JCOVE Lite and the Urban Patrol Script

How much spoiled I became with ARMA 2 and its place-and-forget AI OPFOR units!

ARMA 2's AI OPFOR units that search, flank and swarm you from all over the map with vicious ferocity are just a click away in the editor. Now regarding this new JCOVE Lite drug I'm already addicted to, be advised that the AI is some sort of entity that lies between ARMA and ARMA 2. The question is: is it possible to give the AI OPFOR in JCOVE Lite some of the smarties mentioned above?

Yes it is!

Some smart fellow at the JCOVE Lite forums has brought up the fact that the good old "Urban Patrol Script" (UPS) can be used in this simulation. Indeed, the official UPS webpage has a link for downloading the VBS2 version of this script.

Thank you, jtmedina for pointing that out and Kronzky for making this script (whatever your real names are)!

Indeed, if you have played ARMA is almost sure you've heard about this script. To use it, you set up an area to be patrolled as a marker rectangle, place some units in it, set the leaders of the patrolling units with some initialization code and voila, you get the following:

• The AI will avoid "dangerous" areas, and react intelligently to attacks.
  If it sees a team-member being shot, or spots an enemy without themselves being detected, it will not continue on its regular path, but instead use a flanking approach to get close to the shooter. The accuracy of the approach will depend on the "knowledge" the AI has about the shooter (i.e. whether the shooter was actually seen or only heard).
• If AI units get stuck (mostly due to bad pathfinding) they will try to free themselves after a while.
• Units will make occasional stops of random lengths during their patrols.
• Independent AI groups will share their knowledge about any enemies that have been spotted.

(The text above quoted from KronzKy's webpage)

Ah! Don't forget to place a copy of the script file in the mission folder.

"Alpha", the As Samawah "barrio" that will be the stuff of tactical nightmares when Iraqi insurgents (red icons) start patrolling it.

The initialization field of an Iraqi insurgent leader unit. The "RANDOM" modifier will place this unit at random places in the patrol area "Alpha". The "MIN" and "MAX" modifiers will clone this unit between 2 and 5 times.

And so, fellows, I was left with a randomized MOUT scenario that needs to be played as soon as possible. :)

I better brush up my scouting technique as the Iraqi insurgents may be anywhere.

Seeing them (right below the power tower) is just the beginning. Engaging too early will bring all of them towards my position.

Cheers,