New behaviour

[mr_centipede 31]

As of right now, current behaviour in ARMA is safe, aware, combat and stealth. I propose another behviour that is between safe and aware - patrol (or any name that suitable).

safe mode can use the ofp weapon sling on back anim and patrol mode can use the current anim. this way, we can have patrol moving in staggered column or wedge or any other formation.

good luck with ARMA2

[CarlGustaffa 4]

I have to say that I really concur. But I don't think formations (and other behavioural aspects) should be driven by behaviour. I mean, sometimes it is the mission designers wish to have light and engine discipline even though the formation is to drive in a safe and delta formation. I love the sling-back patrols from OFP crossing a great patrol cycle, but I similarly need the combat aware readyness shown in urban areas in ArmA.

Let me have my safe mode with lights off, having the possibility to turn off the engine at a waypoint. Currently, the engine makes some of these deciscions waay too automatically for my liking.

[ACF 0]

Firstly, apologies if this looks familiar, I have banged this drum before for ARMA:

Implementing the suggestions below might do enough to improve 'patrol' behaviour without having an extra Behaviour - see bold bits and notes at the end...

Infantry 'Behaviours' (CARELESS, SAFE, AWARE, COMBAT, STEALTH) have been tweaked since the earlier versions of ARMA but ARMA2 should have as good a variety as OFP at least. These observations are based on ARMA 1.14.

CARELESS and SAFE:

Issue:

Units walk at the same speed in all SpeedModes. (In OFP, NORMAL & FULL Speedmodes were the same jog but LIMITED was a walk.)

Suggestions:

i) Distinct SpeedModes in CARELESS and SAFE, i.e. LIMITED = amble, NORMAL = brisk walk, FULL = jog.

ii) SAFE should use 'weapons in hand' anims making it suitable for patrols and sentries.

iii) CARELESS ought to use 'weapons slung' and 'social' anims. Reaction (or lack of it) can be controlled through CombatMode and UnitPos rather than hardcoded.

iv) Remove default file/column formation in CARELESS and SAFE and allow formation to be editor-defined.

AWARE:

NORMAL is a jog and FULL is a run but it's not a great difference in actual speed, though this is an improvement from earlier ARMA versions.

Issue:

In SpeedMode LIMITED, units move too slowly and too deliberately - weapons are 'up' most of the time making the Behaviour too similar to COMBAT.  

Suggestions:

i) AWARE LIMITED should be a walk with weapons 'down' most of the time.

ii) AWARE NORMAL should be a touch slower than it is (AWARE FULL is OK).

iii) In all SpeedModes, units should mostly kneel when stationary and at WPs.

COMBAT:

Issues:

i) No real difference between SpeedModes.

ii) Leader moves too far ahead and remains standing at WPs.

Suggestions:

i) Same tactics with distinct SpeedModes: LIMITED at walk, NORMAL at jog, FULL at run.

ii) Keep leader back Keep leader back, move junior subsquad first.

iii) Leader to kneel/go prone when stationary at WPs.

iv) Units ought to use available cover at WPs as in STEALTH.

STEALTH:

Units now seem to move as one - I think earlier versions had the squad moving as two subsquads as in COMBAT, but I might be wrong. Action at WPs seems OK - units move to available cover and get down.

Issues:

i) NORMAL and FULL are similar fast jogs, LIMITED is a permanent crawl.

ii) Leader tends to get too far ahead.

Suggestions:

i) Reduce the speed of STEALTH NORMAL.

ii) Some crawling in STEALTH FULL and more in STEALTH NORMAL

iii) Keep leader back.

Regarding 'patrol' Behaviour, SAFE NORMAL as described above will be adequate for 'out of contact' patrols and sentries. The addition of kneeling/prone at halts in AWARE gives us what is needed for in-contact/tactical patrols. I believe this is more useful than the AWARE Behaviour in ARMA 1.14 where units stand at halts.

[CameronMcDonald 146]

I will just add that VBS2 has the option to do exactly what Mr. Centipede suggests => standard patrol mode (like in ArmA) and it maintains the option "Weapon on back" for those true non-combat times.

I would like to see this in ArmA2, as well.