AI performs better when set to "always crouch"?

[topeira 10]

Hi guys.

perhaps it is obvious to you all but for me it seems kinda new.

when doing a mission i set my teammates to "stay crouched" and "aware" and ordered them around. they seem to respond and shoot better and faster than the way they behave when in standing posture. in standing posture they tend to run around a lot, making them having trouble to react fast enough to stop, aim, shoot. when crouched i think they were faster on the trigger and more lethal. since this wasn't the case with arma1 i didnt think about trying this until now.

1) is this the case in your game as well? is it supposed to be like this?

2) is it possible that the AI has a harder time recognizing a crouched enemy? it makes sense that this will be the case but i wonder HOW true this is.

3) another question -

When i create a mission myself and place enemy AIs, is there a way to tell the enemy AIs to be in "crouched" position when they become alerted?!

i want the AI to patrol normally in a standing posture, like human soldiers would, but when they become alerted i'd like them to move in crouched posture. is it possible in the editor or is it something that needs to be modded by modders?

p.s. - im really new to the editor. if there's a way to do what i wish than be... ummm... overly simplistic :P

10X

[GoOB 0]

I don't know if it has anything to do with my squad being ordered to "stay crouched" or not - But during the latest mission I played in the editor all my subordinates did was struggle to follow me whilst yelling "Covering!" "GO!" and similar phrases over the comms... I told them a number of times to regroup, move and god knows whatever else, but they'd always stay about 200 meters away from their objective. Naughty marines.

[Deadfast 43]

Set them to safe or aware ;)

[topeira 10]

I don't know if it has anything to do with my squad being ordered to "stay crouched" or not - But during the latest mission I played in the editor all my subordinates did was struggle to follow me whilst yelling "Covering!" "GO!" and similar phrases over the comms... I told them a number of times to regroup, move and god knows whatever else, but they'd always stay about 200 meters away from their objective. Naughty marines.

that's what happens when u set them to "danger".

so, how about the topic?

also, can i tell AIs in the editor to stay crouched?

Edited June 23, 2009 by topeira

[mrcash2009 0]

I have found setting them to danger is good in obvious situations, but when moving around cities and areas with objects having your team follow you when set to "Danger" I find them getting spread out and taking far too long to work situations out and get back to me. I normally set to "aware" at those moments so they stand up and suddenly find it easier to get out of corners and find me quicker.

[topeira 10]

well, this thread went off topic :(

im trying to revive it -

1) is it true that unit on crouch position will respond faster and better than if they were standing?

2) is there a way to tell the AI to be in crouched posture in the editor? can i place units in the editor and tell them to be crouched while performinng their current way point?

3) is there a way to tell the AI to be in crouched posture if they become AWARE of enemies but not be in crouched posture when they are not in combat?

4) the thing with the crouched position, i think , is that the AI advances with their gun raised. they are always ready to fire. usually they run around with the gun lowered and that's probably why they take longer to aim and shoot. HOWEVER it the AI can walk with the gun raised when they stand up too. the can jog when they stand up (which is what they usually do) and they can walk \ shuffle with gun and eye level. i assume that shuffling will give the same result as crouching and moving but for some reason the AI preffers to jog more often. is there a way to force the AI to shuffle more often than jog?

[flake 10]

i just send them ahead and watch them get killed, usually through binoculars

[turin turambar 0]

I noticed that AI is much better defending than attacking.

When they attack they move, they go prone, stand up again, change from cover to cover, etc. It tries to be more "dynamic". When they defend, they just go prone and begin firing to the enemy in their field of vision, round after round, magazine after magazine.

Of course it is somewhat realistic, defending should be easir than attacking, but the fact is, AI seems to waste time and his own life moving too much and not firing enough, if they would hit the ground and just throw lead, like when it defends, it would have a better chance of success.

[Bunkers 0]

I've noticed the same. In crCTI after enemy armor is down i send my ai infantry squad into town ahead of me in a crouched position. They usually wipe the streets with any enemy inf there, taking minimal losses. They seem superiously alert and ready.

[_Colt_ 10]

@ topeira

I guess if you lock a unit into a crouch position they don't waste time having to transition between going prone from a standing position and vice-versa.

To make a unit crouch, in the editor type:

this setUnitPos "middle";

in the units initialization field.

A couple of useful links for editing (apart from these forums):

http://www.ofpec.com/ (check the forums)

http://www.gol-clan.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=780

Maybe a useful thread on crouching for you:

http://www.ofpec.com/forum/index.php?topic=26682.msg182706#msg182706

As for AI better at Defending than Attacking, I have noticed this too. In the manual it states that:

"An attacking side needs at least a 3:1 advantage in numbers"

[Kimmeh 0]

When in a forest or town I like to put em at Aware and at the 'copy my posture' stance.

When in a relatively open area with little cover I prefer Danger and 'copy my posture', or sometimes I force them prone and put them to crouch when I want a person to move up.

When I'm trying to preserve stealth I just force em prone and at hold fire.

I have tried using the commander view to make each guy go to a certain tree and set their facings, micro-managing if you will, but found it to be highly ineffective in a forest, maybe its better in the open? Just make 'em stick in formation, at Aware and Copy-Stance, formation Vee worked wonders in forest fighting though.

It'll take us a while getting used to but the AI has great potential, but it actually takes skill and practice to be good with it. Me and the other Crazy Ivans members are still experimenting lots, as AI-support is a big part of our operations.

And yeah the AI is waaay more likely to survive when defending, so when attacking with AI and you want it to be fair, give them some tactical support(arty/airstrike/armour) or great numbers.

Love the AI so far though and I haven't noticed any vehicles going off-road and bumping into a tree repeatedly, they all behave brilliant for me!

Kimmy

[Wolfrug 0]

Maybe a useful thread on crouching for you:

http://www.ofpec.com/forum/index.php?topic=26682.msg182706#msg182706

That thread deals with OFP, not ArmA ;) It's ancient history (although I do remember a huge bunch of workarounds and such that were used to get the damned AI to crouch! Not easy, I tell you). Now all you need to do is use what someone else mentioned: unitname setUnitPos "MIDDLE";

Regards,

Wolfrug

[topeira 10]

thanks everyone who gave tips.

typing:

this setunitpos "middle" did get them to be crouched all the time and it yield better results in combat.

3 more Qs:

1) is there a way to make the AI be in crouched position only if he engages the enemy but keep standing position if is not in combat? if he's just patroling or walking around he should stand...

2) when standing up there are 2 ways to move - jog (running with the gun lowers) or walk (walking slowly with gun raised). is there a way to enable to the AI to walk instead of jog?!

3) is there a way to make the crouching AI also flip through prone position as well? not just crouch? usually AI will flip through these actions - jog, walk, stand, sprint, crouch, prone. i want them to only be able to perform - walk, crouch, prone. the other stances make them react really slow.

if a combination of these 3 Qs is possible than the AI can be a lot more lethal than it is right now.

i've been doing some skirmishes with AIs that only crouch and they have been a lot harder and better. if i could get them to walk and prone as well... yuummmmmm.

Edited June 25, 2009 by topeira

[topeira 10]

a lil bump here as a reminder...

i could really use the answers if there are any...

[Bouben 3]

I think, that AI in DANGER should be in crouched and prone position only. They may not to stand up. Everytime I fight in cities or villages, I tell them to stay crouched. They are much more effective in combat then. When you stop, stay crouched. That's the way I like it and how it should be. And guys, if you ever played the Men Of War game, then you know, that it's AI was able to stand up, when they needed to see behind obstacles in their LOS and it works when they need to see over terrain shapes too.