Zeus AI Combat Skills

[Protegimus]

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// ArmA II Zeus AI Combat Skills
// & AI Spotting modular release
//
// Config parameters, tested & built with beta versions: 1.05.62017
// Author: India Kilo Last modified: 14.01.2010
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Credit and thanks to:
Sickboy (config reference ai_override addon (sb_at_dev-heaven.net))
Jinef for reference values & Hund for setting up the testing!
Zeus (beta testing)
fabrizio_T for reference FAB_character2_mod
Charon Productions for TroopMon2 tool
(http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=88670)
Solus for reference information and improvements
(http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84968)
BIS and BIKI ref.: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Main_Page

This mod improves the ability of AI soldiers in a number of key areas:
- Improves AI's ability to spot and engage enemy, extending engagement ranges
out to 500m and beyond
- Changes the speed at which an AI can get a bead on a target
- The AI now reacts to effective enemy fire, before taking casualties
- Accuracy is changed to ensure sustained firefights take place, allowing
movement under contact with good use of cover. Ammunition dispersion and
weapon accuracy are not changed
- AI use smoke and frag. Be aware of your enemy's ability to throw frags!
- AI hearing ability is reduced to realistic levels, enabling a player to make
stealthy close quarter approaches providing he can remain unseen
- Vehicle gunners now react to enemy fire
- Building on the native game feature, AI characters have varying ability to
spot enemy according to role. This is to represent equipment and training
variation, e.g. Observers, Snipers and Officers with Binoculars have greater
ability to detect enemy
- Sniper teams that make effective use of tactics, cover & concealment can now
carry out their mission, especially at extended engagement ranges
- Careful movement and correct use of formation is now an important factor in
improving a soldiers survivability, as are planned ingress and egress routes
- AI react more aggressively under contact and don't give up as easily
- Injuries occur more frequently in firefights. Good drills and wise medics are
now an essential part of the game

It is fully tested in single and multiplayer and causes no known issues.
For coop multiplayer, it is recommended to be installed both on the server and
clients.
If the server is running the mod and you choose not to install it client side,
then any AI you command will be at a disadvantage compared to the server
controlled AI.

It has greatly increased the immersion and challenge of coop play for Zeus,
hope you enjoy it!

// Installation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Extract the @zeu_cfg_core_ai_skills.7z archive to your main ArmA II directory.
If you don't already have a suitable archiving tool, ref.:
http://www.7-zip.org/

Inside the new @zcommon\Addons directory are the .pbo and .bisign files:

zeu_cfg_core_ai_skills.pbo
zeu_cfg_core_ai_skills.pbo.ZEU.bisign
zeu_cfg_core_ai_spotting.pbo
zeu_cfg_core_ai_spotting.pbo.ZEU.bisign

The .bisign file is to enable players using properly signed addons to join
servers that require them.

Make a copy of the ARMA II shortcut on the desktop or wherever you have it.
Right click the copy and select properties. In the target box, append:
-mod=@zcommon

It should look like this:
"C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe" -nosplash -mod=@zcommon -maxmem=2047

To load more than one mod folder use semi-colons to separate the mod list:
...\arma2.exe -mod=@mod1;@mod2;@mod3;@zcommon

For an explanation of the -nosplash & -maxmem= parameters, reference the ArmA II
startup parameter page:
http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/A...tup_Parameters


Player and server profile skill levels significantly affect gameplay. Empirical
data provides the following recommended skill settings for the profile:
skillFriendly=0.89999998;
skillEnemy=0.89999998;

With the above settings, AI provide good suppression levels, attempt flanking
manoeuvres on spotted enemy while maintaining close formation and also make use
of cover and concealment during movement. Attacks are slower, in larger force
and more deliberate. Spotting distance is slightly extended in comparison to
lower skill settings.

Reducing skill settings to:
skillFriendly=0.5;
skillEnemy=0.5;

With these settings AI tend attack individually or in loose formation with
little regard for use of cover. Frontal attacks are common.

Recommended precision settings for the player/server profile are:
precisionFriendly=0.5;
precisionEnemy=0.2;

Higher precision settings tend to make the AI too accurate, which destroys
some of the immersion. These are recommended values borne out of extensive
testing. You can of course vary them as you wish to make enemy more
lethal, but the window for adjustment is very small for precision: 0.2 - 0.245
Friendly precision is set higher to mitigate against friendly fire and does not
appear to unbalance gameplay when commanding AI squads.

It is recommended that enemy tags are disabled for all difficulty levels by
setting the server profile entries to:
EnemyTag=0;

UltraAI should also be disabled - enabling it makes AI into AK snipers, ruining
any chance of movement under fire:
UltraAI=0;

kju's mod to disabled space bar scanning might also be useful for those seeking
more immersion:
http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost....&postcount=239


// Server Admins Installation Guide ///////////////////////////////////////////

If a server admin decides addon signatures should be verified, he should add
the following line to the server.cfg file:

verifySignatures=1

A server admin can decide which addon makers' keys he considers trustworthy by
placing their public keys in the "keys" directory. Usually (vanilla
installation) there's only Bohemia Interactive's signature, called bi.bikey,
in this directory.
You can find the Public Key for ZEU in this package under the following path:
"@zcommon\Server Key"


// Troubleshooting & FAQ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Report any issues and constructive feedback on the BIS forum thread:
http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=89970

Please post your system specification and configuration if you are
troubleshooting

To configure Zeus AI Combat Skills & Group Link 4 Special FX Edition to
work together, see this link.

Q. What happens if the mod is only installed on the server, i.e. players
don't have it?
A. If AI is in a player's group then that AI is local to the player. If
the player doesn't have the addon and the server does his AI will be
less 'skilled' than the server's

// Changelog //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

- version 1.04 (14.01.2010): Improved: CfgAiSkill array update -
aimingAccuracy[] = small decrease in upper skill value to improve firefights
- change required due to ArmA II version 1.05.62017 updates
Added: new module, zeu_cfg_core_ai_sensors.pbo ported from ACE2 version to improve
and balance tank & aircrew abilities
Added: Yoma Addon Sync support

- version 1.03 (20.12.2009): CfgAiSkill array updates:
spotDistance[] = reduced to increase player possibility of covert approach
engagement ranges are maintained
CQB improved, AI not as forgiving at very close range


Video showing some of the AI improvements:



Downloads
----------
Armaholic mirror:
- Zeus AI Combat Skills & AI Spotting modular v1.04

Zeus AI Combat Skills is now available in both versions via the Yoma Addon Sync repository.
The Auto config URL is:
http://www.computerrepair.uk.net/updater/ArmA2-repo.7z

Original download:
http://www.computerrepair.uk.net/Arm...kills_v1.04.7z


ArmA II Zeus AI Combat Skills for ACE2 mod:
Armaholic mirror:
- Zeus AI Combat Skills & AI Spotting modular - ACE


http://www.computerrepair.uk.net/Arm...kills_v0.04.7z


Protegimus

[DMarkwick]

Nice one I always welcome AI improvements.

[Binkowski]

Awesome. Downloading now !

[Daniel]

Might check this out. What do Zues have their AI settings set to on their server cfg? Or does this override them?

[IceBreakr]

Err... can we get more details:
- how exactly is this mod different to accuracy setting on server via Arma2Profile config?
- do clients need it or dedicated only?

[Protegimus]

Originally Posted by [CAS] Daniel

Might check this out. What do Zues have their AI settings set to on their server cfg? Or does this override them?

Skill is up to the mission maker, accuracy is modified.

Maybe I didn't make it clear, but ideally should be installed on clients as well as server.

.pbo contains source for those interested, if you modify it and make improvements, be sure to let me know.

[Bulldogs]

Good mod.

The one problem I have with it is the detection range. 200m seems a little too short, but I understand it's to force close range firefights and I may just tweak that myself.

[Protegimus]

Originally Posted by Bulldogs

Good mod.

The one problem I have with it is the detection range. 200m seems a little too short, but I understand it's to force close range firefights and I may just tweak that myself.

Detection range is well over 200m for a grunt on default 50% skill and almost double the default detection range.
Better for some types of units, but other config work will have to be done to improve it further. If you can help increase it, let me know.

The engage/disengage bug is also fixed by this, whereby all you had to do was step back 1m and the AI would cease fire on you.

[gunterlund21]

Tried this out. Put 4 squads (2 blue, 2 red) on the Utes runway about 250m apart. didnt do anything until I created search and destroy waypoints.

[Alex72]

Protegimus:
First off thanks for doing this! Second, i would kill for similar values as the ArmA TrueRangeAI addon had. Scoped AI would see you and detect you as hostile from almost the distance you do yourself (human like spotting), and scopeless AI about the same there - shorter range, but similar to where you yourself can distinguish friendly from foe.

Basically those values but then chip off a little extra range so its not exactlly as a human can spot for bit closer engagement ranges (less insane). In ArmA this made you HAVE to go from cover to cover when moving towards enemies, and i cant help think how AI will react in ARMA2 now that they are better to use cover etc. Is that something you would be able to create (wanting/have time to create)?

Ok time to test this addon. Thanks again Protegimus!

Alex