[GUIDE] AI Squad Command

[seba1976 98]

Question: after ordering someone into a specific stance, how do you restore their default behaviour of choosing their own stance?

I'm always reluctant to tell them to crouch because then I feel like I'm stuck having to tell them when to stand up or go prone etc. for the rest of the mission.

The same here. I thought It was a bug in OFP, but never really tried to revert with the "Keep it low" order, as this guide seems to suggest. Actually I've avoided to issue the order in Arma simply because I got used to play without it :). Maybe it works in Arma/Arma2. I'll try it tonight and post some feedback.

Thanks for the guide, I've found the helicopter tip very useful.

---------- Post added at 08:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 PM ----------

Nice post!

This is what the manual says they should do, but from my experience with testing engage at will in A2 they will only break formation if you select an initial target for them (same as engage). I have yet to see soldiers in my command pick their own target and break formation when issued the engage at will command.

Ditto here. It does works like it says only for enemy AI and friendlies not under your command, passing the order with waypoints or scripting.

Maybe the "advance", and "flank" orders should be included in this guide - provided they're still in Arma 2, I haven't played too much of it :p. I've found the "advance" order very useful in almost every mission I've played.

[demonlord89 10]

Great!! many thanks.

[Fat_Bob 10]

Nice guide and well supported using those vids. I still have lot's of issues with my men wandering off into open cover. They don't seem to stick to walled cover very well but I'll make sure they're set to Danger or Stealth and see how they get on.

Nice tip about the pilot too although if any of the dev's a listening this should really not need to happen.

[Trapper 0]

Nice work!

You should also cover that it is important to reveal enemies to your squad which they didn't notice them self. Not doing this will be the reason why some people are reporting "engage at will" doesn't work and their ai will only hunt directly assigned targets. The command can only pick from a pool of units the ai has information about. Without units in the pool there is no need to move out. Even while staying disengaged in formation the ai squad mates will shoot sooner and better on all the enemies they wouldn't have noticed that early on their own.

Binoculars are an advantage for revealing. Normally the reveal key is to 'hold right mouse button'. And here comes another point that needs coverage: This will often interfere with 'right mouse button click' bind to close the command menu, which everyone should bind to backspace only.

Military background is that everyone in a unit should report any contacts and kills. The leader calls out special targets only when he thinks it is required to take more control of the fire fight.

Every ai is doing this constantly but a human player blessed with eagle eyes is able to reveal better sometimes and should also do it to support an ai squad leader.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Trapper

[bogroll 10]

Superb post.. yup sticky this now!! )

[rotkeps 10]

Just incase anyone hasn't seen the latest developer diary:

http://www.arma2.com/arma-2-developeras-diary-no3-team-command_en.html

Well worth checking out.

[seba1976 98]

The same here. I thought It was a bug in OFP, but never really tried to revert with the "Keep it low" order, as this guide seems to suggest. Actually I've avoided to issue the order in Arma simply because I got used to play without it :). Maybe it works in Arma/Arma2. I'll try it tonight and post some feedback.

Yap, it works. After telling your men to "go prone", tell them to "keep low" and they will go back to mimic your stance. I can't believe I didn't notice that back then in the OFP times :o. It would had been very useful. Now I have the power

[rotkeps 10]

** Updated **

- Added the requested PDF version

[Cloughy 0]

Has anyone else noticed that you cannot tell an AI squad member to get in as gunner anymore, like you could in Arma1. Ie press f4 for no. 4, then click an empty vehicle, then f4 again and point and click same vehicle, instead of saying '4 Gunner board that vehicle at 3 o clock', the command keeps saying '4 driver get in vehicle at 3 o clock'.

Its as if arma 1 proxied the places, where are arma 2 doesnt.

Cheers

GC

[Crunchie 10]

Aw... fantastic man! Great style and well written! Many thanks for the hard work. Cheers! (as Jan says!)

[seba1976 98]

Has anyone else noticed that you cannot tell an AI squad member to get in as gunner anymore, like you could in Arma1. Ie press f4 for no. 4, then click an empty vehicle, then f4 again and point and click same vehicle, instead of saying '4 Gunner board that vehicle at 3 o clock', the command keeps saying '4 driver get in vehicle at 3 o clock'.

Its as if arma 1 proxied the places, where are arma 2 doesnt.

It's still like the first Arma - and OFP - if you select a man and click on an empty vehicle, the default order will be get in as driver. If you want him to enter as gunner, select your soldier, press 4 - without pointing at any vehicle - then press the number from the available vehicles list, and the press 2 (that's usually the gunner position, but you will notice by then ;))

[Cloughy 0]

It's still like the first Arma - and OFP - if you select a man and click on an empty vehicle, the default order will be get in as driver. If you want him to enter as gunner, select your soldier, press 4 - without pointing at any vehicle - then press the number from the available vehicles list, and the press 2 (that's usually the gunner position, but you will notice by then ;))

Yes, but in arma 1 in could be done by clicking the vehicle twice as stated in my post.

Cheers

GC

[seba1976 98]

Yes, but in arma 1 in could be done by clicking the vehicle twice as stated in my post.

Cheers

GC

All right then... I didn't know that one, thanks :o.

[hoak 0]

Very nicely done rotkeps!

:)

[Decerto 10]

The best thing I've found in the campaign as you have mainly 3 guys with you is the "staggered collumn" formation. They keep up with you better than other formations and when you stop they turn and look out to all point of the compass like a real patrol would!

[alpha9 10]

why in map editor when i respawn soldiers even i put then on each others to make then so close to each others it doesnt work and they respawn away?

[rotkeps 10]

why in map editor when i respawn soldiers even i put then on each others to make then so close to each others it doesnt work and they respawn away?

This thread isn't really about the editor... but I think what you want to do is when placing them you will see an option with "in-formation" chosen, change that to none and they should just be where ever you placed them.

[alpha9 10]

lol thx

[rotkeps 10]

** Updated **

- Killerwatt kindly offered to host the PDF version on his RS premium account.

[rotkeps 10]

Been a while since I logged on the forums / played ArmA2, how relevant is this guide to the current patch? any help would be appreciated to updating it.

[4 IN 1 0]

really nice writen guide, yet the base problem is not solve yet. Personally I think BI didnt have any advance on this area except the huge amount of unit they support(which make things even worse), the squad control interface still need a lots of cleanup and rework to make it as user friendly as possible, and group formation is as broken as they were in ARMA(try putting 24 unit in whatever formation you want, move and you will see), but all these doesnt belong in this thread, might see if I can cook up some idea in Suggestion broad

but then again, nice work on the guide, hope someone will find this useful

[WYZe1 10]

amazing guide, very good work sir.

[BeerHunter 0]

Damn I wanted to keep this as a reference because it's so informative. Lot more information in here than in the "official manual".

If the mods won't sticky it , then I'm damn well going to book mark it.

[Reverend Crast 10]

Vry nice guide, thanks! Although I don't think Keep Low command ever worked...

[Alex72 1]

Vry nice guide, thanks! Although I don't think Keep Low command ever worked...

It works. Lie down and youll see the rest of the AI drop down as well. BIS is however working on it now so that the AI follow all stances. Crouching is the one missing.