All Round Defence

[das attorney 858]

All Round Defence Version 2.1

Requirements:

Combined Operations patched to 1.57

CBA: http://dev-heaven.net/wiki/cca

http://dev-heaven.net/wiki/cca/Installation

Close Support Weapon features don't work on Arma 2 standalone.

Demonized AI flare scripts don't support OA weapons yet. OA only users will need to turn off AI Flares in the user-config.

Description

All Round Defence (ARD) is a formation typically used by the British Army (and other fighting forces) after a firefight to 're-org' the squad, making sure everyone has ammunition and tending any wounds. As per it's name, it can also be used defensively, providing 360 degree coverage. There are a number of features included to make commanding AI to perform specific tasks easier. This frees up the players time and they can focus on other matters at hand. Up to 20 units can be ordered into ARD.

Default Keys - can be changed in the user-config:

F1 = Open ARD Menu

1 = Quick ARD

When activated, the scripts will count the amount of AI units eligible and order them into a circle around the players current position, with eqidistant spacing between them. The radius of the circle is determined by pre-sets from the ARD Menu (10 meters up to 50 meters), or the player can point his weapon at the terrain and press a user-defined hotkey to order the men into anything up to a 100 meter radius (does not need to open the menu).

You can make your squad form back up by pressing the 'Form On Me' button in the ARD menu. Also, if you move outside of the radius, your men will automatically form on you. If you want to move out of the radius and keep your squad in ARD, then press the 'Hold' button in the ARD menu. Your squad can also be set as prone or crouched (default) by pressing the respective 'Prone' and 'Crouch' buttons in the ARD menu.

You must be stationary to open the ARD menu or use the hot-key. If you are in a vehicle, it must be stationary. If you are piloting a chopper, you can issue the order if it is hovering (auto-hover helps).

If your units are in a vehicle, they will dismount (even the commander and driver). The player will not automatically dismount though. Units manning static weapons or assigned as the gunner in a vehicle will scan the horizon for threats and stay embarked. Medics will not form up into ARD (as they are needed for other tasks instead of perimeter defence).

If your squad is in a chopper, they will only dismount if you are less than 2 meters off the ground, or if you are over 50 meters from the ground they will parachute in. Anything in between and they refuse, for fear of dying/injury. If you issued the order to form up from a chopper hovering over 50 meters up, your men will go into 'Hold' mode and will wait for you to manually order them back into formation (with either the default BIS commands or 'Form On Me' from the ARD menu).

Due to improvements with AI pathfinding in recent betas, the script can now be activated when in "Combat"/"Danger" mode.

When your squad is in ARD, CSW's can be deployed accurately (4 meters in front of player and facing in the players direction) by clicking 'CSW Deploy' and also any CSW within 50 meters can be retrieved by clicking once on the menu - 'CSW Breakdown'. If you have a squad medic, you can order them to heal all wounded units - click on 'Medic'. A maximum of 8 units can be healed at any one time. The Medic will not perform this action if the squad is in combat mode.

If a unit is the gunner in a vehicle and the vehicle has smoke launchers, they will deploy smoke if the vehicle is damaged or if one of your squad is killed (giving you time to respond to threats). This feature can be disabled from the user-config if not wanted.

Your men will also throw a smoke grenade if they are wounded. They must have at least one smoke grenade in their inventory for this to work. The men will not throw a smoke grenade if it is night. The probability of throwing a smoke grenade can be defined in the user-config. This feature can also be disabled from the user-config if desired.

A modified version Demonized's brilliant 'AI Shoot Flare' scripts are included in ARD. If it is night, any AI unit under your control with an underbarrel grenade launcher will fire a flare into the air to illuminate your enemies.

ARD also includes the excellent ECHO artillery scripts. If there are artillery pieces available, order your men into them and then press 'Artillery Start'. They will leave the player group and wait for target information to be passed to them. Any units left in your group become spotters and will automatically relay target information to the artillery squad. Fire orders will be issued automatically against any viable targets. Your AI men spot up to 600 meters. The player spotting distance is user definable in the user-config (Default is 1500 meters). Other options in the user-config can be changed such as the time between fire missions, and dispersion of rounds.

When you want to stop the artillery firing autonomously, press the "Artillery Stop" button in the ARD menu. They will then finish any fire missions they are on, then re-join your group. This has been coded so that it is compatible with R3F Artillery (if installed). You cannot use both at once, but there should be no clashes between them. R3F may put a warning about Arty modules on the screen. You can safely ignore it. A maximum of three units can be used for the Artillery Support.

Here's a couple of really old videos (30 secs free fraps) showing the script working (but not with any new features).

VQI-JERI9Fk

3MgdVgCjy5w

New for Version 2.1

• Added support for squad vehicles.
  
• Squad deploys faster into ARD than in previous versions.
  
• Issuing the orders in quick succession no longer a massive fail.
  
• squad sizes of up to 20 units now supported.
  
• Squad spacings automatically adjusted to take into account the number of units.
  
• New hot-key added to order squad into ARD without the menu.
  
• Vehicle gunners will now scan horizon and remain inside vehicle when ARD is ordered.
  
• Vehicle gunners deploy smoke if vehicle is damaged or any of squad killed.
  
• Most of the 'skeetdisk' objects not needed now - Only one for the player and one for each of the gunners.
  
• Squad members will throw a smoke grenade if injured.
  
• If night time, units with grenade launchers fire flares to illuminate enemy forces. (Demonized).
  
• ECHO artillery added.
  
• Added support for different languages.
  
• Precompiled most of the code for better performance.
  
• Fixed numerous bugs.
  
• Units in player issued "STOP" mode now respond to ARD.
  

Limitations

ASR Rearming will over-ride ARD if loaded at the same time. Deactivate ASR with the comms menu to enable ARD.

ACE compatibility not thoroughly tested - does not appear to clash, but the ARD scripts do things the vanilla way and do not factor in things like ACE CSW ammo. If there is demand, I may look into full compatibility.

Demonized's AI Shoot Flares will replace any BLUFOR weapons with GL's with the M16A2GL. It appears OA weapons do not work with the "fire" command, and need to use "useWeapon" to fire instead (which has it's own set of problems). Will be looked into. Demonized's solution is the best one at this time due to the aforementioned limitation. OPFOR forces use the 30Rnd_545x39_AK which is quite credible IMO.

If a gunner is in a vehicle with smoke launchers and there are other units in the driver or commander slot (could be player or medic for example), he will not fire smokes. Not sure why this happens, maybe something to do with rank.

Teamswitching can have unexpected results...

Some of the BAF static weapons cause a crash when you try to disassemble them. It is a known issue on DevHeaven not specific to ARD.

Not tested on MP - If someone can give me feedback on what works and what doesn't, I can make it compatible, for things like Warfare and other player led AI squad based MP stuff.

Other mods like FV432 mortar variant not supported yet. Will be looked into.

Future

I'd like as much feedback as possible - I've done an insane amount of testing to make sure it works, but if there's any bugs you find then let me know. Likewise, if you have any ideas for improvement, drop me a line and I'll check into if it's feasible.

Script version to get better documentation.

I'd like to work on the Flare Scripts to support OA weapons. (Will check in with Demonized there - got a couple of ideas how to make it work)

At the moment, the ECHO artillery does not tell you what they are targetting. Evil Echo has been very supportive in helping me but I can't get the sidechat to work at this time.

I'd like to add a 're-equip' function, but that's going to be a long way off yet.

I did make a routine for engineers to defuse mines near the group but couldn't get it to work. Will do some more research.

The ARD menu could do with a makeover. Unfortunately, my knowledge of dialogs is very limited at this time.

If you would like your native language supported, PM me a translation of the stringtable and I will include it in the next release.

Thanks

Evil Echo for updating his Artillery Scripts (practically on request) and letting me use his work.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=105517&highlight=echo

Demonized for the included AI Shoot Flares scripts

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=111037

Sickboy for showing me how to create arrays.

Myke for his post detailing how to create arrays containing only certain types of units.

TPW for his clever 'Sun Angle' script.

Sirex1 for helping with doMove issues.

Everyone who's posted ideas and feedback in this thread. Cheers all.

The guys over at VCB and UKF for keeping it real.

License

For non-profit users: Do whatever you like with my scripts. Feel free to modify or rip code out of it for your missions and mods, As long as Das Attorney is credited as the original author. If you wish to use any of Evil Echo's or Demonized's work, then contact them for permission.

Have at it!

Download

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20006042/All_Round_Defence_7z

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=12815

Edited November 15, 2011 by Das Attorney

[mrcash2009 0]

Will give this a good test.

Very welcomed, fits a gap of where other formations dont fit as well, perfect for firefights in woodland and also Takistan open areas when needing to stop and use map.

[manzilla 1]

This is wicked! Thanks a lot!

[dmarkwick 261]

Very nice :) will be lots of uses for this.

[nettrucker 142]

Yeah thanks for that script looks great.

kind regards

[mrcash2009 0]

First off I think the radius is pretty good as it is, no too close and not too strung out.

Couple of things that I thought about:

1. Could this be converted into an addon autoexec pbo to be used at any time?

2. If this was the case could it have its own config file of which user could assign his own toggle key too?

3. Is it possible that when you toggle it "off" that the team could auto regroup and not stay in "ready" state (unless this is a BIS limitation of course). Because effectively your taking them out of that formation by turning it off and I would expect them to get back to standard formation they were last in. IE Staggered column patrol, then ambush ... goto this formation ... done, auto return to me back in last formation. I really dont know that this can be done so its not a major issue or anything, nothing a "regroup" wont sort out.

I think having it tied in with keys and in game all the time kind of brings it more into fluid use seeing as its "the missing formation" from the menu.

Great work though, both enemy teams spawned and although I was out in the open on the airfield both got covered really well from both ends.

As I say perfect for cover when having to stop and check map, or in areas that are closed off like chernarus forest when you in that "shit, were being flanked and cant pinpoint" moment :)

I would class this in my mind as an "evasive danger" formation. If it was assigned to key I would deff have this under voice command as "evasive danger" spoken to get my team around me quick sharp! :)

Edited December 4, 2010 by mrcash2009

[Cyteless 10]

Congrats on the release, mate.

[trooper117 10]

Good stuff.. before the days of good NV kit and PRR's, at night when we went into all round defence it was a much closer circle, with everyones feet touching the man next to him to maintain contact.

When the section commander wanted to move off he would simply 'double tap' the guys foot next to him so we all knew it was time to move on..

[teilx 4]

great work

[jeza 5416]

Great work pall

[DaveP 66]

Good stuff mate, now if only the AI could also make jokes about McStab every 5 minutes you'd be sorted!

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

All Round Defence v1.0

Edited December 9, 2010 by Guest
Mirror updated with version 1.0, but I have no idea what actually changed.

[imutep 0]

Thx for the script :cool:

Put it on our scripts section at Assault Mission Studio.

All Round Defence Script v1.0 by Das Attorney

Edited December 4, 2010 by Imutep
error

[keefehb 0]

Well done mate. Very useful :)

[nkenny 1057]

Clever!

-k

[{G&L}ACF{SCOTDG} 10]

lol this gives me memories of being on field Execs just wish that in Arma it were a scout which lead the fireteam or squad and not the IC:)

[bootleg soldier 2]

The only thing i'd change mate is having the gunners at the 12 and 6 position, that way the re-org can be done on the likeliest direction of enemy threat, that way you have your firepower pointing towards where the next position is and also where they may follow up from, always worked for me in RL :)

Gonna test this quite abit as always wanted to see this in. Congrats mate good thinking.

Edit. After testing a little i can see that different sizes of formation could be neccesary, this to counter Indirect fire, in an open environment usually push the guys up to 50m out, anyway will play more really good concept thanks :)

Bootleg

Edited December 5, 2010 by Bootleg Soldier

[das attorney 858]

After testing a little i can see that different sizes of formation could be neccesary, this to counter Indirect fire, in an open environment usually push the guys up to 50m out, anyway will play more really good concept thanks :)

Cool pics, good to see it get used.

See if you like these ones ;)

Cheers for the feedback mate. As per the On-screen Menu on the right, you can now select different radii. There's a command to call them back into formation, which users might find quicker than SPACE, mousewheel down, click (return to formation), and also then doing SPACE, 7, 4 (copy my stance).

Couple of things that I thought about:

1. Could this be converted into an addon autoexec pbo to be used at any time?

2. If this was the case could it have its own config file of which user could assign his own toggle key too?

3. Is it possible that when you toggle it "off" that the team could auto regroup and not stay in "ready" state (unless this is a BIS limitation of course). Because effectively your taking them out of that formation by turning it off and I would expect them to get back to standard formation they were last in. IE Staggered column patrol, then ambush ... goto this formation ... done, auto return to me back in last formation. I really dont know that this can be done so its not a major issue or anything, nothing a "regroup" wont sort out.

Thanks for the suggestions

1 - Done! This is my first addon, so I didn't have a clue what to do at first, but now there's a working pbo version. I've been testing it on BAF missions and it it's working super smooth.

2 - Yes, there's a userconfig file. You can set your own hotkey.

3 - Done. If you run out of the (group radius + 2), your men will automatically regroup and go back to default behaviour. I squashed an annoying bug as well. They used to still look at their assigned directions even after you had recalled them to formation. Now they look where they are supposed to after the script is terminated. It was really pissing me off but it's much better now it's ironed out. EDIT: There's also the option to call them back from the menu, as per above.

There's a few other little amendments and features that need working on before it's released. I expect the new release to be soon (ideally before Sunday as I'm missing too much VCB ATM); but it may take a bit longer to get done right. There's a couple of new bugs introduced with the on-screen menu, but nothing impossible to sort.

The script version will be fully supported, but I'm looking forward to getting the pbo out, as it's easier for people to try.

I've been playing about with Herring Bone as well, but I don't think there's as much potential to make something cool. I'll probably release something for it later. Here's a pic. (Pretty dodgy but it's early WIP).

Thanks to everyone for the feedback and comments. Hope you enjoy using it.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Das Attorney

[das attorney 858]

Good stuff mate, now if only the AI could also make jokes about McStab every 5 minutes you'd be sorted!

It's on the "to do" list!

Download links updated on first page (version 1)

Thanks to Armaholic and Assault Mission Studio for the mirrorz :)

Edited December 9, 2010 by Das Attorney

[bootleg soldier 2]

Good work mate just a pity i've just got back and about to hit the sack or i'd be all over it :)

Will have a play round when i get in from work tomorrow (well today) Could be a late one CO's on the warpath apparently but whats new!!

Anyway the new features look pretty cool and defo worth having ARD ready to hand in any mission or situation, will make a vid tomorrow and some more pics to show it off.

I see what you mean about herrinbone aswell useful in real life but when it comes to Arma a little less although saying that open herrinbone when in file and stopping for its alternate arcs would be very useful in the day and i think closed would be pretty cool at night, pic looks cool as fuck! See where your tinkering takes you!

Anyway kettles on and bed looks appealing, till tomorrow (today)

Bootleg

[LondonLad 13]

*thumbs up* Nice work Das :)

[DaveP 66]

Vis a vis different radii, one scripting option that comes to mind could be a custom method whereby you manually move your lead scout to the 12 position, then automatically take the distance from the leader to him and use that as the distance for the rest

[bigpickle 0]

Bout time someone made a good script of this. GREAT job mate :)

[das attorney 858]

Updated to Version 1.1!!!

New for Version 1.1

• PBO version.
  
• Added menu allowing different radii, return to formation and crouch/prone buttons.
  
• User defined hotkey for both script and PBO versions.
  
• Hand Animations added when issuing orders.
  
• Eliminated need for spawned trigger.
  
• Only leader can issue orders.
  
• If you go out of the formation boundry, your men will automatically regroup.
  
• Script version tidied up for easier use.
  

Please keep feedback coming, it's been really useful.

Download

http://www.filefront.com/17636343/All-Round-Defence.7z/

First page has been updated. Download mirrors removed until hopefully they are updated.

Edited December 11, 2010 by Das Attorney

[Guest]

Updated version frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

All Round Defence v1.1

Edited December 11, 2010 by Guest
Mirror reverted to 1.1