Tame AI

Tony, I know it is a known issue that the AI becomes less aggressive or less agile towards the end of scenarios, i.e. as time passes by. I think it was Brad confirming it to someone in a post.
Is this bug a lost cause? Like it has been IDed but would require complete redesign of the AI to correct it? Please let me know if I'm wasting my time reporting on it!

But I hope the fat lady has not sung yet, here are a few observations from my latest run in with the tame AI.
This is HDS5 5.0 The Anglo-European War, so a comparatively small scenario. AI is red, playing EU/French side.
BTW. it is French CV CDG vs. 2 x UK Invincible

• At the beginning the AI is alright. It has attacked and sunk several of my ships with standoff weapons, both with ASMs from Rafales and Exocets from Super Etandards.
• Little later an example for when AI is loosing planes to the RTB mission too easy. The AI would be more potent if it could reassign the RTB planes, ordnance and fuel allowing.
  • (savegame 05.0012.hpa) AI has sent 2 x 2 Rafale, ZNA and ZMA to intercept Tornado F.3s ANA and AVA
  • ZNA shoots down 1 x F.3 of ANA the other flees on full afterburner
  • ZNA then turns home (must be because the Enemy is going too fast)
  • Nastily (bad Grumble!) I turn ANA back and send it chasing ZNA again as it has fuel plenty. (This is when the savegame is from.)
  • Eventually ANA shoots down 1 Rafale and the E-2C of CDG, while ZNA and ZMA are happily RTB with 90% of fuel and almost full load of AAMs. Pity.
  • There are also 8 Standoff Rafale on CDG with 4 AAMs each, AI could scramble those too, though this would be really advanced thinking.
• Once the AI's AEW patrol has been shoot down it never sends up the other E-2C on board of the CDG.
• Around this time the AI is still ok, it even sends pair of the remaining air to air Rafales after my E-2C from Benbecula. (savegame 07.hpa)
  • break off: But the Tornado F.3 CAP is able to sneak up on them from behind and splash them with Sidewinders. If the AI is ever going to be revamped, it must be taught the risks of sending solo flights into full enemy radar cover. A player has even described on the forums his 'tactics" of sending up an AEW bait plane and then the AI is sending all his fighters after the AEW one by one which are easy kill.
    Rather have the AI mission cost/benefit analysis consider radar coverage of the flight path.
    Decision =
    + value(target)*success_probabilty
    - value(self)*fail_probability
    - enemy_sensorcover(filghtpath)
    + friendly_sensorcover(flightpath)
    - enemy_AAthreat(flightpath)
    + fuelremaining
    ...
• After a day of game time though the AI is more of a pacifist. CDG meets with the Ark Royal, (savegame: 12.hpa) the AEW Sea King detects the French CV group, the AI probably only detects the AEW plane (it's a long range patrol, not formation and the Ark Royal group is otherwise passive.)
  • but the AI does not even attempt to intercept the Sea King.
  • Surprisingly, there is now a pair of LR Air to Air Super Etendard (mistyped as Etentard in HDS5) on CDG, so there are actually planes available with air to air loadout. (!!) The AI does show some initiative, there is no AtA Super Etendard scripted in the mission! Still no intercept mission was started.
• The AI passively suffers my hoarding missiles on it and when Georges Leyuges is sunk the AI group completely stops. I checked it's airwing with Show-All, there are still 9 Rafales there with Standoff loadout and Super Etendards, two of which is LR AtA.
• To rekindle life into the AI I manually ready 5 Rafales to AtA loadout. (savegame 12.0046.hpa)
  Nothing. No AI intercept mission against my a/c-s.
• Then I manually launch two Rafales to attack my Sea Harrier CAP then switch off Show All to see how would it look like. This way I actually manage to coerce the AI to shoot down one of my Harriers.
• (savegame 12.0054) Surprising development, the Rafales I cheat-launched has the multimode RDX radar (SS too) and they detect my ships while chasing the Harrires (SA prompted me to turn radars on as planes might detect us.) This seems to kick the AI in gear
• CDG's group starts to move again
• and the AI readies all it's available helos (Lynxes and Alouettes for Guided loadout and sends them to attack the Ark Royal! (savegame 12.0056)
  • It ignores the remaining 4 x Standoff Rafales on board, ready 5
  • and the Standoff Etendards, on board, ready 5
  • and the 3 x Standoff Etendards already loitering above CDG as ASuW formation patrol

Looks like that these planes are somehow lost for the AI, perhaps they are not joined properly back to the "available" a/c list of the AI after previous missions?

Also, it is interesting that the AI readied an Etendard for AtA instead of the Rafales. Perhaps the Rafales were "lost" from the free list earlier than the Etendards?

Let me know if any other other savegame from this scenario or other inestigation of specific situation can help to solve this bug!