Whip

Yes, you can use freelook to look around the cockpit. BlackAlpha you seem to have mastered choppers in Arma. Could you tell me how can you effectively strafe a long convoy with a chopper? Just put a hundred or so enemy infantry in a relatively staight city street and try to effectively strafe them without constantly wiggling left and right or crashing to building. In OFP this wasn't quite so hard. Also I could fly low along the roads in fair speeds in OFP, but in Arma it seems impossible. IMHO the chopper flight model is screwed. Feels like you were flying a gargo plane not an agile chopper.

Yes I suggested giving sniper rifles and/or machine guns to the enemy although I'm hoping weapon based maximum engagement range would be fixed to be more realistic. It would seem logical if they would automatically know where they were fired upon and by who (sniper). Disregarding a squad which is about to run you over just to concentrate on one enemy far away just because he fired first is not natural. Trying not to outperform your team and wait for them to shoot first (forcing enemy to lock them as targets) makes the game feel very artificial in the long run. The question is can AI give up it's current target and choose another more treathening one or does it stick with the one it chooses no matter what. Realistically, after player fires his rifle enemy AI should scan for that direction, notice the incoming squad and shoot at them. Targetting player at this point should be possible, but very unlikely (AI luckily spots player (or the muzzle flash) in the bush and decides to target him).

Few videos would be appreciated to see if the AI downfalls from OFP have been corrected. I will explain what I'm trying to find out with these scenarios. Place player character near (50m) an elite squad of enemy AI so that there is a broad line of bushes between player and the enemy squad. Bushes shouldn't be near the player (so that he doesn't get any possible OFP style concealment bonus) but situated atleast 10 meters from player. Sidestep so you can see the enemy squad and shoot at them (probably killing few of them) so they clearly notice you (taking out their weapons, aiming you and/or lying down. Then run back behind the bushes, lie down and shoot all enemies that reveal themself from behind the bushes if you are still alive. Why: To see if the OFP targetting system is still in use. In OFP you would be killed with one accurate shot trough the bushes. This is because their "knowsabout" value would turn to maximum after player started shooting and the bush in between would not bring any consealment help to player. Knowsabout value seems to decrease too slowly when line of sight is lost. Position yourself with a sniper rifle on a hill about 300 meters from the enemy squad. Equip the enemy with sniper rifles and machine guns so they have the ability to engage you in such distances. Move inside a bush so that you can still see the enemies. Now send your AI teammates running towards the enemies. The terrain should be very open between you and the enemy. Let your teammates close in the enemy and make sure they are not detected (observing enemies trough the scope). When teammates are about halfway to the enemies and still undetected reveal yourself by killing few of the enemies and observe how they react (who they target, you, concealed in the bush, or the squad close to them running in open terrain). Why: Again to see how the targetting system works. In OFP player would be targeted first over the AI teammates. Make few friendly AI's engage twice as large enemy AI group. Enemy AI should be in safe mode (weapons on back) and at the beginning of firefight on plain view to all friendly AI."Camera" should be aimed mainly to the enemy AI. Why: To find out how AI seeks cover and responds and how well and fast AI can pick next target. In OFP AI didn't use cover all that well and usually took too much time to engage next target after a kill (even if there were other possible targets right next to the previous one in plain view).

To Shadak and Cannon Fodder I requested that scenario, but actually meant that Shadak would have "filmed" the enemy reactions more closely and not his own squad. Were they set to "never fire" mode or just "safe" mode. In "safe" mode they should grab their weapons, take cover and/or shoot back. I just wanted to see how enemy AI would react to suprise attack. Maybe you can make another video. Thanks for that ambush video though, Shadak. Every clip from arma is welcome.

Hi Shadek! I would also want to see AI in action. Could you for example make some ambush situation in the editor. Take a half squad of AI with you and give the enemy a whole squad (or just twice as much men). Give your men DANGER (or a command that makes them crawl) as combat mode and HOLD FIRE command, and then position them ready for the ambush. Put enemy AI in Safe mode and let them walK towards your squad or let them just stand there. Enemy units should all be visible to your AI teammates, but there should be lots of cover nearby (buildings, vechiles, stone walls etc.). So maybe town street would be good place for the enemy AI. Finally just "film" (don't engage yourself) enemy AI behaviour when you issue the fire at will command. There doesn't seem to be this type of footage picturing actual firefight and AI behaviour (except for some very short cuts).

I just hope that the AI targetting system has been fixed, so that AI would choose its target more realistically and wouldn't have X-ray vision. I really dont care about graphics. Are there any intelligent reports about the AI in any of the (p)reviews?