Development Blog & Reveals

[maturin 12]

at least one would expect the hear some contact reports and reports about wounded teammates.

Watch the video. Crowe says that the AI reports have been silenced only because the voice system is undergoing overhaul.

[Madeon 6]

Final walkthrough (7/7) from gamestar.de:

http://www.gamestar.de/index.cfm?pid=1589&pk=67185

Excellent video! both visually and information wise. The AI gives Jaye a good asskicking, and that's exactly what we have all been wanting to see. Not bad at all, especially considering that there's still plenty of time left for even further AI improvement. The video is epic win and IMHO is a perfect advertisement for wooing in new fans.

[Smurf 12]

Like many other things AI is still in development.... this small battle was imo too calm and "clean" - at least one would expect the hear some contact reports and reports about wounded teammates. Perhaps in A3 AI reports/chatter can be simply selected via option menu eg "all"/"important/"none"?

Jay said they are disabled for now. They are using that data\statistic collection tool to determine what are the most uses commands\phrases and, probably record these as a whole while maintain the junction of words for everything else.

Ninja'd. TWICE! Harakiri!

[NoRailgunner 0]

Hehe thanks, well lets hope for the best AI soldiers + civilians (+ animals) of any Arma game!!

[smookie 11]

I don't like the run animation, it looks much more natural in BF3 for instance.

What you see is the old animation, consult GC videos for improved one.

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

If I heard it right (I watched it only once), Jay said that the radio chatter is disabled atm because they're working on it.

Oh, jezz I totally forgot about the radio chatter. Let's just say that it is a good thing, that they disabled it for the duration of the presentation at GamesCom.

[metalcraze 290]

While I suspect you're right, there is no way in hell the video makes that "clear." The AI could be recording every sonic snap for all we know, and simply choosing to shoot back instead of drop. The player makes the same decision several times.

Eh it's pretty much like that through all GC videos too. Bullets fly near AI but they don't even try to shoot back (in fact in the Gamestar infantry demo they didn't either) - it's ArmA2 behavior.

I wasn't expecting them to drop, just not ignore the bullets.

You can say it's all WIP but videos do give a good idea. In Gamestar video there was a moment when friendly spotted an enemy AI - he then strafed into cover as he was shooting the enemy - nice. If it was ArmA2 he would've spent eternity just turning to face the enemy.

Edit: The AI did run through the wall, but only the knee-high section that the player can also run through unimpeded. Possibly an unfinished model.

Maybe BIS will make them step over since in GC demo we've seen that there was no animation for it. It's not a big deal - as long as it's not left unfinished like it was in ArmA2 for 2 years.

Edited August 17, 2012 by metalcraze

[maturin 12]

Bullets fly near AI but they don't even try to shoot back

At Gamescom Crowe died specifically because the AI was shot at, stopped, and returned fire. Please stop making absolute statements based on the tiny speculative glimpse we have been provided with.

You can say it's all WIP but videos do give a good idea.

They do give a good idea. It seems like they are going to do a lot of AI development based on player feedback on the more mature public Alpha. What worries me is that it may be too late to rewrite the deep-in functions like spotting and long range target acquisition that are at the heart of the AI's problems, where evolutionary development isn't enough.

Maybe BIS will make them step over since in GC demo we've seen that there was no animation for it. It's not a big deal - as long as it's not left unfinished like it was in ArmA2 for 2 years.

[metalcraze 290]

At Gamescom Crowe died specifically because the AI was shot at, stopped, and returned fire. Please stop making absolute statements based on the tiny speculative glimpse we have been provided with.

He was shot because AI saw him. After some time - they showed absolutely zero reaction during first few barrages, continuing to move like nothing happened. It's a usual ArmA2 behavior. It can be seen in GC videos too.

Of course it may change but this is what I see right now.

They do give a good idea. It seems like they are going to do a lot of AI development based on player feedback on the more mature public Alpha. What worries me is that it may be too late to rewrite the deep-in functions like spotting and long range target acquisition that are at the heart of the AI's problems, where evolutionary development isn't enough.

Spotting at long ranges is perfectly tweakable. Zeus AI made it way too good in fact.

Maybe you mean 'short' ranges? The problem is that in ArmA currently for AI it's vice versa as opposed to humans - you will spot and react to an enemy that is close to you much faster. So it needs to increase for AI the closer you get with almost "aimbot" precision and speed 2m away.

I always expect from every new presentation to finally show me AI fighting and taking cover indoors. Ivan said "AI can handle itself quite well indoors" back in 2011 - but where is it?

[maturin 12]

He was shot because AI saw him. After some time - they showed absolutely zero reaction during first few barrages, continuing to move like nothing happened. It's a usual ArmA2 behavior. It can be seen in GC videos too.

So he should have stopped running and let himself be shot, rather than running off of the exposed hilltop?

Spotting at long ranges is perfectly tweakable. Zeus AI made it way too good in fact.

People have changed spotting ranges and speeds, but no one has ever remotely altered the mechanism behind AI spotting. You know the one where they can pick out a ghillied sniper at 500m without optics if he fires two shots. Currently, if you fire a weapon inside the FOV of an alerted AI, they automatically see you. It's a simple LoS check regardless of range (up to a point) and clutter that would confuse a human eye for hours. And once they see you, they know your exact location, as opposed to suppressing an area target like a human would.

Maybe you mean 'short' ranges?

Er, I said long.

So it needs to increase for AI the closer you get with almost "aimbot" precision and speed 2m away.

Agreed, I think the AI needs special FSMs written for enemies under 50m, giving their decisions priority over everyone who is engaging at range.

Ivan said "AI can handle itself quite well indoors" back in 2011 - but where is it?

ASR AI allows AI to enter and fight from buildings, but the only thing they can do is walk from room to room uselessly. At minimum BIS needs to make them lean around doorways and identify windows as firing points.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

I like the use of rock objects to apparently completely block accessway through certain passages and instead force us on some detours to get where we want to be. Like "no, you can't walk up that way, you have to go around", leading to longer maneuvers for flanking, defendable elevated positions, and nice ambush opportunities where concentrated fires may work better than before.

[froggyluv 2135]

...but the only thing they can do is walk from room to room uselessly. At minimum BIS needs to make them lean around doorways and identify windows as firing points.

Yep, this is at the crux of what is needed to bring about a new level of AI competance/excitement for the CQB system. How do they give the AI an awareness that they are indoors (while in between nodes) to keep them an effective threat such as leaning from entryways,wall frames and windows (which mostly have nodes iirc)? Its almost like the whole house would have to be a Master Node which could act as some sort of AI mesh telling them to stay tacticool and ready to lean in/out with speed. Windows would all need to be at the right height to allow AI lateral shooting (as there seems to be no AI vertical action yet) as well.

Last point I'd like to see is the use of dynamic cover ie..the BMP they just dismounted from -squad use it as you would a wall if under fire rather then running 20m to that little rock.

[rye1 21]

Windows would all need to be at the right height to allow AI lateral shooting (as there seems to be no AI vertical action yet) as well.

Last point I'd like to see is the use of dynamic cover ie..the BMP they just dismounted from -squad use it as you would a wall if under fire rather then running 20m to that little rock.

These two points. +1.

[Madeon 6]

Clunky controls ??? I don't know what to make of this guy -

icMkTMN6R1g

[xeno 234]

Clunky controls ??? I don't know what to make of this guy -

Well, he is right. When I played the GC Alpha that was exactly what I thought. Controls and animations are basically still the same as in A2/OA including a bug which was fixed some time ago in OA, when you throw a grenade your avatar plays the throwing animation without a grenade first and then a second one finally throwing the grenade.

Xeno

[ScratcH1 10]

I just can't take this guy serious... first, he complains that there's a loading screen while loading the mission. Second, at the beginning of the firing drill it clearly says what's to do but he just ignores it and blames ArmA that he has no idea what he's supposed to do. Third, always reloading after firing 2 bullets.

Blaming a game for his own inability to comprehend a game like ArmA...

Oh, and in his opinion Battlefield 3 (which indeed looks good, but not at all compareable) looks better than ArmA3... you know, both are completely compareable since they are sooooo similiar :rolleyes:

Edited August 18, 2012 by ScratcH1

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

Clunky controls ??? I don't know what to make of this guy

"Yes! I was going there hoping they would be any different than Arma 2. But they are not, I had a hard time controlling the game.

EzioCroft in reply to mckseal 6 hours ago"

I've evaluated him, conclusion: ADD Derp syndrome. Comparing ArmA to COD, while playing with weapon floating point set to 0 is the lowest of lows, also probably doesn't know the ALT key exists.

During helo scene he said he had no clue what he's doing - my guess: played ArmA 2 at launch and went back to COD.

---------- Post added at 08:44 ---------- Previous post was at 08:42 ----------

when you throw a grenade your avatar plays the throwing animation without a grenade first and then a second one finally throwing the grenade.

Xeno

If that's the only con regarding the animations, then where does "clunky" come from? All I see is a brilliantly reworked stance system by Smookie, which will provide very competitive gameplay.

P.S. Stance modifier key is CTRL, which is awesome placement.

[chortles 263]

Well, he is right. When I played the GC Alpha that was exactly what I thought. Controls and animations are basically still the same as in A2/OA including a bug which was fixed some time ago in OA, when you throw a grenade your avatar plays the throwing animation without a grenade first and then a second one finally throwing the grenade.

Xeno

Are you implying that the GC build undid the improvements of the E3 build? There will be hell to pay... although controls being basically the same doesn't really surprise me.

[xeno 234]

If that's the only con regarding the animations, then where does "clunky" come from? All I see is a brilliantly reworked stance system by Smookie, which will provide very competitive gameplay.

You have to play it then you'll know. Seeing something in a video is completely different than testing it yourself.

I haven't tested the different stances as I was too dumb to even find out how it works :D

Xeno

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

You have to play it then you'll know. Seeing something in a video is completely different than testing it yourself.

I haven't tested the different stances as I was too dumb to even find out how it works :D

Xeno

Well, that's your problem right there, that you haven't tested them out. :) In theory it's awesome, and the animations mod made my Smookie prior to becoming Dev was great.

[Madeon 6]

Well, he is right. When I played the GC Alpha that was exactly what I thought. Controls and animations are basically still the same as in A2/OA

Damn, I'm really disappointed to read that. I probably wouldn't have believed it if it came from someone else. Well that sucks.

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

Here's the anim system in full detail,

44b7oOn32CI

Brilliant, tbh.

[xeno 234]

Well, that's your problem right there, that you haven't tested them out. :) In theory it's awesome, and the animations mod made my Smookie prior to becoming Dev was great.

No, the problem is that the whole system is not intuitive. In some videos you've seen that even BIS devs had troubles finding the right keys to play those animations.

And judging something based on a video is not the same as testing it yourself. No matter how many videos you will add here.

Xeno

[Iroquois Pliskin 0]

No, the problem is that the whole system is not intuitive. In some videos you've seen that even BIS devs had troubles finding the right keys to play those animations.

And judging something based on a video is not the same as testing it yourself. No matter how many videos you will add here.

Xeno

One modifier key (CTRL) is not intuitive? Heh. Check the video above. Another example - SMK anims in ArmA II,

vklOq6KFQy4

[NoRailgunner 0]

Xeno would you basically say A3 is "old wine in new skins" or "new wine in old bottles" ? ;)