizes he's losing the fight that he tries a different tactic or looks for an escape.  But that can sometimes take a while.

[Commander Zane]

See, you have to remember that speed and maneuverabilty are opposites. That is, faster you're flying, harder it is to turn. Braking allows you to turn much faster and bring him into your viewport quicker.

The AI doesn't always match your speed though, usually their speed varies based on what you're doing. Not sure about you all, but I'm the one usually matching their speed, and my speedo keeps jumping up and down.

I'd say I have to agree with Warp Shadow, it's particualry annoying on a campaign like Transcend's final mission, having to spend about five to ten minutes to actually take down ships that can fly circles around you three times before you finally complete one elevator roll.

Is it the fight against that stealth fighter?

Show me something that beats 87 BF reds and I'll show you Hateful Lies!!!

My Colossus with all turrets on BFRed with 1 second recharge rate  Yours are only canon BFReds...

... Huh ?

Against all the fighters, Erynies, Pegasus, Perseus, whatever else was there.

[Warp Shadow]

Actually, pilots _will_ spend some time repeating the same maneuver, if they think they're edging closer to getting a shot.  It's only when one pilot realizes he's losing the fight that he tries a different tactic or looks for an escape.  But that can sometimes take a while.

That's the problem, the AI never wins circle fights and so should try something else after circling while being shot at for 10 minutes.

[General Battuta]

The fact that the AI doesn't circle-chase other AIs, but does circle-chase you, seems to indicate that the difference lies in your behavior.

Maybe try doing something different?

[haloboy100]

Maybe try doing something different?

"DO A BARRELL ROLL!"

[General Battuta]

Yeah, or you could try a somersault.

[haloboy100]

Use the boost afterburner to chase!