AI improvements

[Therealnick]

Like I said in this topic, the AI could use some improvements.

I'm a newbie when it comes to coding (started learning C# few months ago), but I think this will contribute to 'dumbing down' the AI.

This suggestion is mainly about 2 things the AI does wrong. (in my opinion)


Choosing planes
at the moment the AI can choose from all the planes available in the game. (I might be wrong, maybe it's my settings?)
It hurts my feelings, seeing a company like Lufthansa buying Cessna's to do it's aviation. (I might be wrong, maybe Lufthansa does have Cessna's for commercial flights?)

Although there is a setting 'preferred airliners' in the xml file, the game does seem to ignore it?

I'd like to see a setting in the Airline file which defines which kind of planes they buy:
-General Aviation (Cessna, Beachcraft, ...)
-Regional jets (like A320, B737, ...)
-Long haul jets (A330, B777, ...)
-a combination of the above

*this is just an example list, not the final list.

They should still prefer their 'preferred airliners', but if they are willing to ignore these for whatever reason (can't afford these, need an aircraft with shorter RWY distance, ...) they should look at this list.

Origin airports
I don't know what the rules are for this at the moment, but...
My new airline (homebase: Brussels; Focus Airports: Brussels, Liege) created a route from London Heatrow to Madrid.
So Did British Airways (homebase:London Heatrow) create a route from New Ark (USA) to Chicago (USA).

I know British Airways has some regional routes in USA, but bear with me.

I think AI should first complete all predefined routes from the xml, If there is no competition that makes it unprofitable/not profitable enough.
As soon as it has completed the list (flying all destinations except for unprofitable destinations), it can start looking for new destinations. (originating from the focus airports)
If there are no new profitable destinations available from the focus airports, it can start looking for a new focus airport(s). (depending on the mentality. IE the lowest mentality rankings will only fly from predefined focus airports).



I'm willing to help update all the airline files if you need me to. (I believe it's gonna be a lot of work :p )

At first: LH is not using Pipers or Cessnas for commercial flights...

I am absolutely of contrary opinion: what sense makes a game, if everything (what the AI-Opponents will do) is planned or programmed before, give the game a kind of "free will"!!

A game or a simulation should not be predefined before, on some parts ok (e.g. preferred airliners), but especially which routes are to be flown should not be fixed, the AI should decide that. But I agree, not in that kind, that big players like LH, BA, UA or who else are buying 5-10 pax Airliners for their routes.

Large Airlines should be intelligent enough to buy/ lease airliners that match for routes and their duties. And it should be managed, that big Airlines are not flying only from metropolitan to metropolitan. They should fly domestic routes as well, and this with A319, A320, B737 or whatever makes sense.

But as I wrote in some thread earlier (cc 100% pax demand from every airport IRL):

please do not make a 100% sim out of this game, airports & airliners should be chosen by AI and not by the programmer that has checked the airlines routes IRL. It is still a game and games are differing at any time they will be played. With your wish it should be a boring game where always the same things happen. So you do not need to play anymore, than you can watch "flightradar24.com" for 24 hours every day and you will see the real life and do not need to make plans for airlines because you can see all airliners on earth  moving as planned IRL, there would be no reason to program a game for that...

My Conclusion:

More AI on buying/ leasing airliners: Defintely YES!!
More predefined routes for airlines (opponents)? Definitely NO!!!
As I said, a game is still a game and not the real life in a program!