Ground units continues to drive

How do get my ground units to continue on their route when they are under fire? The mission I am building is about a terrorist attack. A convoy of suicide bombers are driving towards their target. The mission is to destroy them. However, if I kill one of them, the rest stops moving, or leave the road, but I want them to move on, no matter what. Is that possible?

How do get my ground units to continue on their route when they are under fire? The mission I am building is about a terrorist attack. A convoy of suicide bombers are driving towards their target. The mission is to destroy them. However, if I kill one of them, the rest stops moving, or leave the road, but I want them to move on, no matter what. Is that possible?

Add these two advanced waypoint command -> options for those groups:

Alarm State=Green

Dispersal Under Fire=0

I actually like this behavior. It is part of my tactics - I destroy the first vehicle in the convoy with a guided missile, and then deal with each unit individually while they are not moving (using bombs or unguided rockets). By the way, after like 3-5 minutes they start moving again. I think it is logical too. You can't move if you are under a fire.

Add these two advanced waypoint command -> options for those groups:

 

Alarm State=Green

Dispersal Under Fire=0

Ok, thanks :)

Must I do this for every waypoint, or only the first one?

I actually like this behavior. It is part of my tactics - I destroy the first vehicle in the convoy with a guided missile, and then deal with each unit individually while they are not moving (using bombs or unguided rockets). By the way, after like 3-5 minutes they start moving again. I think it is logical too. You can't move if you are under a fire.

Yeah I know this is more logical and realistic, but these guys are not exactly the logical kind of guys :)

You can't move if you are under a fire.

You move when you are under fire and you don't have cover. You don't sit there like a duck to be shot at.

This is one thing that is wrong in DCS that by default the group will scatter around and then just wait there the 600 seconds until continuing.

We should get many improvements to AI, and one of them is the cover logic.

1) If you are being engaged from ground then check the nearest cover in 50-100m range, return fire (if possible in few seconds) and move there at maximum speed. This can be terrain cover, concealment like forest or a building or such.

2) If you are being engaged (or about) from air, then seek the air cover, prepare the self-anti-air, after every pass and if possible, move to another position and this way denying the attacking aircraft from completing the attack run or getting the missile shots. Just keep moving in cover or concealment.

3) If spotting a threat that can't be dealt with first engagement, reverse and find a different route to engage the targets.

The last thing you really want to do, is to scatter around on open and sit there with 12.7mm MG as you just can't do anything when other has way longer spear to destroy everyone individually.

And this is where the AI should have the logic to know when it has forests, trees and buildings near it (500-1000m) and be prepared to go behind them at maximum speed.

Then this could be overridden by the mission designer to current model if wanted.

The mission editor allows easily to adjust that time when they are scattered but it is easy to miss that "State Green" as it shouldn't affect to that timer itself. Like if setting timer 10 seconds, then regardless of the state of alarm, the scattering should be just 10 seconds. And the state of alarm should affect to observation of threats and cover, so vehicle crew should be pop-up in Green, and easily be killed with first shot, but be easily observing the air threats. While in Alarm Red, be hatches down but have very limited field of view what is happening around.

This alone makes the mission editing frustrating when by default the vehicles behave so stupid manner, making boring to engage ground targets when you notice that group is on its defaults, or then being "idiotic" and doesn't care at all but continues like nothing happened!

Ok, thanks :)

Must I do this for every waypoint, or only the first one?

Isn't the special Route rule for whole route, unless overrided by the Waypoint special rule?

So put rules on "Enroute" and it is for all waypoints, and then you would need to override that in individual waypoints what is in that part.

You move when you are under fire and you don't have cover. You don't sit there like a duck to be shot at.

 

This is one thing that is wrong in DCS that by default the group will scatter around and then just wait there the 600 seconds until continuing.

Not sure if I would agree. When units are moving on the road they are much easier to sport and target, but when they are scattered they usually stay off the road on the green and it becomes much harder to locate each of them. You would have to fly closer and that is a danger for you. If you look at some real combat footage you often see a convoy to stop immediately after an attack, and then solders would just hide around vehicles and near trees, rocks etc. I never seen vehicles to keep moving along the road - that means committing a suicide :) Also, when armor is not moving it is easier to shoot back.

Not sure if I would agree. When units are moving on the road they are much easier to sport and target, but when they are scattered they usually stay off the road on the green and it becomes much harder to locate each of them. You would have to fly closer and that is a danger for you. If you look at some real combat footage you often see a convoy to stop immediately after an attack, and then solders would just hide around vehicles and near trees, rocks etc. I never seen vehicles to keep moving along the road - that means committing a suicide :) Also, when armor is not moving it is easier to shoot back.

When air threat warning is issued (radio, visual spotting etc) drivers start to seek possible air cover locations continually where to pull over if air threat alarm is raised.

When the alarm is given, drivers drive to and pull to nearest cover or that column leader commands (further specific one or back etc). Troops are unmounted and prepares self defence if needed/required and vehicle crews even build quick concealment of vehicles (that has already covered with trees, nets etc, so that you just set few quick nets to smooth concealment if ordered.

But you don't do that just a few meters from a road or on that one exact location when at open. And you prepare to move vehicles around to different places after each attack or if cover requires it for better concealment.

The move reveals you easily, but once you have been made, you increase survivability by moving after attack runs so that pilot has to find you again after the move. Because you AA firing will reveal your position well in daytime by muzzle flashes and you become easy target for a single bomb drop that can destroy vehicles from 50-100m range of the impact point. And often it is enough just to drop a bomb to middle of road where vehicles pulled over as range can bee too short.

And this as well it's dangerous that in DCS we can't control column lengths.

As column should keep about 50-500m distance to each other depending terrain and visibility. In turns in crossroads last one to stop on turn to signal to previous vehicle that turn is made etc.

A column of 10 vehicles can be over 2km long. So when a air attack happens, it is only against a one or two. Vehicles cover a larger area for self defense and pilot can eat a MANPADS from different direction than thought it is attacking to.

Between attacks vehicles can move quickly to be locations and move MANPADS or 12.7mm AA crews to optimal positions.

That is where mobility and communication is important.

But scattering in DCS, without actual trees and bushes for concealment, column spacing like a 10-20m, pulling over to even open when trees are just other side road and sitting minutes still (default), not automatically unloading troops, no control for firing (revealing location) etc.

That makes columns so easy targets in DCS that it isn't fun..

And AI needs to be improved in that as well the ways to give logic by mission editor (visually, not scripting) and get maps have clutter and that way concealment possibilities.