Mechanized Infantry Tactics Script

[das attorney 858]

Hi Sirex1,

I'm still testing it on a variety of situations, and overall performs very well. Occasionally though, members of crew get out and fight with the men but won't return to the vehicle. Then the vehicle gets stuck and refuses to move on. The cargo units embark, but not the crew.

The vehicle isn't crippled, I think it's more to do with vehicles like the BMP3 having turret gunners - (the machine gunners on either side facing forward). Does your script account for turrets? I had a look in mechInfTac_init.sqf but couldn't find any references. I'll do some more testing as it could well be something on my end, but I wanted to get back to you just in case that had something to do with it.

Cheers though, having lots of fun with it so far. :)

[Sirex1 10]

Hi Sirex1,

I'm still testing it on a variety of situations, and overall performs very well. Occasionally though, members of crew get out and fight with the men but won't return to the vehicle. Then the vehicle gets stuck and refuses to move on. The cargo units embark, but not the crew.

The vehicle isn't crippled, I think it's more to do with vehicles like the BMP3 having turret gunners - (the machine gunners on either side facing forward). Does your script account for turrets? I had a look in mechInfTac_init.sqf but couldn't find any references. I'll do some more testing as it could well be something on my end, but I wanted to get back to you just in case that had something to do with it.

Cheers though, having lots of fun with it so far. :)

Hmm that seems strange indeed. I have basically only tested the script with BMP3 actually, as you can see in the test demo and then it seems to work. The only time i have seen crew dismount is when the vehicle in some manner is disabled, the easiest way to see this is to play the demo, then switch on high command mode, and when a vehicle get disabled it icon changes and the crew dismounts. But i will try to look in to it.

But in either case the soldiers should not enter a crippled vehicle, that i need to fix, currently they are hard coded to mount up if the fight is over, so good find! I think i will delete them from the array if their vehicle gets knocked out.

Known issue is that if you order the AI to drive in to the woods it will take forever for the ai to calculate a path and thus it may seem as they are stuck, this happens without my script as far as i have managed to understand.

Glad you like it! I appreciate the feedback! Do the requested stay at the vehicle feature work for you?

[stun 5]

I've tried out the amphibious mission and the latest pbo release with the latest beta and vanilla build. The scripts and pbo don't seem to be working properly any more. The infantry don't seem to be advancing ahead of the APV, they are just staying where they exited the vehicle. The vehicle sometimes drives off away from the troops - either sideways or forward rather than supporting them from behind.

Can anyone confirm that the script is working properly with the latest builds of A2?

Keep up the great work Sirex1! BI should have included something similar hardcoded.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

So is there a way to make the infantry start outside the vehicle and stay outside the vehicle? For me that only works occasionally if I change them from "In Cargo" to "None" in the editor, and set a very short waypoint, which isn't really working for me. How do I skip to locking them out, without letting them get back in?

The idea is to get the infantry supporting the vehicle, close to contact, and bring the firepower of both to bear at the same time.

I think it would be awesome with a custom formation that has the infantry flanking the vehicle on either side, perhaps with some at the rear. I imagine it would be a bitch to make, but any scripts to refine the vehicle behaviour (especially with infantry) is very welcome!

[Sirex1 10]

I've tried out the amphibious mission and the latest pbo release with the latest beta and vanilla build. The scripts and pbo don't seem to be working properly any more. The infantry don't seem to be advancing ahead of the APV, they are just staying where they exited the vehicle. The vehicle sometimes drives off away from the troops - either sideways or forward rather than supporting them from behind.

Can anyone confirm that the script is working properly with the latest builds of A2?

Keep up the great work Sirex1! BI should have included something similar hardcoded.

Hi, sorry for long time to respond. But had much in the university with course finals and been busy on almost every weekend. The amphibious mission is only indented as a demo and how-to make the script to work with waypoints when you want to lock in infantry and is not to be viewed as a separate maintained script, maybe should have had made that a bit clearer.

Driving off is a known problem, the combat ai sometimes takes over, and code for trying to have it refollow the squad just breaks the following behavior faster. I have set the infantry on danger mode that may be why they are a bit careful, will try to experiment with this. Maybe aware gives better agressive behaviour. But the script should work well enough i hope, i have tried it and it seems to give the same performance since the latest release.

So is there a way to make the infantry start outside the vehicle and stay outside the vehicle? For me that only works occasionally if I change them from "In Cargo" to "None" in the editor, and set a very short waypoint, which isn't really working for me. How do I skip to locking them out, without letting them get back in?

The idea is to get the infantry supporting the vehicle, close to contact, and bring the firepower of both to bear at the same time.

I think it would be awesome with a custom formation that has the infantry flanking the vehicle on either side, perhaps with some at the rear. I imagine it would be a bitch to make, but any scripts to refine the vehicle behaviour (especially with infantry) is very welcome!

I have not implemented a way but it is doable, i could add it when i update the script. The command needed is "ARRAY/OBJECT allowGetIn false". The script now tries to bring both firepowere forward at the same time.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

I have not implemented a way but it is doable, i could add it when i update the script. The command needed is "ARRAY/OBJECT allowGetIn false". The script now tries to bring both firepowere forward at the same time.

That would be awesome. I managed to find that myself in the reference after the fact, but your script seems infinitely more clever, not least with the fact to define it for all groups on the map.

Thanks for the effort.

[Sif 10]

One way that could possibly achieve that would be to have the vehicle commander call for them to form a left and right echelon formation.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

One way that could possibly achieve that would be to have the vehicle commander call for them to form a left and right echelon formation.

I remember using a script that created custom formations based on your own design in one of the games.

I don't know whether that's still possible, but it was really simple to use back then. It was before ArmA II though.

[CaptainBravo 0]

I use a custom formation script for infantry in missions (cannot remember author) and works great! It would be ideal for this script.

[Sirex1 10]

Hi again!

I tried to fix to get the infantry to walk outside but lockcargo didnt fix it. I think you might have more success issuing orders then try to work it through my script.

I released a new script version. Tweaked it a bit, the infantry are now on aware and not danger, gives more fluent to the assault. Also i fixed so that the IFV if the solider it follows dies it follows a new soldier instead of driving off. I tried to get a pbo version but it failed, didn't behave like the script when i tried. Anyone as always have full permission to modify and use these scripts, hint a would welcome a working pbo :).

This is the link, also updated the link on the front page.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?t2d6nbg77c28neo

[Grim_Fandango 0]

Hey Sirex, what went wrong? Not that I stand a chance in hell of fixing it :P

AllowGetIn False makes my guys stay outside, but then they have the silly standard formations.

I wish I was script-smart enough to mess around with it.

I use a custom formation script for infantry in missions (cannot remember author) and works great! It would be ideal for this script.

Would you mind sharing that script? Using that I should be able to make a loop to make guys stay with the vehicle in a custom formation, while using AllowGetIn, which should bring me a lot closer to some dismounted infantry support :)

[Sirex1 10]

Hey Sirex, what went wrong? Not that I stand a chance in hell of fixing it :P

AllowGetIn False makes my guys stay outside, but then they have the silly standard formations.

I wish I was script-smart enough to mess around with it.

The order seemed to be overwritten later on. Probably some other part of my script that tried to get things moving. AllowGetIn False is used in the dismount main part of the script during combat.

[That guy 10]

i have been playing around with your script today, but it does not seem to be working properly.

I am not sure if one of the previous arma patches broke something in your script, or i am not using the script properly

for my tests i have placed a taki mech squad, and gave them a move order along a road a few clicks away. along the rout i have placed a few squads out in the open.

when the BMP encounters the enemies it usually stops and opens fire like it should, but it will scoot forward a few meters at a time letting a couple guys out each stop. worse yet the soldiers that it unloads usually jump right back into the vehicle even if they are still under fire. at some point the BMP just takes off again to its waypoint some times leaving guys behind. i have also noticed that occasionally when the BMP reaches its waypoint it will turn around and head back towards the enemies, repeating the same get out-in procedure with the soldiers until the enemy are dead.

I have tried variations of way points, alert levels and such, but generally behavior does not seem to improve. in fact the BMP squad usually faired better with vanilla (more survivors). is there specific types of way points that work better or certain circumstances that produce a better outcome for the script?

anyway, thanks

i should mention, i use the script version (not pbo) and i did install the folders correctly to the mission file. when i open the radio there is the option to "unlock vehicles". also i simply view the missions outcome with camera.sqs (for testing purposes) rather than play in the mission or in the friendly squads

[Sirex1 10]

i have been playing around with your script today, but it does not seem to be working properly.

I am not sure if one of the previous arma patches broke something in your script, or i am not using the script properly

for my tests i have placed a taki mech squad, and gave them a move order along a road a few clicks away. along the rout i have placed a few squads out in the open.

when the BMP encounters the enemies it usually stops and opens fire like it should, but it will scoot forward a few meters at a time letting a couple guys out each stop. worse yet the soldiers that it unloads usually jump right back into the vehicle even if they are still under fire. at some point the BMP just takes off again to its waypoint some times leaving guys behind. i have also noticed that occasionally when the BMP reaches its waypoint it will turn around and head back towards the enemies, repeating the same get out-in procedure with the soldiers until the enemy are dead.

I have tried variations of way points, alert levels and such, but generally behavior does not seem to improve. in fact the BMP squad usually faired better with vanilla (more survivors). is there specific types of way points that work better or certain circumstances that produce a better outcome for the script?

anyway, thanks

i should mention, i use the script version (not pbo) and i did install the folders correctly to the mission file. when i open the radio there is the option to "unlock vehicles". also i simply view the missions outcome with camera.sqs (for testing purposes) rather than play in the mission or in the friendly squads

Thank you for bringing this up, i will look into it.

My first throught was that it is a problem with the alert level but will check it out.

Could you upload your example mission that you tried? It sounds that the script is not kicking in proberly.

Edited October 3, 2011 by Sirex1

[domokun 515]

Just to let you know that my clan has identified this script as the sources of large desync in MP.

It may work fine in SP but it seems to render coop missions unplayable

[Sirex1 10]

domokun, okay good that you informed me!

I am just a undergraduate programmer that made this script before i even started the education, as a pre school project to get me going and that i have an interest in the tactics.

It is only tested on my computer with and against ai with only me. But the source code is not that hard so you can try to make it multiplayer compaitlb eif you have the means to try it on a real server. I bet that it is some Move or Stop command to some ai that makes desync, think i rememberd that from the biki function wiki.

[bogdanm 0]

I'm sorry for resurrecting an old topic but could someone re-upload the mission demo? I've looked into the whole thread and a couple other websites but I only found the original link which is not working anymore. Actually, I don't really need the mission, just what I need to do to force the troops to stay inside a vehicle until it reaches a certain waypoint. Thank you for your help!

[cadmium77 16]

This is very cool Sirex1 and you have answered the question I came to this forum to ask. Thank you.

It's driving me crazy to be an autorifleman in a mechanized infantry platoon and then get kicked out of the APC only to have the vehicle abandon the infantry platoon kilometers from the battlefield and then flee far away from us, either to the battle or far to the rear to sit and do nothing. It's crazy, makes no sense and has ruined many many battles that should have been good.

I'm going to try this and give you some feedback.

Thanks