Retard AI can't walk in straight lines ?

[Moosed 10]

So im using the editor and im basically setting up a small squad of 5 men to patrol an area of a town, the patrol revolves around 4 waypoints down 4 streets. all they have to do is walk down a straight open road together in formation... but instead of doing this one or two of the men will decide to take slight detours such as maybe walking around a house rather than sticking in formation. I have the formation set to column compact and behaviour to safe, i have also drawn the waypoints in straight lines going down the middle of the road... and yet they don't always walk down the middle of the road (for example sometimes they will walk on side of road) and ALWAYS a man or two will wander out of formation and take a slightly different route to the waypoint. They do all eventually end up at the waypoint but why can't they just do what i tell them do ? am i doing something wrong or is the AI just really really dumb.

Id have thought a simple order such as walk down an open road in a compact column formation to the waypoint wouldn't be too taxing, but it seems it is !!!

Edited August 7, 2009 by Moosed

[dmakatra 1]

It's not the AI that is dumb. It's the dynamic nature of the ArmA 2 AI. It might be a little frustrating in certain situations, but it's this sporadic behaviour that makes the game more open and dynamic compared to others.

What you could do is create smaller groups, use more waypoints, order individual units to move, etc, etc. If all else fails you could do a switchmove loop, but you really, really don't want to go there. ;)

[ActionMan 10]

It's not the AI that is dumb. It's the dynamic nature of the ArmA 2 AI. It might be a little frustrating in certain situations, but it's this sporadic behaviour that makes the game more open and dynamic compared to others.

I see your point, but this same issue can be annoying when you're the one leading the squad...

E.g. you tell razor team to form column compact & return to formation, but for some reason one of them decides to leave the group and walk around the block instead :/

When you give an order to a highly trained soldier, but he ignores it and runs of to get killed (Which fails your mission!) you can't help but be frustrated by this.

[Dreossk 10]

That's why I can't do the last US infantry single player scenario. I'm the leader and I tell them to stay down, to stay in formation and to be in safe mode but they wander everywhere and start shooting everyone and they get killed. I can't finish the solo because of the AI.

[Fiya 10]

That's why I can't do the last US infantry single player scenario. I'm the leader and I tell them to stay down, to stay in formation and to be in safe mode but they wander everywhere and start shooting everyone and they get killed. I can't finish the solo because of the AI.

Sounds more like a fault of the player. I don't have all these stupid AI 'problems' that many have. They just need to be controlled properly.

[Dreossk 10]

So when I order them all that and I don't move and after a couple of seconds they go all over the place and kill people at hundreds of meters and get killed it's my fault? You must be joking or trolling.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Dreossk

[nomdeplume 0]

Have you told them hold fire? Safe mode allows them to break out of into "Alert" or "Combat" modes (much like telling them to "Stay alert" will have them switch to Combat mode if they encounter enemies). In the mission editor you have a "Careless" mode which is like Safe except they'll never leave the "At ease" behaviour (even when being shot at).

Hold fire isn't a complete cure either - the intended behaviour is that they will still shoot at anyone that poses an immediate threat to them (or the team, probably). But it does seem to stop them from shooting at enemies that aren't paying you any attention, or are running away.

Again the mission editor has a "never fire" but it's not accessible as an in-game command, so far as I know.

Re: the original post about walking down the street. I think the AI has special handling for roads, and soldiers try not to walk down the middle of the street in Arma 2 (due to criticisms of them doing just that in Arma 1). So I think they're supposed to try to walk down the side of the roads.

[Alex72 1]

It is the fault of the player. Why? Because you know they can get split up by objects so you as player have to make extra sure you have space to operate in. Basically it just sounds like your new to ARMA so a little practise will do you good.

Alex

[-RIP- Luhgnut 10]

Sounds more like a fault of the player. I don't have all these stupid AI 'problems' that many have. They just need to be controlled properly.

Oh please. I give an order to hold fire in stealth mode and one of them will just pop up and start banging away. Doesn't get anymore simple than that. That has nothing to do with my control of a squad. It's a simple order.... lay down, be quiet and dont' shoot.

Or how about, #2 move to that tree. and he just stands there after he acknowledges the order.

[dmakatra 1]

Luhgnut;1396533']Oh please. I give an order to hold fire in stealth mode and one of them will just pop up and start banging away. Doesn't get anymore simple than that. That has nothing to do with my control of a squad. It's a simple order.... lay down' date=' be quiet and dont' shoot.

Or how about, #2 move to that tree. and he just stands there after he acknowledges the order.[/quote']

Then he's probably been compromised. The option would've been that he wouldn't have fired and would've been shot himself instead.

ArmA 2s AI is actually rather complex. Don't judge it until you actually know what's going on.

[Guest]

A few things that might help:

AI will automatically form a singlefile column in careless or safe mode, despite what you order them to do.

AI always follow "combat" protocol, so they will never act like a real human would, in for example, a patrol mission. They will always act as if they are advancing through a hostile/battlefield enviorenment.

The AI's pathfinding isn't very optimised at the moment, but through patches and mods you will see vast improvements.

Hope that helped,

Regards,

Rich.

[Master gamawa 0]

yeah put them on 'safe' and 'limited speed' and they will walk nicely one behind the other!

[-RIP- Luhgnut 10]

Then he's probably been compromised. The option would've been that he wouldn't have fired and would've been shot himself instead.

ArmA 2s AI is actually rather complex. Don't judge it until you actually know what's going on.

We weren't compromised. It's always #2 never anybody else. We're just laying in the grass. Enemy was way off in distance. I'm watching through Binocs and the enemy didn't know we were there, and they didn't do anything until he started firing. I know what's going on... the squad AI is uncontrollable.

[Moosed 10]

It is the fault of the player. Why? Because you know they can get split up by objects so you as player have to make extra sure you have space to operate in. Basically it just sounds like your new to ARMA so a little practise will do you good.

Alex

how can it by my fault, im not even controlling anyone in the squad. i put myself as a civilian and wathed them move down the street, getting caught on objects and taking random detors when the waypoint was one single straight line through the middle of the street.

[dayglow 2]

Luhgnut;1396637']We weren't compromised. It's always #2 never anybody else. We're just laying in the grass. Enemy was way off in distance. I'm watching through Binocs and the enemy didn't know we were there' date=' and they didn't do anything until he started firing. I know what's going on... the squad AI is uncontrollable.[/quote']

If you look at it objectively there is something that causes the AI to be believe it is in danger. I've only seen my squad engage from hold fire when there is danger and ultmatly I put them there as the leader.

[-RIP- Luhgnut 10]

If you look at it objectively there is something that causes the AI to be believe it is in danger. I've only seen my squad engage from hold fire when there is danger and ultmatly I put them there as the leader.

well then they are idiots. Must be the cute bunny hopping in front of his sights that makes him freak out. Or he has spent too many nights hanging with with Charlie Sheen.

[kocrachon 2]

Luhgnut;1397233']well then they are idiots. Must be the cute bunny hopping in front of his sights that makes him freak out. Or he has spent too many nights hanging with with Charlie Sheen.

I have yet to have this problem. I had an entire squad with a wizard night mission. Set them all to hold fire, go stealth, they all laid there as enemies walked by.

If you are trying to control a full AI squad via waypoints and you really dont want them to engage, give them a careless waypoint and have it switch combat waypoint when you want them to engage.

[manzilla 1]

I have this problem every once in a while, but not as often in A2 compared to A1. The sure do act out sometimes automatically but can count the amount times it's happened on one hand.

Sometimes people also have a case when another AI member seems to take over the lead. For example you as squad leader ask the team to get back in information but the command for "all, follow 2" comes back instead. If this happens. hit 0-0-Done(1 I believe)

Edited August 7, 2009 by Manzilla

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

If this happens. hit 0-0-Done(1 I believe)

That is correct.

Seems it does it when I've given myself (as leader) a waypoint/action by mistake.

Edited August 7, 2009 by SWAT_BigBear

[dayglow 2]

Luhgnut;1397233']well then they are idiots. Must be the cute bunny hopping in front of his sights that makes him freak out. Or he has spent too many nights hanging with with Charlie Sheen.

Yes, they are idiots, but all AI is and will pale in comparisism with human players. Now the fact that the AI isn't scripted it is

pretty amazing. You definitly have to play different when using the AI vs playing with other people in co-op.