Stealth

[en4rcment]

Hello all.

Since I was going to start scripting my first VBS1 mission soon, I was hoping to continue my GR modding tradition of making stealth a big part of a small squad SF mission (stealth not required...but highly rewarded...(ie. reaction teams responding to your location if spotted...).

So I had a question or two...

-First, I am having a difficult time getting a handle on just how perceptive the AI is in this game. I have been seen by snipers at long distances and also not seen by soldiers just a few meters away. Does anyone know exactly what triggers the AI? Is it possible to move around AI (in close proximity) without being detected? I wanted to script something similar to the gameplay I enjoyed in Alpha Squad's tourney missions, but I do not know the abilities/limits of the AI. Could somebody who is more experienced please guide me? I want to make sure the AI don't just automatically detect you if you move within a certain proximity to them.

-I am a total noob here. I would appreciate any commands/scripts that you know of that would be helpful in scripting a stealthier mission (ie. Command triggers for getting seen by the Opfor, Scripts that make the AI behave in certain ways, triggers if an soldier is killed or wounded, etc).

-Any missions which you thought were done really well which required stealth? I enjoy learning from the achievements of those modders that came before me.

Thanks for any and all help you can give me regarding this matter.

Edited May 5, 2005 by en4rcment

[AUS_Viper]

Here goes N4.

-First, I am having a difficult time getting a handle on just how perceptive the AI is in this game. I have been seen by snipers at long distances and also not seen by soldiers just a few meters away. Does anyone know exactly what triggers the AI? Is it possible to move around AI (in close proximity) without being detected?

The enemy detects you using a "knowsabout" value, which is not just about proximity, but all to do with how much the enemy knows about your pos. A sniper 700m away looking at you in his scope knows where you are, how far away you are etc - basically everything. A squaddie with an iron sight AK will not see you duck behind the bushes some 300m away - unless they have binoculars. I tested this theory with the new russian scoped AK's and it works - the scoped AK tangos "knewabout" the BLUFOR well before the non scoped AK boys.

Now with that in mind it is theoretically possible to sneak up behind a tango (who has almost zero peripheral vision) and bang him on the head with a cricket bat. I say "in theory" as I have never tried it. However, they also do react to sound as if you fire off a weapon and you are out of his peripheral vision he will drop and scan the area looking for the source of the sound. That's because his knowsabout value has been lifted from knowing "nothing" about a target to knowing "something" about a target - they just don't know everything about the target yet as they haven't eyeballed you.

There is quite a large explanation about the knowsabout command at OPFEC found Here

The skill level of the tango appears to affect the reaction time and targeting capability. It appears to make them detect you quicker, but I believe it is just the reaction time once his knowsabout value reaches the "detection" peak.

So stealth does play a large part in how much the OPFOR knowsabout you and therefore if you are "detected" or not.

I would appreciate any commands/scripts that you know of that would be helpful in scripting a stealthier mission (ie. Command triggers for getting seen by the Opfor, Scripts that make the AI behave in certain ways).

Information Sharing

One big bugbear I have with opfor and the knowsabout value is they may look like they are on the same side, but apparently there radios don't work to well. If you sneak up on an opfor and shoot him on the southern side of the base, his mates at the north gate still stand around with hands on hips like its a dress rehearsal.

There is a simple, but powerful information sharing script I have used in my last few missions that can be found here. Its the top listed script called AI information sharing. You can set the distance that enemies will share their knowsabout value with each other. So set it to 100m and all tangos within 100m of each other will share information about your location. To simulate radio intel between OFPOR, set the min distance to 9999.

I tested this using a zsu location manned with four sentries. The Blufor vcl drives in from the north and races past the zsu's location. With no info script the north facing sentry spots you and goes to alert, but his mates looking the other way don't unsling their rifles untilt he vcl is almost past them. Throw in the script with exactly the same scenario and a millisecond after north guy spots the vcl, they are all onto him.

triggers if an soldier is killed or wounded, etc

Triggers comparing troop numbers

You can complement this info sharing script by setting two triggers over a particular area - say a base. One trigger just counts the amount of OPFOR in the base and allocates it to a variable name. The second trigger (over exactly the same area) counts the units again, but compares it against the variable to see if it is different. If it is less, then you can set the camp to alert status, choppers can take off whatever.

The first trigger set off by OPFOR present, type switch

condition : true

on activation: campgroup=thislist; campgroupnumber = count campgroup.

The second trigger set off by OPFOR present, type switch

condition:count campgroup < campgroupnumber

on activation: whatever event you want to take place ie alarm=true, dude setcombatmode "RED"; dude setbehaviour "COMBAT"..etc

(the red text is a variable name).

I like using this as if you have a sniper at the top of the hill with a silenced weapon, it's possible not to set off the knowsabout value of the squaddies until half their base are killed - a bit unrealistic (unless you're bruce willis in tears of the sun). The info sharing script may be set to only 100m, but the camps two gates are 200m apart - so that doesn't pick it up either. With the triggers, you can set a delay on the second so after say 15 seconds of the first boy biting dirt, the camp alarm may sound. You can also randomize this delay.

(stealth not required...but highly rewarded...(ie. reaction teams responding to your location if spotted...).

To have reaction teams respond to a your specific location use a hunterkiller script. I have used them in half of my missions - there's one in Airfield Patrol if you DePBO it. It basically sends a squad to the variables (players) location, checking every 60 seconds to see if his location has changed at all. Its also found over at OPFEC Here.

Quite easy to "append" other scripts onto it once the OPFOR get within a certain distance of the target they react a different way.

Hope this starts you mate

[Pave Low]

Great post Viper,

A lot of very useful info there

Those hunter-killer scripts definitely make things much more interesting , it forces you to play more tactically as if you don’t keep watching all the angles you are going to end up getting flanked big time.

Like the sniper shoot and then relocate script, makes em harder to track down as they are not blatting away from the same bush.

[en4rcment]

Wow Viper!!

That is one of the most helpful posts I have ever seen! Great information there and exactly what I was looking for.

It's alot of information for a noob like me to digest, but I'm breaking it down piece by piece.

Thanks for taking the time to jot all of that very important info down for me. It really puts me ahead of the game for once...

[en4rcment]

Now with that in mind it is theoretically possible to sneak up behind a tango (who has almost zero peripheral vision) and bang him on the head with a cricket bat. I say "in theory" as I have never tried it.

Ok, I tried this out. You can get within a few meters of an OpFor (slow walk and crouched on approach), but then he begins to turn and face you. That's actually good enough for my purposes, as I'm not trying to have a Splinter Cell mission where you are not detected, despite being a hair away away from an enemy.

If I can pull this off, you're going to see some good stuff!!

[AUS_Viper]

Great information there and exactly what I was looking for.

A lot of very useful info there

My pleasure guys. Nice to be able to give something back to the community that helped me so much with Ghost Recon.

Keep asking the questions and I'll try my best to help.

It's alot of information for a noob like me to digest,

Your not a noob mate - your a very talented scripter just learning a new syntax.

Like the sniper shoot and then relocate script, makes em harder to track down as they are not blatting away from the same bush.

Yeah good call Pave. This is a very good script and it isn't used often enough. N4 you can find it Here. its the one called Sniper script by pica.

It's quite simple to modify it for other purposes. I used it a couple of times to have OPFOR move to random "cover" once they were set to COMBAT.

If I can pull this off, you're going to see some good stuff!! 

I don't doubt it for a second