Category:Civilian Cars: Difference between revisions

In 2011 some of eSim's customers wanted to have "non-targets, pronto" for gunnery training to enforce proper IDing procedures instead of firing on any hotspot that moves. To meet this requirement, Civilian cars were added with revision 2.620 and, as a workaround, were defined in behavior and capabilities like ambulance vehicles, except that they can not heal and that it is an option to enable human drivers - allowing to them be manned to spy on the enemy - making for an interesting option in multiplayer environments. Beginning with revision 3.002, civilian vehicles may be assigned to multiple user and non-user factions, allowing for a greater degree of randomization and user interaction between civilian and user/enemy factions.

Civilian vehicles - no matter which faction - are ignored by all other computer-controlled units. That is the very point of them, that they are not distinguishable as combatants...UNLESS they are dismounting fighters which, however, you can see only the moment they actually unload them. Until then it could just be a group of people sharing a car.

Currently there are eleven different civilian vehicles simulated, with the four truck models also available as armed technicals. By default the Truck-T, 125cc Motorcycle, UAZ 2206 Minibus, and 3.5t Cargo Truck carry troops, while all other vehicles, with the exception of the 4x4-F and flatbed trucks, start empty, but may be scripted to pickup passengers, who may or may not be armed as per the scenario designer. Unless modified under the vehicles right-click menu: "Options>Set look of carried troops...", default passengers will be in uniform and armed as an mechanized infantry squad. Removal of the carried troop's weapons may be accomplished during scenario creation by dismounting the troops, and selecting "Options>Discard weapon if..." from the troops right-click menu.

Note that civilian cars have reduced the off-road mobility (worse than technicals).

In order to place them in the mission and make them stay, place it with "Stay" tactics. This will also allow you to modify the vehicle's orientation.

Civilian vehicles may be used as Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED [car-bomb]) using the right click menu: "Options>Configure IED..." as explained here (rev.4.156). Care should be taken to limit IED size to match the desired training goals as such blasts can be extremely powerful; capable of severely damaging nearby tanks, and destroying lighter vehicles.

Note that since civilian cars are "blind" by design, they cannot "see" enemy units, so you cannot use these events in the control logic. You have to cheat and use "global" knowledge instead. So instead of a condition like "if unit this sees enemy forces in region 1" you will have to use "if operational known enemy forces in region 1 > 0".