FlexiAI (WIP) discussion

[fabrizio_T]

Hi,

Let me share some info about a WIP project i'm working upon on the last 2 months.
It's a infantry AI set of scripts, featuring a somewhat better AI behaviour.

Nothing good enough to be shown currently, but here is a list of the planned features for this set of scripts:

[*] better situational awareness: depending on evaluation of opposing force the AI group will decide whether to (1) hit the ground and observe threat, (2) assault, (3) engage carefully, (4) advance stealthy, (5) keep position or (6) tactically retreat;
[*] AI group does not rush into enemy, unless it's outnumbering the opposition;
[*] Better group cohesion: AI units try to cover each other and work as a group;
[*] Groups communication: AI group leaders share informations with nearby friendly groups;
[*] Groups cohordination: AI group leaders try to cohordinate action with other nearby groups;
[*] Support: AI group issues calls for artillery strikes or CAS;
[*] Logistics: AI group requests pickup / extraction;
[*] Better formation handling: AI group chooses afitting formation depending on direction and size of the opposing force and/or environment;
[*] Better unit speed and stance handling: speed and stance depend on enemy numbers, size and distance of opposing force;
[*] Minor feature: AI group deploys smoke when falling back;
[*] Minor feature: AI units leave depleted AT weapons on the ground;
[*] Minor feature: Group command automatically switched if leader is heaviliy wounded or hurt to legs;


Some basic features are rawly done, but still a lot of work has still to be done.
I hope to be able to post a video later

[Kristian]

Whoa, How will the CAS system work? Does the mission maker have to add helos etc? or will there be some script inclued that gives AI ability to call CAS?

If there is enemy AA nearby, will AI still call in ar support?

Sounds very cool, what features have been done and tested? :P

[fabrizio_T]

Originally Posted by Kristian

Whoa, How will the CAS system work? Does the mission maker have to add helos etc? or will there be some script inclued that gives AI ability to call CAS?

If there is enemy AA nearby, will AI still call in ar support?

Sounds very cool, what features have been done and tested? :P

CAS system utilizes vehicles/helis/planes that have been "reserved" to the task by the mission maker. These vehicles stay idle till a CAS request of support by a AI group is issued to AI HQ, acknowledeged and accepted. Then the assigned vehicle will fly to the CAS zone, where the AI group is waiting to direct the fire (NO laser designation, sorry).

AI will have built-in ability to request CAS.
It will call it on its own, if threatened (as well as it will eventually call for an artillery barrage).
Scripts handling CAS will be included in the set, but mission maker won't need to care about them.

Nearby AA units will be taken in account (but that's out of the scope of the first release). CAS support, artillery strikes, groups cohordination and AI HQ simulation have been only partly implemented and non tested at all.

I am actually focusing on AI situational awareness and tactics.
It's a huge and slow work.

More details to come.

[KeyCat]

Sounds great Fabrizio! Will follow your work closely but I also hope BIS will fix/improve stock AI in forthcoming patches since I kinda expected a bit more for this "Game 2 AI" than what we currently have...

/KC

[Flash Thunder]

Originally Posted by KeyCat

Sounds great Fabrizio, will follow your work closely but I really hope BIS will fix/improve stock AI in forthcoming patches since I kinda expected a bit more for this "Game 2 AI" than what we currently have...

/KC

Quoted for the Truth, BIS should've this already in the AI.

The script sounds nice but this is BIS job.

[jackass888]

good to know that someone is focusing on the ai that has so much unused potential
Have you considered also house search and taking positions in builidings scripts? The ai is pretty good now at moving inside buildings... they just have to be told to do so.

[nikita320106]

sounds very interesting)

[fabrizio_T]

Originally Posted by Flash Thunder

Quoted for the Truth, BIS should've this already in the AI.

The script sounds nice but this is BIS job.

Agree

However, after much testing, let me say that if properly helped with some basic scripting, current AI can be brilliant at times.

Yesterday a made a few tests with a mission featuring 8 (max. skill) SF units opening their way through a 26 men strong (min. skill) opposing force, towards a final destination.
It was just a 360° test for AI capabilities, no realism involved.

Enemy was organized in 5 different groups, so SF units had to progress through these steps:

1) a initial 8 vs 10 frontal clash
2) a simultaneous sides aggression by 2 enemy groups (4 men strong each)
3) a rear enemy attack by 1 group (4 men strong)
4) a final frontal defense line (4 men strong) break

I've run this mission many times to compare vanilla AI vs improved AI.

Needless to say vanilla AI had enormous problems in withstanding the very first clash, due to its "rushy" behaviour.
All in all it failed 5 missions out of 5, losing all its units each single time.
Causalties ratio was in average 1:0.75, in favor of enemy.
Morale: skill had simply no effects against numbers.

On the contrary mproved AI succeeded 3 times out of 5, with a average casualties ratio of 2:1.
What's more important is that improved AI was focusing on reaching its destination, rather than hunting any single enemy on the field.
Morale: high skill + better tactics may defeat numbers.

---------- Post added at 10:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 AM ----------

Let me add a screenshot showing the results of a different test.
You can see the path taken by a 8-men SF group ordered to go from point 1 (start) to point 8 (destination) through a simple MOVE waypoint.

Along the path these wonderful 8 men (100% skill) were able to kill 31 enemies out of 32 (20% skill), losing 1 man due to enemy fire and 1 due to friendly fire. It was the only lucky case i registered a win with a 15,5:1 casualties ratio by a group outnumbered by a 4:1 ratio

Notice how AI group changed its path dynamically according to situation, instead of progressing straight towards destination.

[*] Green markers show points where AI group was HOLDING fire (combatMode=GREEN)
[*] Yellow markers show points where AI group was ENGAGING (combatMode=YELLOW)

[*] triangular markers mean AI group was in AWARE mode
[*] circular markers mean AI group was in COMBAT mode

[*] blue crosses are friendly casualties
[*] red crosses are enemy casualties

LINK: http://img122.imageshack.us/i/aa2win.jpg/

[El Kostlivec]

This mod seems to be very promising. Altough I think AI of Arma 2 is quite good(in comparsion to Arma 1) there is always some way to make it better

[mrcash2009]

Well going by your description and the pathway taken, holding then engaging throughout ... and all this from a simple move way-point, this already is taking shape to be something very interesting indeed.

I agree AI is better in arma2 but the whole "rush" and its a splatter fest with pure AI teams does need work and your doing just that. Keep it going, a few youtube camera overview clips would be good to see at a later date

Kind of reminds me of the "patrol script" (now for arma2) that gave more AI control but simply applied with patrolling AI (another keeper). This one would be for combat AI instead.