Equipment AI

[VictorFarbau 0]

Topic discontinued - pleaser refer to this link for any updates to Equipment.AI:

VFAI (Equipment.AI)

WIP status of Equipment.AI is v0.8

I wanted to extend the capabilities of the AI particularly in regards to their ability to support themselves with weapons and ammo. I never liked it that my men became sitting ducks in the midst of battle only because they ran out of ammo or grenades at some point.

Equipment AI will allow units to scan their immediate environment for bodys and their equipment. If a unit goes below certain ammo levels it will try to snitch a magazine, a grenade or smokebomb here and there. If the unit looses its weapon or does not find ammo in a given time the unit will focus on getting a new weapon as quick as possible.

The script will ultimately be put into an addon to be more convenient to use.

Limitations:

Currently AI will only be able to handle standard Arma weapons. Unknown weapon and ammo types (read: addons) will result in AI trying to exchange them for any known type at first opportunity. If there is no opportunity then units will keep their unidentified weapon.

YouTube example here:

VF Equipment.AI

Will be released soon as 1.0. More work on this to come soon after.

Regards,

VictorFarbau

[der_baer_fm 0]

Wow, very interesting..

[lee_h._oswald 0]

Another thing that should have been in ArmA since V 1.0

Nice work man, and funny video.

MfG Lee

[nastros 0]

good job this looks excellent

[dmarkwick 261]

Yes, this looks very interesting.

*edit*

thinking about what you said RE only default weapons being supported, is there any possibility of there being a DAC-type text file where new addon weapons can be manually added by mission makers/addon makers etc?

[Balschoiw 0]

Can you release a separate script-only version aswell ?

I´m no big fan of countless addons that come along with missions and are sometimes only used for 1 or 2 missions. If we can attach the script(s) to missions and call it in the init.sqs I´d see big useage for mission editors.

[milobr 0]

Nice script, mate.

Does it work for civilians under certain side? For example: you have civs under BLUFOR side and some BLUFOR troops. If the BLUFOR troops are killed, will the civs go down there and grab their weapons, joining the fight?

[Denz 0]

That's some great work there Victor. Looking forward to seeing it in missions soon.

In a similar vein to what Balschoiw has already said, I really don't get this impulse to turn scripts into addons, the same has been said about the ofpec_ils script

Surely it's better if they remain what they are, scripts.

As a script it's easily edited by those wanting to use custom weapons etc. - saves you some IMO unnecessary work and we get what we want. A win - win situation.

[M.Andersson(SWE) 4]

Again...BIS only laid down the foundation of ArmA...

It is the comunity that builds the game...

[VictorFarbau 0]

I will release both script and addon (addon prolly a bit later) when ready.

The script is independent from the unit's side. So east, west, res and civ can use the same script alike. AI units won't care about which weapons they can get their hands on as long as they know the type and ammo (which is part of the script).

VictorFarbau

[Shadow NX 1]

Indeed somethign that ArmA should have since V.1.00.

I mean seriously how weird is it to not make the ai scan for new weapons and ammo if they run out of it, stuff like that should eb Ai basics for a war game.

[funnyguy1 0]

Keep up the good work! Another must-have addon in the making! thank you

[Commando84 0]

omg nice script! hope you release it as both addon and script for missions version. About that it should been in Arma 1.0 imo what if you need the ammo and the a.i's steal it all but pretty funny though

[VictorFarbau 0]

Quote[/b] ] what if you need the ammo and the a.i's steal it all

Interesting you mention that. That is exactly the most tedious work left for me. There's also no point if a dead unit carries 8 magazines and the first AI grabs them all and leaves 7 teammates empty handed.

Also got to be careful when it comes to sending additional commands to AI in combat. Multiple casaded orders sometimes cause awkward behaviour (like courching around with the gun pointing skywards e.g.).

I will release as soon as the parameters are sufficiently balanced.

Cheers,

VictorFarbau

[[GLT] Legislator 66]

This scripts sounds great! I'm eager to test it in my missions after your release.

[dmarkwick 261]

Hey Victor, not to sound like some addon request maniac, but how much more work is there in making a script that does the same thing but for AI and empty vehicles? Or even AI and empty slots in vehicles?

[VictorFarbau 0]

DMarwick, I had this already built in but took it out for now since the script commands of Arma do not allow to scan the inventory of a "weaponholder" at this point in time.

I tried all sorts of tricks to work around this but came to no acceptable results. The inventory list will always be []. The Arma engine can do it (you can manually command you units to take stuff) but scripting commands won't work as expected.

Cheers,

Victor

[dmarkwick 261]

DMarwick, I had this already built in but took it out for now since the script commands of Arma do not allow to scan the inventory of a "weaponholder" at this point in time.

I tried all sorts of tricks to work around this but came to no acceptable results. The inventory list will always be []. The Arma engine can do it (you can manually command you units to take stuff) but scripting commands won't work as expected.

Cheers,

Victor

Rgr dat. What I was actually thinking of was AI using empty vehicles as vehicles. I always see AI running past perfectly usable vehicles on the way to distant towns or whatever. Likewise I always see mostly empty vehicles racing past running AI.

[VictorFarbau 0]

Good idea DMarwick. Equipment.AI is just the first module in a series I was planning to overcome some everyday-annoyances.

Vehicle.AI could be the next step - need to consider different things there compared to "simple" weapon&ammo logistics. Like group waypoints, battlefield situation etcpp. Don't forget that most vehicles e.g. weaken groups rather than strengthen them (like: only 1 Gunner, slow AI pathfinding and driving behaviour).

Cheers,

Victor

[william1 0]

it sounds the most interesting lol the video is very funny

[dmarkwick 261]

Good idea DMarwick. Equipment.AI is just the first module in a series I was planning to overcome some everyday-annoyances.

Vehicle.AI could be the next step - need to consider different things there compared to "simple" weapon&ammo logistics. Like group waypoints, battlefield situation etcpp. Don't forget that most vehicles e.g. weaken groups rather than strengthen them (like: only 1 Gunner, slow AI pathfinding and driving behaviour).

Cheers,

Victor

Sounds like you already have a realistic grip on this idea I'll look forward to it.

[4 IN 1 0]

this look really really good, you have my hat down for you

[kroky 1]

in this addon I would like to see AI which understands, that when the AT guy is dead, they need to pickup an AT weapon, in case a tank would come across them.

The way it is right now, is rather annoying since the AI guys don't understand that they need to pick up an AT weapon and can be easily get wasted by a tank.

[Average Joe 0]

It would be Epic to have all these improvements rolled into one package, this mod, truerange, ai cover etc would really make a difference. In the future who knows

[malick 0]

It would be Epic to have all these improvements rolled into one package, this mod, truerange, ai cover etc would really make a difference. In the future who knows  

Agreed...

We could package an addon to improve the AI with the following:

- suppression

- dynamic voices and taunts

- equipment

- engagement range

What else ?

With the extended event handler addon, they would all work like a charm together and improve dramatically the immersion and gameplay quality.

Malick