Command Structure

[Atropin 0]

Excuse me for my bad english, but perhaps someone who has ArmA can tell me something about the command structure

I think i have read somewhere something like "command more than 12 Units will be possible"

Is this true? If yes, how it works?

Or its just the possibility to switch between different units (4-5 officers) to command 4-5 Squads?

[frederf 0]

Squad sizes are up to 60-64 region of players theoretical in ArmA. The command bar we all know/love from OFP will be "scrollable" left right to see all the units. I imagine this will be useful primarily for 100% AI squads and the times you want to play armchair general with a couple of platoons.

I imagine the predesignated color-team-assignments will really help management of these forces.

Completely separate is the singleplayer (multi? prob not) ability to switch between choice characters during the course of the mission. It's certainly possible that you could setup a single player mission where you could switch between all the group leaders.

ON A RELATED NOTE, SOMETHING THAT HAS JUST RECENTLY COME TO MY ATTENTION:

In OFP you could make a color-group of AIs and when you sent that color group (exactly, no more no less) they would be BEHAVE AS A LOGICAL UNIT, which is quite surprising/undocumented and quite nice for the "groups within groups" command structure that's missing almost entirely from OFP and ArmA.

[DarkOmen 0]

The fact there are now such huge squads will mean so many more possibilities., hell, someone could make a real RTS mod.

[Atropin 0]

Thank you for the Answer.

This makes possible to design some very nice Missions.

[bravo 6 0]

Quote[/b] ]In OFP you could make a color-group of AIs and when you sent that color group (exactly, no more no less) they would be BEHAVE AS A LOGICAL UNIT, which is quite surprising/undocumented and quite nice for the "groups within groups" command structure that's missing almost entirely from OFP and ArmA.

Are you saying thta in ARMA we can not use colors to group players/ais?!

NOooooooooooooooo!

[dm 9]

Quote[/b] ]In OFP you could make a color-group of AIs and when you sent that color group (exactly, no more no less) they would be BEHAVE AS A LOGICAL UNIT, which is quite surprising/undocumented and quite nice for the "groups within groups" command structure that's missing almost entirely from OFP and ArmA.

Are you saying thta in ARMA we can not use colors to group players/ais?!

NOooooooooooooooo!

No, he's saying the "groups within groups" structure is still missing.

For example; you as a Leiutenant, control a group of 12 Sergeants, each of whom then control their own squad of 12 men.

[frederf 0]

Yes, that is exactly what I mean. I do not know if this "quasi-subgroup" feature that most people don't know is in OFP is in ArmA or not. I assume it is.

What I mean is OFP and ArmA both do not have more than 2 tiers of command. So you cannot have a "leader of leaders" so to speak.

[4 IN 1 0]

well this is what some ppl here suggested long time ago, yet somehow BIS miss it, hope they add it in patch, also the formations need to be tweak(after seeing that 134 unit under command video i wanted it to be tweak even more)

it is already done through scripts b4, someone wrote it for VME PLA mod

[buddhiraja73 0]

Placebo has recently written in a thread that a quick command system has been added and the old OFP system is also there. I take this as a major improvement.  

A video, showing the command system in detail, would be great.

A detailed and effective command structure would really increase the strategy element in this game, provided the AI squads have strategic maneuvers included in their behavior as well. It will be nice to see AI squads relocate or retreat when they are losing, call for reinforcements when required, decide about the paths using which they want to attack, use small squads as diversions etc.

I think I read somewhere that making buildings etc. to fortify our positions are included. What are the other RTS elements presents ? Can anybody enlighten me on this ?

This game really has potential.

[Metal Heart 0]

Quote[/b] ]So you cannot have a "leader of leaders" so to speak.

Since that was already easily possible in OFP with tiny bits of scripting why wouldn't it be possible in ArmA. There might not be a hard-coded UI for it but it's quite simple to make one via scripting and dialogs. And with human squad leaders it's even simpler since the lieutenant or whatever can just use the built-in voice comms or teamspeak to command squads or even platoons. And it's possible to script platoon formations, command over invidual soldiers and such.

[ryankaplan 1]

it requires a huge amount of scripting to get a platoon working under 1 human platoon leader, and still it only gives about half the control you would have had if there was proper groups in groups structure. With about 10 times the bother too.

To be honest this isnt needed for anything smaller than a company. All BIS needs to do is give the Colour Teams the availability to form their own formations ( Eg 'Team Red, Form Wedge' and form their own logical squad.

This way, there will be the possibilty of making platoon formations and allow control of squads designated as colour teams, while allowing full control over each and every individual in the platoon if you wish to.

However, the ai platoon leader will still be lacking in platoon control if simply the above requirements are added.

When you get to company level however, things get alot more confusing and a proper 'Leaders of Leaders' structured command system is needed.

[zwobot 22]

To be honest this isnt needed for anything smaller than a company. All BIS needs to do is give the Colour Teams the availability to form their own formations ( Eg 'Team Red, Form Wedge' and form their own logical squad.

Exactly!

That would be a good improvement.

I hope CoC will release their CommandEngine 3 for ArmA soon.

[DarkOmen 0]

To be honest this isnt needed for anything smaller than a company. All BIS needs to do is give the Colour Teams the availability to form their own formations ( Eg 'Team Red, Form Wedge' and form their own logical squad.

Exactly!

That would be a good improvement.

I hope CoC will release their CommandEngine 3 for ArmA soon.

Woah, Hold your horses.

We gotta get the game first ... lol

[colligpip 0]

Imagine if you would that we could command as many troops as in total war 2.

BYe

[frederf 0]

---------------To be honest this isnt needed for anything smaller than a company. All BIS needs to do is give the Colour Teams the availability to form their own formations ( Eg 'Team Red, Form Wedge' and form their own logical squad. --------------------

If you missed where I said it before, I actually think you can do this in OFP already!

I have yet to test it myself, but if you have a squad of 12 and set 6,7,8,9,10 to "team green" and send "team green" over to a waypoint they should do so as a logical unit (in terms of formation only).

[ryankaplan 1]

no, it isnt possible in ofp. If you have 12 men, and send you send 2,4,6,8,10,12 (team red) to anywhere, you'll notice that they'll keep squad formation, meaning they'll be in a echelon rather than wedge.

-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-3-5-7-9-11-

above is the ofp line formation.

if you send team green (2-8-10 and 11) forward 100 meters, they'll keep the squad formation instead of forming a line themselves.

this means this will be their formation

----10-8-----2-------------11-

[Pierrot 0]

BTW, I want to control Color Teams more easily. In ofp, you have to select Color Teams every time in the action menu like this:

0 -> 9(team) -> 1(Red Team)

To improve this accessibility for sudden reactions, we need some shortcut keys.

e.g.

Shift + F1 : Select Red Team

Shift + F2 : Select Blue Team

Shift + F3 : Select Green Team...

Ctrl + F1 : Assign Red Team

Ctrl + F2 : Assign Blue Team

Ctrl + F3 : Assign Green Team...

Is there any idea?

[dr_eyeball 16]

Yeah Pierrot, accessing the color teams via keys like that would be great.

So what are the details regarding the 'Quick Command System' Placebo mentioned here?

I wonder if that has improved control over the color teams?

[buddhiraja73 0]

Yeah Pierrot, accessing the color teams via keys like that would be great.

So what are the details regarding the 'Quick Command System' Placebo mentioned here?

I wonder if that has improved control over the color teams?

I would like more info on the QUICK COMMAND SYSTEM too as it looks like a very handy tactical tool. A video maybe --

I would like the following commands in the quick command menu.

- Take ammo from team-mates that are alive. e.g- I have run out of m4 ammo and take 3 mags from another teammate.

- Ordering individuals as well as the team to 'cover' a certain direction.

- Ordering individuals as well the whole team to 'suppress' an area.

- Ordering teammates to use frag grenades, smoke grenades, GL etc.

- The 'move' command obviously.

[Vectum 0]

I Recall seeing a screenshot which had like 120 units with circles , to number 120 , like the old command system ( with only 12 units ). That's where I started thinking , can we control 120 units ?

[Blanco 0]

Can someone who has the game make a video how the quick command system works? Nothing big, just keep it simple to begin.

I'm very curious about that...

In OFP I always use my own quick command system called shoot or gamecommander, but I wonder how quick it really is in ArmA and what the possibilities are.

Are they working with multicontext menu's?

[Knives out 0]

BTW, I want to control Color Teams more easily. In ofp, you have to select Color Teams every time in the action menu like this:

0 -> 9(team) -> 1(Red Team)

To improve this accessibility for sudden reactions, we need some shortcut keys.

e.g.

Shift + F1 : Select Red Team

Shift + F2 : Select Blue Team

Shift + F3 : Select Green Team...

Ctrl + F1 : Assign Red Team

Ctrl + F2 : Assign Blue Team

Ctrl + F3 : Assign Green Team...

Is there any idea?

Very good idea !

Quote[/b] ]

I would like more info on the QUICK COMMAND SYSTEM too as it looks like a very handy tactical tool. A video maybe --

Me too ! Thanks.

Shadak please come back !

[zwobot 22]

I would like the following commands in the quick command menu.

- Ordering individuals as well the whole team to 'suppress' an area.

- Ordering teammates to use frag grenades, smoke grenades, GL

That would only be useful if (enemy) AI will react to suppresion fire, so...

[4 IN 1 0]

I Recall seeing a screenshot which had like 120 units with circles , to number 120 , like the old command system ( with only 12 units ). That's where I started thinking , can we control 120 units ?

well yeah thats whats the point here: a platoon size command structure, orders rolls down from platoon leader to different squad, then to fire team leader and finally soldiers who do the job

[Scrub 0]

BTW, I want to control Color Teams more easily. In ofp, you have to select Color Teams every time in the action menu like this:

0 -> 9(team) -> 1(Red Team)

To improve this accessibility for sudden reactions, we need some shortcut keys.

e.g.

Shift + F1 : Select Red Team

Shift + F2 : Select Blue Team

Shift + F3 : Select Green Team...

Ctrl + F1 : Assign Red Team

Ctrl + F2 : Assign Blue Team

Ctrl + F3 : Assign Green Team...

Is there any idea?

Use a game macro app, or better yet, something like Gamevoice, where you can run programs by voice (my personal fav). Someone here I'm sure knows the freeware I'm talking about, Game Commander or some such.. There's a couple of them around.