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Hellfish6
03-07-2006, 05:03 PM
I originally posted this in the Tank-Net forums, but I don't know how often Ssnake checks there and I thought it might be more pertinent here. Before anyone labels me a heretic for this, I am a former infantrymen, so the subject is near and dear enough to my heart to risk posting this on a forum populated with you "Death before dismount" debutantes. :wink:

And yes, the term "crunchie" is a fighting word. :D



How hard would it be to implement player controlled infantry? I like how you can already follow your dismounts as they move, but what if you could make them controllable vehicles too? Instead of commanding an individual soldier you represent a squad or team leader controlling the unit? What would normally be your gunsight would instead by an ironsight or crosshair for a rifle. Insert/Delete/Home/End would let you cycle through small arms/grenade launcher/LAW/ATGM? The "E" key would make your squad/team go prone? F7 would let you look through binos or just check around and give you access to your personal weapon, F6 would let you control the fires of the entire unit (or bring up the ATGM optics), F9 would let you control the movement, etc.

From my limited knowledge of SB it looks like it could be done and it would add a whole lot, imho, to the sim. I like watching my infantry clearing forests that my tanks have bypassed, but I'd like to have a more active role in clearing the forest too. Likewise for dismounted scouts - it'd be cool to get dropped off and then go set up an LP/OP as a dismount.

This is about the extent of thought I've put into it thus far, so it's entirely possible I'm forgetting something that would kill this idea pretty quick. I'm not looking to make this an infantry sim, but rather to increase the functionality and usefulness of them.

Hell_Hound
03-07-2006, 05:49 PM
At the moment the infantry have SB1 brains, and are wearing SB1 graphics technology (albeit with greatly-improved sprites).

At some point a whole lot of time and effort is going to go into infantry improvements. Better AI. True 3D graphics. They'll take cover in buildings, and hopefully shoot you from the windows.

At the same time, it's entirely possible some of the controls will get rewritten so that when you tell a section to go prone, they go prone NOW, by God, and stay there - and when you designate them a target they take it as more than a gentle suggestion.

I think we all agree that real infantry are drastically smarter and deadlier (in the right conditions) than what we're currently seeing in SB, and that is going to get addressed.

Hell_Hound
03-07-2006, 05:50 PM
And before I get corrected, I know that the infantry don't have AI, they have behavioral algorithms. AI is faster to type. ;)

TopKick
03-07-2006, 06:43 PM
The Gravel Agitators in Steel Beasts behave perfectly – unpredictable and uncontrollable – This is what infantry does.

Hellfish6
03-07-2006, 07:04 PM
Ok, but **I** want to play as the infantry in SB. I work on sims too and I can assure you, the more control you give your O/Cs and OPFOR over their units, the better the training is. AI, no matter how well programmed or scripted, isn't going to be as good as a concious human who knows what he's doing.

Ssnake
03-07-2006, 11:02 PM
Like I said on other occasions, improving the usefulness of infantry is our design focus this year, so you can expect some progress in summer and late autumn.

Hellfish6
03-08-2006, 04:19 PM
Its great to hear about the improved infantry, but I'd still really like them to be semi playable. Ideally, though, would be the compatability I've heard about with VBS, though. :wink:

Blackmuzzle
03-08-2006, 04:31 PM
Uh, aren't VBS and SB two totally different things technically?

Hellfish6
03-08-2006, 05:04 PM
Yes, but I've heard that they're trying to get the two programs to cooperate. Probably via HLA/DIS.

Ssnake
03-09-2006, 10:37 PM
That's a seriously distorted half-truth, mangled by the rumor mill.

Bluewings
03-09-2006, 10:42 PM
LOL ! :lol:

Some people ... :casstet:

Cheers . :3starSK:

Destraex
03-11-2006, 12:48 AM
So no playable infantry??

It would also be kinda cool to be able to dismount and walk around scouting for beddy bies or water or food or whatnot. You know as a tank loader your commander elects you for a bush walk to see if the friendly locals saw the enemy.
Or a scenario where you start outside your tank and have to jump in