AI Taxiing Troubles in IL-2 Sturmovik: A Community Discussion and Potential Fixes

The IL-2 Sturmovik series, renowned for its realistic flight simulation, occasionally presents challenges with AI behavior. A recurring issue involves AI wingmen exhibiting erratic taxiing behavior, sometimes even when perfectly positioned on the runway, leading to mission disruptions and frustration for players. This article delves into this specific problem, potential causes, and community-suggested solutions within the IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles community.

The Problem: AI That Refuses to Cooperate

Players have reported instances where AI flight leads, despite being ready for takeoff, will request permission to taxi to the runway. This is where problems begin, with the AI often:

• Bumbling Around: AI aircraft may maneuver erratically, making unnecessary turns and failing to maintain a straight path.
• Colliding with Other Aircraft or Objects: This can lead to damage or destruction of aircraft, effectively ruining the mission before it even begins.
• Failing to Take Off: Resulting in only a portion of the flight making it airborne.

This behavior, which has been reported for quite some time, is a known issue to the developers and is actively being investigated.

Is it a Bug or a Mission Design Issue?

Several factors seem to contribute to the AI taxiing issue:

• Mission Design: Incorrect sequencing or placement of aircraft in the Mission Editor (ME) can confuse the AI.
• Airfield Specific Issues: Some airfields, like Woodchurch and High Halden, have specifically been identified as problematic.
• Modded Content: Missions generated by mods like PWCG (Pat Wilson's Campaign Generator) can also trigger this behavior due airfield definitions within the mod.

Community Suggested Solutions & Workarounds

While a definitive fix from the developers is awaited, the IL-2 community has offered several workarounds:

• Air Starts: Bypassing the taxiing process altogether by starting the mission airborne is a reliable solution.
• Mission Editor Adjustments: Carefully reviewing aircraft placement and sequencing in the Mission Editor to ensure proper AI behavior.
• Airfield Avoidance: If the problem consistently occurs at a specific airfield, switching to a different one might resolve the issue.
• PWCG Air Starts: Players using PWCG have found that utilizing air starts within the campaign alleviates the issue on problematic airfields like Davydovskiy.

The Wind Sock Connection?

One interesting observation suggests that the presence of a wind sock near the runway might be related to the AI's erratic behavior. The theory is that the AI might be trying to taxi towards the wind sock, leading to collisions. However, this remains speculative.

Specific airfield focus: Davydovskiy

The airfield Davydovskiy, in particular, has a long history of taxiing issues. While reports indicate that the base is functioning correctly in the stock career mode, the PWCG still experiences issues getting aircraft properly aligned for take off. For career mode players, the U-2 is able to complete successful take offs without any needed changes.

Reporting Issues to the Developers

If you encounter this AI taxiing problem, especially on airfields other than Woodchurch and High Halden, providing detailed information to the developers is crucial. This includes:

• Airfield Name: Specify the exact airfield where the issue occurs.
• Mission Type: Indicate whether it's a stock career mission, a custom mission, or a mission generated by a mod like PWCG.
• Mission File: Providing the mission file, especially for custom missions or PWCG generated ones, can help the developers identify the root cause.

Conclusion

The AI taxiing issue in IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles can be a source of frustration, but understanding the potential causes and utilizing community-suggested workarounds can help mitigate the problem. By providing detailed feedback to the developers, players can contribute to finding a permanent solution and improving the overall gameplay experience. Always remember to check the official IL-2 Sturmovik forums for the latest updates and discussions on this and other issues. In the meantime, flying safe and see you in the skies!