AI Infantry wish list

[LachenKrieg]

With the somewhere-in-the-not-too-distant-future addition of infantry coming to the IL2/Tank Crew module, I thought it would be nice to hear what your thoughts/hopes are regarding the AI infantry and its capability.

 

Does anyone here have experience with the AI infantry capability in Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front?

 

I have recently downloaded "Men of War: Assault Squad 2" to check out its AI functionality, and it's pretty cool how the AI in that game is able to react on its own to the battle field scenario as it changes. Having infantry something like that added to Tank Crew would pretty much take it off the charts for me.

 

What are your thoughts/hopes for the coming AI infantry?

[super-truite]

• Realistic hopes in the short term:
  • trenches with infantry being able to throw AT grenades/use AT rifles/panzerfausts/panzershrecks + fire with MG/rifles to have some ambient combat
  • scripted running infantry AIs for the editor (that spawn, run and disappear) like what we have currently using a mod but a bit more pretty and ideally stopping and firing (even if scripted)
  • More animations for the already existing gun crews
• less easy or more time consuming:
  • A lot of buildings (could be modifications of the already available ones) with balcony/windows that could be occupied by infantry. We would need quite a few of them otherwise people will know in advance which buildings are likely to be occupied
  • infantry AI units or groups of units that follow waypoints like vehicles and stop/fire if they encounter some threats. 
  • A way to make a group of units follow and cover a tank 
  • A bunch of animations and a MCU to trigger those on AI units (would be really cool for tank scripted campaigns/missions). Some ways to create animations in a mainstream software like blender and then load them in game would be nice too.

Those are just some ideas during lunch break, but I am not done with my santa claus list  ?

 

[Count_Sessine]

I've been revisiting Steel Beasts and that implemenation of infantry and obstacles is spot on. I could see that working in a WW2 setting.

[LachenKrieg]

2 hours ago, Count_Sessine said:

I've been revisiting Steel Beasts and that implemenation of infantry and obstacles is spot on. I could see that working in a WW2 setting.

I will have to check Steel Beasts out.

[SCG_Neun]

I suppose with the current map options and gaming engine that being able to actually use trenches and dug in positions will never be an option?  This is a big setback for a WWII simulation, but if I had a wish....this would be one of them along with the infantry components.  We shall see.

[super-truite]

2 minutes ago, SCG_Neun said:

I suppose with the current map options and gaming engine that being able to actually use trenches and dug in positions will never be an option?  This is a big setback for a WWII simulation, but if I had a wish....this would be one of them along with the infantry components.  We shall see.

I think the terrain mesh faces are indeed too "large" to make small terrain bumps or holes (which makes sense for a flight sim)  but I am wondering if it would be possible to hide the ground using a transparent texture and place some object on top of it that would replace the ground so to say ?. It would be 'hacky' but I am sure it could look good if technically possible: The transition between real ground and fake ground could be hidden with a careful design of the object.

[BladeMeister]

For my 2 cents, what I have experienced in Steel Fury 1942 is really good. I have no other comparison, but it really adds that needed element to bring the battle to life. Infantry using tanks/vehicles for cover as they advance, infantry riding on tanks/ vehicles, infantry fighting for positions, hilltops, trenches, buildings and bridges would be awesome. I am keeping my expectations low and hoping for what SF has now and then anything beyond will simply be gravy.

 

S!Blade<><

[LachenKrieg]

2 hours ago, SCG_Neun said:

I suppose with the current map options and gaming engine that being able to actually use trenches and dug in positions will never be an option?  This is a big setback for a WWII simulation, but if I had a wish....this would be one of them along with the infantry components.  We shall see.

 

2 hours ago, super-truite said:

I think the terrain mesh faces are indeed too "large" to make small terrain bumps or holes (which makes sense for a flight sim)  but I am wondering if it would be possible to hide the ground using a transparent texture and place some object on top of it that would replace the ground so to say ?. It would be 'hacky' but I am sure it could look good if technically possible: The transition between real ground and fake ground could be hidden with a careful design of the object.

Yeah based on the content of the current mission editor, trenches might be a stretch, but boy would they be heading in the right direction with that one! @super-truite, I am guessing that what you are suggesting shouldn't be that hard if the trenches were made to be a permanent part of the map. Good suggestions guys!

[LachenKrieg]

Just watched some video on Steel Fury and Steel Beasts. Pretty cool, but it is kinda hard to tell without knowing exactly how it works in-game, like whether the player has any control over AI movement, or whether there is any interaction between the player and the AI. But even with the little bit I was able to see, It is easy to see how it's going to add that next level to the battle field.

 

The other upside to adding infantry is that it will add importance to the radio operator/bow gunner position. At the moment, the radio operator is one of the least played positions for me. It would be nice to see them build this position up a bit by expanding the role of communications/infantry suppression. And don't forget smoke grenades!!

 

Hopefully the AI for Tank Crew will be a bit more detailed though in order to blend in with the exceptionally high detail of the tanks. But what I really hope we see in Tank Crew is an infantry AI that will attack/defend for/against you on its own. I think I would even put this type of AI capability in front of things like trenches.

[Jadgtiger]

I would like to see the option to mount a platoon; drop them off to help cover your tank and attack local AT guns (possibly), buildings and possibly nearby tanks.  Think "Combat Missions" series.  These AI soldiers would stay within a radius and be able to take simple commands via F series keys and/or voice command.  I'd also like to see through their "eye's" as an option if possible...

 

Does anyone know what the ETA will be on this...?

 

I'd also like to see an inclusion of Stug42 (150mm) and Jadgpather for Normandy but I guess this should be separate topic.   

[LachenKrieg]

12 hours ago, Jadgtiger said:

I would like to see the option to mount a platoon; drop them off to help cover your tank and attack local AT guns (possibly), buildings and possibly nearby tanks.  Think "Combat Missions" series.  These AI soldiers would stay within a radius and be able to take simple commands via F series keys and/or voice command.  I'd also like to see through their "eye's" as an option if possible...

 

Does anyone know what the ETA will be on this...?

 

I'd also like to see an inclusion of Stug42 (150mm) and Jadgpather for Normandy but I guess this should be separate topic.   

If I had to guess, I would say we might hear/get more news mid to late next summer. Major announcements like this seem to come at least a year in advance.

[Jadgtiger]

Ugh.. So long to wait till the addition of infantry.  I thought they were further along than that.  Very well then I shall wait. 

[LachenKrieg]

7 hours ago, Jadgtiger said:

Ugh.. So long to wait till the addition of infantry.  I thought they were further along than that.  Very well then I shall wait. 

Keep in mind that I am only offering a guess. I don't know how far along they are, but knowing that the inclusion of a real working AI would be no small undertaking, and that other major announcements like this seem to follow an approximate 12 month+ timetable, I am guessing/hoping we should know/see a lot more some time this coming summer.

 

I am also hoping that the IL-2 Dev team is taking some of its inspiration from other developments as it considers the addition of AI infantry. Namely, Men of War Assault Squad 2: Arena. I am betting that this is going to be a very popular game, and it is hard to imagine that Tank Crew vehicles coupled with something similar to the AI in MOWAS2 wouldn't be as well.

 

 

[SCG_judgedeath3]

20 hours ago, LachenKrieg said:

MOWAS2

I found the AI in that game hilarious bad, they move to where you order them and they will stay there and fight until they are killed by the enemies, no auto retreate or doing anything besides shoting anything that comes in their range of fire unless you give them other orders, else they just stand there and gets killed unless you do something.

And AI in most games are laughable, played apache simulator 2 weeks ago and the gunner in my helicopter started shoting at enemies before I even took off, and in many fps games they just stand and gets killed or cant see through corners/walkways and in other tank games and even warthunder the AI wont notice you until you hit them etc, AI havent grown much in gaming if we say so. Best AI I´ve seen sof ar is in alien isolation when you play it on medium or hard level.

[LachenKrieg]

1 hour ago, SCG_judgedeath3 said:

I found the AI in that game hilarious bad, they move to where you order them and they will stay there and fight until they are killed by the enemies, no auto retreate or doing anything besides shoting anything that comes in their range of fire unless you give them other orders, else they just stand there and gets killed unless you do something.

And AI in most games are laughable, played apache simulator 2 weeks ago and the gunner in my helicopter started shoting at enemies before I even took off, and in many fps games they just stand and gets killed or cant see through corners/walkways and in other tank games and even warthunder the AI wont notice you until you hit them etc, AI havent grown much in gaming if we say so. Best AI I´ve seen sof ar is in alien isolation when you play it on medium or hard level.

There is a setting that you can adjust both in-game, and also in the GEM editor when making your own custom maps/battles.  I can't remember exactly without going back into the game, but I think in-game it is called either attack, or fire command. In the GEM editor, you assign how you want each unit to react as you place them in the map. And you can set it to allow retreat/return fire/hold position, ect.

 

TBH, I have never seen AI with so much detail given to its behavior and control before. You can set up a battle with literally hundreds of infantry units of all types on each side, and then have them fight it out on their own, which includes going over and around obstacles without having to give them a command/waypoint, or you can take direct control of any and all the units you want. You can have a light infantry troop pick up a heavy assault weapon of another soldier, and it will affect the light infantry's efficiency at shooting. You can play the same battle 10x over and get 10 variations on the battle outcome. If there is such a thing as smart AI, then we have a pretty good example of it in this title. Being able to get in a Tank Crew Tiger/T34 and have infantry defending/attacking my position in a completely unscripted fashion would be... welll... kinda like being there without getting mud on my boots.