MrPhetz

Putting the AI in Safe mode still doesn't do it in the current official version; if the AI still thinks there's hostiles around it will stay in Danger mode until it declares the area "Clear," which the player can't do himself. It's definitely solved in the Betas and Release Candidates, and I'd recommend you download them right now if you don't want to wait for the official patch (for which I definitely wouldn't blame you!).

I played OFP and I play Arma2 because it presents the most (in my opinion) authentic first person shooting experience available, in an open and easily-modifiable context, and with an AI that can do everything you do, including command troops. I think of the games as awesome, ever-improving toyboxes with a nearly unlimited supply of new stuff to use, see and do. Every time I want to play a game and nothing else interests me, I come back to Arma2 and it's a blast nearly every time. Plus, I feel super accomplished for having stuck with them long enough to learn how everything works :)

My two cents: I think the AI has improved a ton. Before, during a mission I would end up with almost a breadcrumb trail of AI teammates sitting in my wake, just hanging out and doing nothing. Now (vanilla beta), the AI sticks with me and can actually help out in an immersive and fun way without the need for Zeus AI or ACE. That said, there's definitely room for improvement, particularly in the pathfinding and targeting areas. Like people have said, CQB isn't nearly as tense as it should be. I've found and killed AI execution-style more than I care to remember; it'd be nice to have the AI just detect the player if he's within a certain (very close) radius if it doesn't already. No matter how stealthy I am, I as a soldier wearing a full combat load shouldn't be able to just creep up on a guy and pretty much press my gun into the back of his head before killing him, just because I'm out of his FoV.