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[gmkump]

I'm playing Monty's DOF "The Eastern Front" Mission #8.  Instructed to join three bombers, cross front line with AAA threat, then once through, on to enemy air base.  Well, all went well until the AAA started up.  I was high, AAA went after bombers.  All three shot down, then at me, I was side slipping, getting some damage.

After getting through AAA, I got a "Mission Complete", a long way off from enemy air base.  I looked behind and watched with dismay as my eight fighter allies were ALL shot down by AAA.  Twelve planes never made it through that AAA barrier, I was the soul survivor.  Well, bombing the enemy airbase, which was a long way off, by myself, just did not seem a wise decision, so I aborted.  Went a ways south to "get around" the AAA and landed at home base, alone.   Wasn't going to fly through that mess again.

I don't think the mission was designed to have everyone shot down by AAA and terminate the mission.  Or maybe it was.  Who knows, but intentionally or not, that AAA was really heavy and almost impossible to get through for AI flyers.  Was it a 4.12.2m AI update that made AI more accurate, including AAA?  Just an issue with WWI where the aircraft are slower?  What ever the case, AAA is a serious threat to AI aircraft, if its set too heavy.   Let alone a serious threat to yourself. 

Every mission is enjoyable, even these "abort" missions, but it just seemed odd how all my AI allies were stripped away by AAA and no one left to carry on the mission.  Except for little old me.  Odd.

PS: Mission #9 was more of same, but next day.  This time one of three bombers got through.  Bomber escorts got through because AAA on bombers.  I and four other escorts, who took off from the base to join, did not have any luck, all of us got shot down.   One bomber and four fighters made it, I hope they did well.  For me, the war was over, as I joined all the other POWs.

[gmkump]

That will help, thanks.

I retried Mission #9 and cheated.  Went around AAA and met surviving bombers on other side.  Only fighter to survive.  Escort to enemy airbase, almost chased enemy aircraft before realizing Recon, so left alone, stuck to bombers.  Over enemy airbase they hit target and I went BLACK.  What!  Oh, enemy AAA killed me but left aircraft unharmed.  Of all the luck!

[jpten]

Putting AAA into a mission can be tricky.  Even a historic placement will not work realistically.  In RL AAA was placed and given fire/no fire sectors so duds and misfuzed rounds would not fall into heavily populated areas.  Engage/do not engage ranges were often in force.  Available ammo would dictate fire rates.  Fighters (both sides) usually would not follow bombers into the Flak Boxes over a target.  Escorts would head to the exit point and pick up the bombers on the return leg.  Enemy fighters that followed were considered 'desperate' to stop the bombers.
   There are memoir accounts from the Battle of Britain of AAA gunners engaging German Bombers and halting their fire on observing approaching fighters flashing their landing lights to indicate they were engaging the bombers.  As IFF developed, gun directors were able to tell friendly fighters mixed into a formation and would hold their battery from engaging till the fighters were clear.
   The game AA fires 360 degrees and apparently has endless ammo.  The ability to reduce their skill and delay their start to fire is available but a start/stop time range option is lacking.   I usually place 1 gun per 4 bombers in a mission and place the C&C Flak Barrage to give the look of a large barrage.  If recreating a historical location mission a LOT of play testing is required but I find recreating only 1/4th of the real AA defenses is a good starting point. 

[Vampire_pilot]

and this is why test flying campaigns is necessary.... Man, have I ever been pissed at how AAA works in IL2? YES I HAVE.

It is a damn sniper fest. (particularly if not set to rookie)

If in doubt, I always use less AAA than would seem reasonable. Setting them to rookie all the time, otherwise it gets annoying and repeating a mission over and over because one particular MG is sniping your head off all the time is just not what I consider fun playing.

[Former_Older]

My memory from IL-2: Forgotten Battles is that each AAA unit you place was intended to simluate a battery's effectiveness. Seemed silly to me then, but I recall it.

[Zoran395]

So Former_Older, one gun you place would have the punch of a standard battery of 3 or 4 guns?

jpten is on the money I reckon, I tried placing guns in their historical location (using historical maps showing where the batteries were), it is sheer hell and barely flyable.

One thing for sure, reading soviet veterans account of attacks against enemy airfields, they were the least liked, because of the strength of AAA.

[Former_Older]

That is my recollection from the original UBI forums, back when Oleg Maddox would answer questions asked by the community, yes. I am not saying Oleg stated that, could have been Ilya or somebody else, it was quite some time ago, and it could have changed between Il2:FB and IL2:1946.

[PapaG39]

I always fly alone in the game so I just cut down on the  number of guns..  I like the flak bursts, but I can't out fly to many.
I'm 77 now & these last two years I have slowed down quite a bit... 

[TheGrumpyKestrel]

I agree with all thats been said already, it seems that any form of AI controlled gun is impossibly accurate, AAA ground or ship based and defensive gunners on bombers are just ruining the fun now. Can anyone actually point in the right direction (conf.ini??) as to where you can actually reduce that skill level?

[Contemptor_Scion]

In my opinion, I don't think any game has struck the balance between AI skill, historical accuracy and engaging gameplay in regards to AI. In Singleplayer it tends to be either "The AA does very little" or "The AA only shoots down AI", whereas in multiplayer it is either ridiculously powerful or completely ineffective

[Dimlee]

In my opinion, I don't think any game has struck the balance between AI skill, historical accuracy and engaging gameplay in regards to AI. In Singleplayer it tends to be either "The AA does very little" or "The AA only shoots down AI", whereas in multiplayer it is either ridiculously powerful or completely ineffective

Multiplay -  Dive bombing and low level bombing are my favourite activities. I encounter all types of AAA "behaviour" from ineffective to ridiculously powerful. Not just two extremes, but all range between. It all depends on preset parameters isn't it. Gun type, skill, placement, delay, distance to fire, number of guns.