Help with several aspects of a mission, mainly AI navigating

[crazyrobban 10]

I've just finished reading a book describing a fictional invasion of Sweden (where I'm from) by Russian forces, and it got me all inspired.

So now, I've created a mission, with a nice wintery-feeling and, for now, 3 LAV-25 and 18 soldiers starting on a field. (I'm hoping to double the forces later on).

There's 3 LAV-25, that move on separate waypoints each, until they reach the road, where alpha has a join and lead waypoint synced with bravo and charlies separate join waypoints.

The soldiers (3 groups, 6 soldiers each) simply have get in orders synced with each LAV-25's Load waypoint.

With triggers, radio commands and syncs I've got it all to work pretty nicely when they all move out.

There's just two issues.

1. The AI drivers are complete rubbish, they keep leaving the road, for gods know why, to plow down a few trees and then get back on the road.

I know there's been talk about their driving skills having been improved with patches, but still, they suck.

They're driving in normal speed and aware status.

2. Is it completely impossible to make three tanks drive in formation line whilst in terrain? They always move like a column, making the lead vehicle have to combat on his own (for a lot more time than necessary due to drivers horrible skill at navigating), when running into Opfor.

Anyone have any input on this? :)

[kylania 567]

1. Try CARELESS. Sure they'll get shot up and die, but they'll drive on the road mostly. Limited speed helps a bit too. There's a few convoy scripts you might look into.

2. Tanks are basically impossible, yeah. :) You can try

tankGroup setFormation "LINE";

but no guarentees that they'll travel how you want them to. Do they have to be grouped?

I'm basically lazy though, so when it comes to stuff like this I ask myself "Will the player see any of this? Does the player have to see any of this?" If they player isn't actually going to see the units run to the LAVs and get in and drive off and all that don't even bother. Even more so if it's just for show.

You're using radio triggers, so maybe start the player as a forward scout, and once he decides it's clear "start the invasion" and simply spawn the LAVs and tanks just over a hill or something.

[crazyrobban 10]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try having them running on careless just before they hit opfor, having limited speed might work if I put some dialogue in to get the mission going, and maybe look into some On Act code to keep them from driving with the lights on.

Just to be clear, the forces in the LAV's are the players (all playable, it's a mp mission) and they are the forces that's trying to free the area of the invading Russians. :)

I'll try the setFormation line, but I guess it's the same as setting their waypoint to formation line.

Thanks!

[Wolfenswan 1]

You can each give seperate waypoints and synch them to each other. Not perfect but better than the formation AI.

For the LAV try using

{_x [url="http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/assignAsCargo"]assignAsCargo[/url] LAV;
[_x] [url="http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/orderGetIn"]orderGetIn[/url] true;} forEach units Group;

on activating the infantry group Waypoint

Edited August 23, 2012 by Wolfenswan

[crazyrobban 10]

Careless really did the trick! :)

Gonna check out the other stuff as well!