ncc1701e

I see nothing wrong in what you are saying and I do not know how TacAI is programmed to determine the nearest cover. If a team does not know the location of an enemy unit, it can act as if there were no enemy units in one place. It is logical. It is just that if an unit is fleeing, self-preservation would be to fallback into friendly lines. Not going forward into the enemy lines to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. At the beginning of the episode, the security guard is always killed anyway... Seriously, the origin of this thread is that unit sometimes flees in the direction of the enemy lines despite the value of the "Friendly Direction" parameter. But, this is a simplistic view. Friendly line direction can perfectly be wrong for a fallback. I have realized that. This is surely a more complex algorithm based on these three basic questions: Which way is the "Friendly Direction"? Which direction(s) this particular unit is aware of the presence of the enemy? Which way is the nearest cover for this particular unit? An algorithm such as: If (3 != 2) then unit chooses 3 elseif ((3 == 2) and (1 != 2)) then unit chooses 1 elseif ((3 == 2) and (1 == 2)) then unit chooses Random(Alea Jacta Est) I am sure the devs will find out.

Sorry, is there somewhere a list of known engine bugs available to public?

Makes sense, thank you. At least, one could try with a LIGHT setting.

One thing I have not understood. Does the current CMSF2 demo contain this fix ?

In fact, I discovered this by chance. A team has destroyed a wall using a demolition charge. The squad that was just behind and that could see the wall has started moving about 10 seconds before the explosion. So, instead of using the breach in the wall, the squad went around it to be catch by enemy fire. WTF I said and I try to understand the problem. Next time, pause and patience. Patience is my problem you know.

MINUTE 14 Mortar fires continue in the woods but there is nobody left. By anticipation, I have fallback the remaining troops just in time to prepare the other progression axis. My Scout team is back. Next turn, I will use HUNT command to search for the enemy. Something I have not done well until now...

All right, I have added one enemy unit on the North of the squad location. The enemy unit is well spotted by the squad at the beginning of its turn. Still, the squad is doing its suicidal flanking maneuver like if it is ignoring this unit or has no knowledge of this threat. This is reproducible but TacAI can not think for you after all. I will stop there since anyway I have not the patch for the Indirect Fire bug. I will let @IanL try my first test scenario. Not only, use waypoints far from each other is also a source of problem for TacAI. I have find that if a team has started moving, it ignores breaches done in walls during its movement. Doing small intervals between waypoints is the way to go.

MINUTE 13 I am not sure but, on the right, I may have a good location for watching the village. I am sending my Scout team there. I have lot of difficulties to find a good way to enter this village. Moving here (below screenshot), I might be protected from the fires from the leftmost woods. But, there are still these houses in front of us. I suppose the LMG team could go at the same spot than the Scout team to suppress those houses if, with our ROE, the LMG team still hear the enemy. What is important guys, even if the situation is not really good for me, I am having fun. For a game, this is essential.

MINUTE 12 Mortar fires are incoming at the edge of the village. I did not even get there... I rally my troops and let them rest.

Agree, I have just forgotten too many basic rules here.

MINUTE 11 While retreating, I am detecting some British troops that are moving on the left in the woods. May be this is an attempt to go on my left flank. I will have to monitor this. Fortunately for me, my faithful LMG team is covering my retreat.

Yes may... Lesson learned. Even if shots are coming? Imagine that you are moving in the direction of the shots. In real life, I guess I'll go onto the ground instead of running to the enemy.

Will the guys hit the ground if they are shot at using the MOVE command?

MINUTE 10 Once again my impatient has killed me. That is not the first time... My green troops are in panic. I will try to reorganize with the armored car reinforcement.

Indeed, we need something a little more advanced for these corner cases. @Bulletpoint proposal of "Making the troops flee in the direction with least known enemy contacts" is the best option. But, is it not too much data for the engine to handle?

These are very good suggestions.

Very nice, thanks Bil !

But, in my case, the squad did not stop to fire back despite I remember they had more than a sound contact at a given time during this turn.

MINUTE 9 Disaster in the center... My LMG team is firing at the sound contact to protect my men. But my scout team is pinned few seconds after the start of the turn. As a consequence, it did not launch any smoke grenade. One more casualty taken... Snifff But, I had a little revenge. The rate of fire of the MG42 is astonishing.

MINUTE 8 The HQ team is on the move, protected by the smoke. I have used the QUICK command for my squad to reach the position of the Scout team. And, obviously, it was a mistake since gunfire can be heard (first below screenshot) and seen (second below screenshot) One guy is touched by a bullet. And, of course, this is the MG42 guy. Come on... But, quick question, I have used QUICK not FAST. Are not the guys supposed to hit the ground when being shot at with QUICK command? ASSAULT is using FAST command, according to manual, so I was not thinking it was a good choice. HUNT was the only option, right? But, HUNT is so slow... I am still too impatient... At the end of the turn, as @Erwin pointed out, I have a sound contact of something in the village behind the first house. My orders for next turn are as follow: The Scout team is targeting briefly the soldiers in the woods on the left. Then, the Scout team is ordered to launch a smoke grenade for covering my guys. The LMG team is doing an area fire on the sound contact he has of the soldiers in the woods on the left. The two teams are doing an area fire on the sound contact in the village, ready to fallback if needed. We are always learning from our mistakes, right?

He is . Just finishing my replay... I am joking with @JoMc67 privately that, next time, he should give me a tank as a backup. But, I will not surrender so easily (I have seen the "Lone Survivor" movie from Peter Berg yesterday night).

MINUTE 7 The HQ team launches one smoke grenade for diversion as planned. My scout team is very closed from the first houses now. There is still no sign of the enemy. Their firing arcs should be set for short ranges. Regarding the right flank, I know this is an unexplored zone but I have not enough troops to cover this. Also, if I was not on the edge of the map, on the left side, the exact same problem is existing. What is sure is that continuing on the left edge of the map, I am entering in a potential kill zone. A second squad is arriving in my setup zone for the attack. Hope the enemy does not have some mortars... With the smoke screen now active, the leftmost squad plus the HQ team is shifting position and are going on the right. I hope that my smoke screen will attract some enemy troops and that I could learn more about the enemy. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention that in the above green circle, my LMG team is watching and covering the woods on the left of the village.

No worries, all of what is said here is interesting.

Yes, due to our house rules, I would like to provoke a little bit. If he fires at me, the other team of this squad is there to hit back. This is my main problem. Despite this sound contact, I know almost nothing about him. The "1:1 ratio" is indeed an assumption. But, this is also the worst case possible. I prefer to expect the worst than to count on luck. I am concentrating also to have a local fire superiority. From what I have read, I will need fire superiority anyway if I need to fallback in the best possible conditions. You are right with our ROE. But, I would like him to move troops thinking an attack will come from this location. Movements that I hope to see. The squad on the left is moving next turn.

Well, the flanking move is risky because it is done on the enemy side. If an enemy is there hidden, that is three dead. But, the TacAI behavior is the same whatever the Friendly side parameter is. What is more surprising is the soldier fleeing in the wrong direction. But, thank you, you gave me the idea of a new test. What if this squad had the knowledge of a spotted enemy unit on its right (North), will it try the same flanking move to enter in this house? Back to the tests...