War Thunder already has a lot of modern aircraft, but it’s difficult to use them properly outside of random battles.
There are two main ways to play solo:
- Mission Editor (Test Flight)
- Custom Battles (with AI or players)
The issue is that neither of these fully supports modern combat.
What’s the problem?
Custom Battles
- AI mostly behaves like WWII aircraft
- It doesn’t reflect modern combat very well (missiles, positioning, etc.)
- Aircraft selection is also limited, usually around Vietnam-era or earlier
AI tends to close distance and enter dogfights even with modern jets, instead of maintaining range and relying on missile-based combat.
Separately, the limited aircraft pool makes it difficult to recreate scenarios like F-18 vs Su-27.
Mission Editor (Test Flight)
- AI behavior is better (missile use, longer engagement distances)
- But there are still limitations:
- restricted nation matchups
- inconsistent aircraft grouping
- not enough flexibility to recreate Cold War scenarios
Why this matters
A lot of players use these modes to:
- practice aircraft
- test loadouts
- simulate different scenarios
Right now, they work well for WWII, but not for modern jets.
There is also a connection to current discussions about BR and top-tier balance. Modern gameplay is difficult to learn, and players are expected to understand missiles, positioning, and engagement timing without having a proper way to practice.
Because of this, many players go into high-tier matches unprepared, which leads to frustration and often turns into balance or BR-related complaints.
Suggestion
-
Improve AI behavior in Custom Battles for modern aircraft
(better missile usage and less reliance on pure dogfighting) -
Allow more flexible nation matchups in the Mission Editor
(for example, US vs USSR) -
Expand the aircraft pool available in Custom Battles
Why this would help the game
This would make high-tier aircraft more useful outside of random battles.
It would also:
- give players a way to practice before entering high-tier matches
- increase the time players spend using modern aircraft
- make premium and high-tier vehicles more relevant, since they can be used more often
In the long run, this could increase engagement with high-tier content and improve player retention.
Additional point
There have been many discussions about World War mode and large-scale scenarios. A lot of players are interested in having more control over how battles are structured.
Improving Custom Battles and the Mission Editor would not replace those modes, but it would allow players to recreate many of those scenarios on their own, with more flexibility.
Conclusion
The game already has modern aircraft, but the mission systems don’t fully support them.
Improving AI behavior and flexibility would make a noticeable difference without requiring new content, just better use of what already exists.