Smoke screens and HE canister granades

[Kommiekat 12]

Do any of you people actually use smoke screens as a tactic?

Why do I need Red, Green and Blue smoke?

Lastly, my squad is equipped with a pistol and HE granades.

I've seen my Marksman equip his pistol when I use the 'Stealth' command.

I have NEVER seen them us any of this stuff and I can't see the command for this. Do they(AI) know when to use any of it?

[merlin851526 10]

Cant use them since patch 1.03 im afraid.

[Jimmy the Saint 10]

I think the pistol/sidearm is just a last resort.

[SASrecon 0]

I use smoke a lot, for concealment, marking LZs for choppers and for fun =)

however this topic shouldn't be in the 'Official Missions' thread

[FlunkyMonkey 10]

I use smoke a lot, for concealment, marking LZs for choppers and for fun =)

however this topic shouldn't be in the 'Official Missions' thread

I hope your not talking about the AI pilots. they can't see mountains, much less smoke ;)

[jakerod 254]

I hope your not talking about the AI pilots. they can't see mountains, much less smoke ;)

Well you can either pretend or you can actually make it so that when you make a mission the helicopter pilot will land where you threw the smoke grenade at.

[FlunkyMonkey 10]

Well you can either pretend or you can actually make it so that when you make a mission the helicopter pilot will land where you threw the smoke grenade at.

I usually pretend :)

[Pyrodox 0]

I've used colored smokes in MP calling in human pilots.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Colored smoke are great to use to mark to medics where they are supposed to be getting. Also I like to give medics a special color smoke that only they have in case he needs to mark his position (if he can't get out etc). Colored M203 smoke I only give to leaders that stick in the background and used to mark targets (or target areas) for faster identification (compared to trying to do it over a busy TS channel). One color for infantry targets, one for supressive fires (typically the weapons squad), and one for armored targets.

I have mixed feelings about smoke as a screening device in Arma2 (completely bugged in 1.03), but in Arma1 using ACE, they were awesome. I called in WP in the Manhattan campaign mission (at a certain place ;)), and it was extremely effective as a destructive agent.

[Daniel 0]

We use green smoke to mark a safe LZ if necessary, red smoke to abort a landing (along with an abort call over the net), and yellow 40mm smoke rounds to mark targets for airstrikes. More smoke colours would be excellent. You can always pre-determine the meanings for various colours at the start of a mission.

[Kommiekat 12]

So, in other words, the Color smokes are good for MP and useless for SP?

[Daniel 0]

Essentially. I don't even think smoke blocks the AI's view yet (did in OFP and ArmA mods - no doubt will in ArmA II soon enough).

Though if some crazy scripter was determined enough, he could probably get the AI to react accordingly to different colours. I.e. force an AI helicopter to abort a landing if red is popped, force CAS aircraft to fire upon yellow smoke, etc.

IMO if you're that adamant about realism, join a squad where you can see it happen without all the hassle of scripted AI. It's much easier to tell a friendly human pilot to watch for smoke or to get a human squad to pop a smoke than to curse at an AI that was never intended to.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Daniel

[rekrul 7]

Wait, are you sure smoke doesn't block AI view? I've used it several times to escape and with success I might add. However, the smoke only lasts for like 10 seconds so it might just be a coincidence and a placebo-effect. :)

[Daniel 0]

Definitely not sure. I just haven't read it mentioned so far.

[jakerod 254]

I am fairly sure that before patch 1.03 it used to block the AI from seeing. It might still but it only lasts for about 10 seconds now so I haven't had a good reason to use it.

[Jimmy the Saint 10]

Effects of smoke should be back with the next offical game version 1.04, so say the people who test the beta patch.

[Kommiekat 12]

Wait, are you sure smoke doesn't block AI view? I've used it several times to escape and with success I might add. However, the smoke only lasts for like 10 seconds so it might just be a coincidence and a placebo-effect. :)

That's about right, 10 sec and that's it.

Come to think of it, should not matter what color (blue, red, green) smoke is being used, just as long as it blocks the enemy.

Next time I'll try a color smoke for a tester.