nbc095 6 Posted February 22, 2017 ArmA 3 Troubleshooting Porposal for Jets DLC: AI Improvement Before saying anything; i´ve posted this topic into the "Development Branch" because i´m giving solutions for a future update, not for the present version of the game. Hey there. I´ve seen a lot of requests for solving some lacks from the air assets of ArmA 3, specially the systems, which are going to be reworked. I´m just here opening a topic for another trouble that mess up a lot the combine operations in ArmA: the poor development of the AI in air support / air patrol missions. IDK if somebody has exposed the problems before, and I´m also opened to listen more ideas. I just want to get this to the developers and make them understand that, as Combine Ops are the base of this game, we need this changes urgently to make possible a proper development of Combined Arms strategies for the AI; I know that this is not DCS World, but the behaviour of the AI is more close to a Hollywood bad action movie rather than a military sim. Pilots Behaviour procedures, decisions, combat tactics. Weapons choosing and priority of targets. The AI don´t have any criteria for using weapons against enemy forces. The AI don´t set a priority for the weapons, about how to and when is convenient to use a weapon. For example, if an AI plane has Laser Guided Bombs, AGM, FFAR, and finds a group of enemies composed by 1 AAA, 4 tanks, and 5 pickups, the AI should have to follow the next procedure: AGMs first for the AAA, then the tanks; if its gets out of AGMs then use laser guided bombs against the armored vehicles, and strafe the light vehicles with guns/FFAR. Of course, if the AI finds lone vehicles like just a pickup, then use the FFAR and guns first and not engage using AGM, cos they could be used better to disable or destroy armored targets. Of course, the AI must know in the first case, that the main threat is the AAA, and it must be destroyed before engaging the rest of the vehicles. Would be interesting to implement a system like this: the AI won´t use a weapon that gives 600 damage to a vehicle that only have 100 points of health. Another ambitious porposal is to make the AI to bomb infantry targets only when they are not split or inside buildings. About the Air Combat, most of the same. The AI should try to not drop all their AA loadouts for just one enemy and prevent the close dogfight if possible. For example, using an AA missile for a helicopter is stupid if you will face biggest threats, like an enemy fighter. So the AI should know that if they find a non-armored helicopter or an helicopter that don´t have proper weapons for Air to Air engagement, they should try to strafe them instead of using AA missiles. Also the AI should be enhanced a bit in terms of evasive maneuvers, specially when facing a AA missile incoming. Not just dropping a shitton of flares and pray for not getting crushed. It´s more than obvious that helicopters needs this enhancement too.Spotting. Jets should be able to spot infantry when they´re not properly covered or moving in big formations. Also they should be able to strafe the infantry or use bombs if they move in big formations. This is essential for the game, because the jets can do some "air supression" and prevent the ground foot forces to be more coordinated. Groups of planes or helicopters need more coordination. For example, one plane could work as a spotter while the another one attacks enemy targets. This is useful and can give some real utility to drones for example. The units in groups should attack in groups or close formations, depending on the situation. Would be really interesting to implement combat formations for CAS missions, like the Russian Sturmovik tactics of flying in circles around the targets while the lead plane attacks and then comes back to the circle. Or maybe attacking in close formations of two planes, close to each other, or in file, with a 100 meters space between them. JTAC colaboration with CAS units: The JTAC should be able to set a kind of parameters of suggested ingression for a strike, suggested egression, number of threats, etc. Not just pointing a laser designator and calling for strike. Maneuvers and procedures for Air Support missions This is really needed in ArmA 3. Helicopters need to get better skills about terrain masking and long range engagements. In general, the AI need to know when should fly lower and when to fly high. It´s pretty irrealistic how the CAS planes get into action flying low and with low speed, this is almost a suicide movement if there´s any AAA or manpad present in the area. The sky is another element of the ArmA maps which is quite dead right now, even if it´s not so important as ground ops, they need investments. The AI should be at least flying at altitudes like 1500-2000 meters when it´s needed. Sometimes it´s better to try a dive for bombing or strafing targets, sometimes its better to get low because there´s a SAM in the area; but also helicopters should know when they should flying high, for example, for being stealthy and trying to attack an infantry element for surprise before they split and dig themselves, and of course, stay away from the AO if there are AAA units spotted or possible threats like MANPADs or high caliber guns that could destroy the helicopter. Also, this could be REALLY USEFUL: We need an option in the Group orders to set a certain altitude for the AI when it´s driving an air asset. It´s quite frustrating when you´re flying as the helicopter gunner and the AI fly quite low for engaging enemies with the guns or missiles at longer distances. It´s absurd that a regular air force loses 6 combat helicopters and another 9 jets trying to destroy two Tigris. I´ve seen this doing a mission in the editor, testing the AI capabilities using air assets. This really needs to be fixed ASAP. The idea of this post is to reunite more concepts that should be interesting to be added in the future. If you have ideas for improving mines, or you have another concepts in mind, let´s post here! Let´s discuss! Let´s ask for a better Air Warfare in ArmA :P Thanks in advance for reading and posting! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
