[60141] AI formation - Thoughts ...

[fabrizio_T]

True to that... if the reason the AI is moving all over the place, thats because the AI leader issuing engage/attack command. So that means his AI subordinate will break formation and find a 'better' firing position.

What zGuba did was using enableAttack false, so the AI will not issue engage command, unless by some calculations the odds for engaging is good, then the AI leader will have enableAttack true again.

Agree, this workaround help keeping group tight under some circumstances.

[mrcash2009]

I think this got lost a little .. I agree under attack but all i was referring to was simple formation keeping while switching formation and walking under "aware" (my first post all refer to under aware mode maybe I should have made that clearer) and me as the leader.

What im trying to point out is .. in this situation while walking straight all is well and they slip into formation well, when turning they bunch .. and yes after time they will get into formation ... but ... and this is the point I was making, they wont "realise they are out of formation" fully until you stop still, only then do they start forming and actually making the move out of the bunching / jump to attention and slip into formation.

So my point about formation fixing is, shouldn't the AI slip into formation and "realise" like they do when you stop still .. without you having to stop still.

Another proof of this is say you stop still ... they start jostling into position ... but, you then walk before they all do ... some not in place will then ignore finding there spot and follow you out of the formation, then, stop still again and those final stragglers realise and hop to it.

Im referring to scenarios of turning and bunching, in a bunched up situation they wont slip into formation as good as straight and you always get into a "stop still to remind them" situation, if they did what they do when you stand still but on the move that = AI fix for formation.

[Alex72]

There is a big problem with this i agree. The biggest problem to me atm is that the slightest slope in the terrain will make the AI not fall into formation based on your heading.

For example if i am on a small slope and looking north, and im telling my AI's to go LINE they will not form to my left and right, but instead from NW to SE so i have units in front of me. This has made me so mad i even shot my own AI and turned missions off. I can tell them GET BACK! and they start to move to the correct places, but then breaks that and moves back to the failed formation. They just dont form the way you look at.

[CarlGustaffa]

And I guess you've already noticed how "in front of" is now to whatever direction their formation is? AI reports makes no sense after this bug kicks in. And when it does kick it, I seem to have no means of getting it back to normal.

But no, I think it is normal that they don't adjust to the way you look, only to the way you were last walking. And by walking, you have to walk longer than you might expect. But when the bug kicks in, you can walk forever and formationDir will appear to be stuck or something.

Annoying as hell.

[fabrizio_T]

I think this got lost a little .. I agree under attack but all i was referring to was simple formation keeping while switching formation and walking under "aware" (my first post all refer to under aware mode maybe I should have made that clearer) and me as the leader.

What im trying to point out is .. in this situation while walking straight all is well and they slip into formation well, when turning they bunch .. and yes after time they will get into formation ... but ... and this is the point I was making, they wont "realise they are out of formation" fully until you stop still, only then do they start forming and actually making the move out of the bunching / jump to attention and slip into formation.

So my point about formation fixing is, shouldn't the AI slip into formation and "realise" like they do when you stop still .. without you having to stop still.

Another proof of this is say you stop still ... they start jostling into position ... but, you then walk before they all do ... some not in place will then ignore finding there spot and follow you out of the formation, then, stop still again and those final stragglers realise and hop to it.

Im referring to scenarios of turning and bunching, in a bunched up situation they wont slip into formation as good as straight and you always get into a "stop still to remind them" situation, if they did what they do when you stand still but on the move that = AI fix for formation.

Sorry, i previously misunderstood the probem.

While a group is moving while not in COMBAT or STEALTH mode i'd like too to see formation constantly constrained to direction of movement vector.
The behaviour you described is very likely to be a bug.
Would you mind to post the issue onto the bugtracker ?

---------- Post added at 03:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:26 PM ----------

They just dont form the way you look at.

This is a whole different story in my opinion, as CarlGustaffa already pointed out.
Personally i am definetely NOT wishing to have units aligning in formation depending on the direction i am LOOKING AT, i am wishing them to align based on the direction i am acually MOVING towards. So no movement = no further formation adaptation.

Imagine the case you, as a leader, just rotate 180° to look back: are you sure your squaddies are supposed to rotate around you as well ?

Best solution to handle formation direction when NOT moving would probably be having a proper menu command (we have a "watch" command working on unit level, we need one working on group level).

[BeerHunter]

I know it's a minor thing but the voice commands the game issues sometimes are confusing. Maybe a little consistency in some of them?

Don't know how many times I've issued a "regroup" command and heard "fall back" (which usually means a retreat under fire).

Other than that so far I've been quit satisfied with the way the AI seems to obey commands.

[CarlGustaffa]

Best implementation would be a command that changes formation direction based on the direction you are facing. I don't want my AI to constantly change depending on where I'm looking, but sometimes I want them to. Say i.e. the tactical situation have changed and we have multiple contacts coming in far to our right. I select the command, and our line defense changes direction, without the need to move quite far to achieve it. And without micromanaging each AIs position.

[SAbre4809]

Best implementation would be a command that changes formation direction based on the direction you are facing. I don't want my AI to constantly change depending on where I'm looking, but sometimes I want them to. Say i.e. the tactical situation have changed and we have multiple contacts coming in far to our right. I select the command, and our line defense changes direction, without the need to move quite far to achieve it. And without micromanaging each AIs position.

Return to formation does just that.

[CarlGustaffa]

Yes, or is supposed to. When the bug kicks in, the command fails. They will return, then go back to messed up formation dir. I wasn't aware that it was supposed to work that way. Guess most of the time when I've tried it, the formation dir has become messed up. Works as you say when I try it from the editor with nothing else going on.

[Mr_Centipede]

Yes, or is supposed to. When the bug kicks in, the command fails. They will return, then go back to messed up formation dir. I wasn't aware that it was supposed to work that way. Guess most of the time when I've tried it, the formation dir has become messed up. Works as you say when I try it from the editor with nothing else going on.

It's not really a bug (maybe it is), but rather that the AI 'knows' the enemy is at the direction they are facing. Giving them "NO TARGET" order will sometime cancel the effect. But sometimes, esp if the enemy is a helo far-far away, they will turn to 'meet' this enemy again. Yes, it is annoying as hell