Additions to AI-features/"Squad leading"

Suggestions
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Note: I solely have experience with the Tunisia campaign and the PC-version. Hence this only regards features in the “squadrons” game mode.

Expansion of squad organisation: e.g.,  having the already existing spacing commands “wide”, “standard” and “close” in tandem with formational commands as “Row”, “Column”, “Double column” a.o. This would make it easier to synchronise squad exposure when peeking over a crest or further ease movement through trench lines or even moving the squad covered behind armour. This would also simplify movement in formation as I of now would have to walk the AI into position manually with personal orders which in of itself is only valid within a certain distance to a given member. If one could order a defensive line with whatever spacing for example I could then for instance as an engineer build elsewhere or improve a defensive position without worrying about being too far away from the AI as it seems squad orders are valid regardless of my own distance to the squad.

Personal dig orders for shovel equipped AI:
Could work with something akin to the ordering of artillery and would perhaps work the best as a personal order where you could give a rough dig line for the AI to follow with a specified depth such as “to prone”, " to crouch" and “to standing” (for example selected with the “R”-key). This could of course also be used for the AI digging fox holes. With it again being a personal order it would at least stop the exploit where you could send the AI on its merry way to build a recreation of the Maginot line somewhere on the map as the player would at least have to remain attached to the AI. This would improve the feeling of usability the squad has as they now also can assist you in that aspect if all other actual players with shovels are occupied with fighting. Of course I can appreciate that there has to be some coding in solving how to make the orders only being valid for “digable” ground.

Squad fire discipline order:
A rather simple one: “Weapons free”, “Return fire if fired upon”, “Hold fire”. I have been in some instances where I for instance hear or see another squad drawing attention knowingly or unknowingly creating covering fire for my squads movement. Sadly in some instances the AI are trigger happy enough to break cover if we are crawling beneath a crest/berm to exploit a flank.

An aside:

  • An option for free-look aim centring (as in the aim going to where free-look is released) is sorely missed especially when coming from certain other game titles.

And yes I am well aware that the topic might have been brought up in the past, but different people different points and change through persistence I suppose.

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The two messed up paragraphs reiterated. Sorry in advance.

Expansion of squad organisation: e.g., having the already existing spacing commands “wide”, “standard” and “close” in tandem with formational commands as “Row”, “Column”, “Double column” a.o. This would make it easier to synchronise squad exposure when peeking over a crest or further ease movement through trench lines or even moving the squad covered behind armour. This would also simplify movement in formation as I of now would have to walk the AI into position manually with personal orders which in of itself is only valid within a certain distance to a given member. If one could order a defensive line with whatever spacing for example I could then for instance as an engineer build elsewhere or improve a defensive position without worrying about being too far away from the AI as it seems squad orders are valid regardless of my own distance to the squad.

Squad fire discipline order:
A rather simple one: “Weapons free”, “Return fire if fired upon”, “Hold fire”. I have been in some instances where I for instance hear or see another squad drawing attention knowingly or unknowingly creating covering fire for my squads movement. Sadly in some instances the AI are trigger happy enough to break cover if we are crawling beneath a crest/berm to exploit a flank.

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Since you said you only have experience with Tunisia I’m guessing you’re very new since that campaign hasn’t been out a month I don’t think.

I imagine it’s hard for newer players to understand the way the squad works Bc they haven’t been there for the whole ride of seeing them slowly tweaked and changed and made better over time.

But think of it this way, there’s two scenarios, one is where you have absolute control over your squad and using them tactically to suppress assault defend eachother is the key to the game. Scenario two is where it’s just FPS but you have guys thst follow you around and if you die you can become them.

Both of those scenarios are not what enlisted is. But indeed it’s a hybrid, and the mission is to find the perfect balance between intuitive squad utilization and just good ol run n gun FPS gameplay.

With recent addition of personal orders feature the devs conceptually had an excellent idea to better find that sweet spot. But the actual implementation was too far in the realm of scenario 1 I just mentioned. And the time and effort it takes to use personal orders properly makes it kind of obsolete Bc you can do way better just ignoring it even if that gives you slightly less control over your squad.

As for the fire discipline thing that’s something that’s been talked about a lot & I’d assume it’s already in the works.

As for free look aim centering idk why on earth you’d even need free look. There’s no 3rd person option. While flying is only time it’s actually useful.

Just like in real life, you want to train your aim to stay with your eyes. So if you’re looking all around then you gotta turn your gun afterwards. And I think what you’re suggesting is to make it so you could basically run one direction and shoot another while sprinting or soemthing lol.

Like that’s the only reason I could see what you’re talking about used for but I’d imagine only like 1% or less of player base even uses that feature to free look.

As for the digging, it’s a novelty feature and is just cool to have, but to sink more time into something like that which is extremely rare to see used wouldn’t make sense. Also it’s only on Tunisia. So while it would be cool to be able to assign bots to dig, there’s just a lot of other stuff that would be a better used of Dev time/money.

Lastly the squad formations, and now this I think is probably the most critical commonly overlooked game mechanic. It’s essential to use wide formation by default even if you don’t take the time to change it back and fourth at least setting it to wide at start of each game would make huge difference.

But as for how you envision formations to work has just completely missed the mark on what that mechanic is in the first place . But I understand the confusion given that “formation” is a poor choice of words to describe it. “Squad Spacing parameters” or something like that would be better

I would HIGHLY recommend going into practice mode and just literally playing are pins with your squad and different commands and just whatever. That way you can understand how they function by default and stuff and just allows you to bettwr give the right order based on context and stuff. One thing you’ll notice when doing this is that if you are still, they will form a firing line , but you gotta realize they form up based on where you’re looking, so anytime you look in a different direction any guys in that direction will fall back in behind you. And when you see the shield icon under their icon on left, this means that they are in position and ready to shoot at anyone who comes into field of fire (which is the same as you field of fire).

Honestly I’d say I have a masterful grasp on utilizing my squad properly and just situationally knowing what to do to where in like s gunner squad, under normal circumstances each gunner is gonna get at least 4-5 kills and I’m gonna be out in front of them drawing and breaking line of sight then drawing fire with another guy meanwhile I’m managing what I want them shooting at. So thst basically anytime I’m being threatened, the 3 mg34s being fired in controlled manner at that same squad are gone make them combat ineffective. And as I’m continuing to push up I’m thinking about where the next Contact will be so I can make sure there is a reasonable distance from us and that the gunners who I think of as like VIPs that need to treated well & protected and on occasion a single AI can get 30-40 kills.

Honestly I should make a guide on this sort of thing Bc most people don’t understand it or just ignore it. But there’s a reason I was in the top 30 players cross platform in the world on enlisted and this kinda stuff is main reason.

But anyways sorry for long response. Was bored and figured I’d explain in depth lol

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Appreciate the response and it makes sense with the context you put the game into. Albeit I suppose with the game being a middle of the road experience there always be a pull to either end depending on the experience of the player, I for one coming more from milsim/“slower” games and hence pointing out free-look and such as I am more accustomed to it (e.g., throwing glances over either shoulder to be aware of the positioning of the squad and other players, but I will concede to some extent that the minimap fulfils this for your local surroundings at least). And with that said I do understand the principle of you looking where your gun is pointed, but with having 1 1/2 year experience from being conscripted (I am not saying enlisted :P) a man can have his pipe dreams i suppose as after that small details in game like this have a lot more sway over me than before.

And in the context of what the game is in how you presented it I can understand that the AI would naturally assume certain formations for a given spacing parameter instead of implementing two order types to achieve that end and increasing micromanagement . On that note with you mentioning that the bots looking where you look I also notice that they look in the direction of my own pings (the red ones not map pins ofc) as well as other players’, do you think there being any benefit to have a marker that is local to the squad that overrides at the very least other players’ markers in turn being something akin to a “hold sector/look direction” order?

Lastly in my interpretation of how you answered the “aim centering” thing I will say it might only have been faulty wording on my end so if I present it in how it appeared in my mind that is: If you free look to the left for example and let go of the “free look”-key instead of the head moving back to the direction of the weapon (how it is now), I was hoping that there could be an option for the weapon to snap to where the head was looking when free look was released. Ofc it would be fun to roleplay 1940s. mujahideen and fire where you are not looking. :sweat_smile:

Again thanks for the response and I appreciate longer more comprehensive responses so don’t worry about it. Hope you get through on your hope of making a manual, unless the devs beat you to it and introduce more squad centric training scenarios, as I at least have had to make most of my experience with it through in-match experimentation but as you alluded to you can’t assume everyone to be doing the same.

Cheers.