Military AI/Static outfit

[jmig]

Back in FSX there use to be a bunch of guys who created military bases and military AI/static aircraft. Are they still around and do they still make military bases and aircraft? I can't remember their name.

 

[DaveWG]

You're probably thinking of Military AI Works (MAIW)
https://militaryaiworks.com/

They're still about, but not really interested in MSFS2020/24

 

[spatialpro]

You may be thinking of the Airfield Construction Group (ACG)? We consisted of:

• Steven Legg (a.k.a. Stevo)
• Paul Baines
• Ian McCartney
• Manfred Schyma (a.k.a. manschy)
• John Young
• Andy Ford (me)

We ceased to be a group in January 2016. John Young had already started to move to MAIW by that point and all our published work migrated over to that site at about that time (and is still available here). Ian kept developing and you may now know him for his payware under the title IM Scenery. Manfred kept developing his German airfields and is still active over at FS Developer, as am I.

ACG is still close to my heart, which is why I keep our badge as my avatar ;-)

Apologies if this is not the group you're thinking of though.

All the best

Andy

 

[Victory103]

jmig, yes MAIW is still active and one of the reasons I keep P3Dv5 installed. A couple of packages were tested for MSFS, but due to the lack of a proper AI engine yet, everything was put on hold. I have seen a few military models converted by 3rd parties, but not applied to easy to use AI flightplans. AIG has a few based on civ airliners (B737-C40), but I'm still waiting to bring all my MAIW over to MSFS.

 

[jmig]

MAIW is who I was thinking of. I am sorry they were unable to migrate to MS2020. I am not into airliners. I primarily fly GA and some military. As far as I know there are no AI packages that include military or GA to any degree. Having flown in the USAF I miss the military bases.

@ spatialpro Andy, thank you for your post. I am familiar with FS Developer. I tried my hand at scenery development in FSX/P3D. FS Developer, through you guys are a godsend for anyone trying to learn how to develop in the Microsoft sim systems.

 

[guzler]

I'm amazed that MSFS is so backward in handling traffic, it was working well in previous sims some 15-20 years ago! Don't understand why they can't copy & paste the old set up. I used to modify afcads and traffic files but wouldn't know where to start in MSFS.

 

[tiger1962]

I used to modify afcads and traffic files but wouldn't know where to start in MSFS.

ADE can modify MSFS airports, and if you can still get hold of it, AIFP3 can create MSFS flight plans - I use them both regularly.

 

[DennyA]

Would be cool if MAIW could team up with Kaii3 from AIG and add military planes there. AIG manages to handle AI flight plans pretty well on the civilian side.

 

[MIKE JG]

Would be cool if MAIW could team up with Kaii3 from AIG and add military planes there. AIG manages to handle AI flight plans pretty well on the civilian side.

The problem is/was that the new version of FS completely abandoned the old AI engine and everything we used to make our models as realistic as possible, things like canopies open/closed, RBF flags gently waiving in the breeze, animated nose wheel steering, animated AI helicopters. All that work that John Young and Kevin Reed did to figure out XML coding using variables available in the sim, none of that really ported over to FS2020. John and a few guys gave it a good go but during one of the major sim updates, Asobo completely changed the AI coding again and wiped out all of John and company's work towards military AI traffic. They literally had a great F-15E package ready to go with Lakenheath and woke up one morning to find out that it was no longer working as intended. Gotta love Asobo.

Imagine putting months and months of your time into the effort to try to understand the FS2020 AI system and finally start to get some decent results only to have Asobo come along one day and completely ruin that work. So John basically threw in the towel and I don't blame him one bit.

Until Asobo settles down and figures out what they want to do with AI traffic, there's no point in even trying to develop for it, at least from the military side of things.

We had some great times at MAIW, the guys still left are working solely with P3d as at least they can still develop for that platform.

 

[shotgunshack]

This is a shot (all I have left) of my early P3D Military AI set up with all of the UK and USA populated by aircraft from the fifties to the eighties flying from period accurate airfields. Absolute joy to watch and participate in and all free, now sadly gone in thrall to MSFS which I thought could only improve as time went on but alas has virtually stood still due to intransigence or lack of skill.

 

[Navy Chief]

MAIW had a really nicely detailed NATC Patuxent River scenery. The hangars especially, were spot on perfect. NC

 

[jmig]

The problem is/was that the new version of FS completely abandoned the old AI engine and everything we used to make our models as realistic as possible.... They literally had a great F-15E package ready to go with Lakenheath and woke up one morning to find out that it was no longer working as intended....

Until Asobo settles down and figures out what they want to do with AI traffic, there's no point in even trying to develop for it, at least from the military side of things.

We had some great times at MAIW, the guys still left are working solely with P3d as at least they can still develop for that platform.

What a shame.