Military AI Works

Can someone please give me a run down on the differences between an AI model, MTL/Multiplayer model and a full flyable model?

I know the scale goes from simpler to complex and from less to more animations and that you shouldn't use ai models to fly or flyable models as AI. I am really fuzzy on the multiplayer model issue. I seem to run into issues if I fly multiplayer with 3 Aerial Foundry Hornets. Bad lag and horrid frames per second. I also run into issues if I try to assign a pure AI aircraft as my wingmans plane. Gear stays down, canopy open etc....It's confusing as the aircraft works as an AI.

Can anyone help?? Is there a solution??

Thanks in advance!!

I can't help you with the multi-player issues: I've never had the time to try it.

A true AI aircraft is basically one that will use the fs9 ai engine to perform certain things such as follow flight plans, take-off and land correctly by itself, and sit properly on the ramp. This is controlled by a specially designed AI FDE which can adversely affect the user flyable qualities of the a/c.

However, there is one more thing that we consider most important which separates a true ai a/c from the user flyable and simple low-poly a/c that are out there and that is LOD's. That is, they must have multiple, progressivly simpler models that become visible with distance. This allows the computer to not have to "draw" a complex, high poly-count model when you can't see the detail anyway. The fewer polys that the computer has to "draw", the faster the frame rates of course and the more ai aircraft you can have in any one place.

Also, there is a difference in AI a/c. They have become progressivly more advanced so you can't expect the same performance from something produced five years ago for fs 2002 as for a current ai model.

And BTW, just because I answered this, doesn't mean I consider myself an "Expert Modeller"

LOL...Thank you for the response. I have been attempting to do some research into an apparently overlooked subject on flight sim. Multiplayer airframes....aka human AI.