As part of the re-design moving script know-how from the planner to the unit database (see previous news entry), apparently I've missed a few dependencies. This lead to a hand-ful of mission planning failures, and has now been fixed. Apologies!

UK infantry recover from TUM crash (Arma2)

Heli insertions in urban areas are risky (Arma2)

Driving a DPV fast is not without danger (Arma2)

I've just updated some 350 out of 6100 units with additional script references. The big thing I missed (but the mission planner noticed) is that you can use armed transport helicopters for gunship support when they are not tasked to transport infantry to the battlefield.

Not sure whether the mission planner is smart or I am stupid.

William

This update has a 'winter' theme: it adds added a winter map (CWR2's Winter Kolguljev), it adds units in winter camouflage (also from Cold War Rearmed 2). In addition, this update adds scripts that that add snow, add breath plumes, and that change camo net patterns to 'snow', for a more immersive winter combat.

Aside from that, this update adds FRG (West-German cold war era) units and US Army cold war vehicles from Vilas' Project 85 mod.

Soviet Mi-24 Hind approach snow covered Kolguljev (Arma2)

Cold war US infantry in snow camo (Arma2)

P85's M577 mobile HQ passes by while snow flakes fall (Arma2)

The images (from PlannedAssault generated missions) in this news update show the CWR2 Soviet infantry, Soviet Spetsnaz and US Army infantry with in winter battle dress or coveralls. PlannedAssault's' database now also includes TOW launcher teams, mortar crews and howitzer crews in winter camouflage.

Since the previous update, PlannedAssault's missions order defending units to employ camo nets (provided HcPookie's camo net add-on is loaded). In the previous update, all defending units were configured with camo nets in matching size, style and camo pattern.

With this 'winter' update, I've added a map specific override that changes all camo net patterns to 'snow'. This 'snow' override is enabled on winter maps such as Winter Kolguljev.

The benefit of this 'snow' camo net override is that regular 'wood land' units are less conspicuous on winter maps, which makes it more attractive to combine snow and regular units on winter maps. See for yourself in the 'P85 M109A3 Palladin' screen shot.

Soviet motorized rifle infantry advancing in winter camouflage (Arma2)

P85 M109A3 Palladins firing from camouflaged positions (Arma2)

Cold weather breath plume from a US spotter (Arma2)

The addition of map specific scripts (such as snow, breath plumes, camo net pattern override) and mod specific scripts (camouflaged faces for some cold war era forces) reflects a recent improvement to PlannedAssault's design. I've transferred almost all scripts and script dependencies from the mission planner to the web UI and database. This makes it easier for me to introduce mod and map specific scripts, and to support mods that heavily rely on their own scripts.

P85 M151A2 MUTT with TOW launcher (Arma2)

Soviet Spetsnaz riding on top of BTR through the snow (Arma2)

P85 FRG Cold war era Fallschirmjaeger being inserted by UH-1Ds (Arma2)

Finally, I've begun adding units for Vilas' P85 add-on, starting with the cold war West-German forces and US vehicles, and according to historic TO&E. Vilas' add-on is pretty unique in covering the cold war era with such a wide variety in forces and vehicles. And with PlannedAssault it becomes real easy to create the large armor battles that never were.

Have fun!

William

Camouflage nets have been part of Arma 2 since its release. In the real world, these camo nets are frequently used to hide units and vehicles, enabling defenders to surprise attackers. However, camo nets have seen little use in Arma2...

Concealed SAM site consisting of a 1S91 radar and two 2K12 launchers (Arma2)

French mountain unit manning mortars (Arma2)

Y2003 USMC TOW HMMWV manning a line in the desert (Arma2)

This PlannedAssault update attempts to change that. Building on, and inspired by, hcpookie's 'Deployable Camo Nets' add-on for Arma2:CO, PlannedAssault now generates missions that include include orders for selected defending units to deploy camo nets. As a starting point, all Arma2:CO crew served weapons, all crew served artillery, and all light-armored anti-tank vehicles and all anti-air vehicles are configured with camo nets.

The screen shots here clearly show what a camo net can do: hiding a defender or break up its shape making detection harder.

Stryker MGS engaging threats from camouflaged position (Arma2)

Bundeswehr Wiesel 2 Ozelot set-up under camouflage net (Arma2)

Bradley IFV crew mounting up after deploying a net (Arma2)

Hcpookie's 'Deployable Camo Nets' add-on introduces camouflage nets in different sizes and colors, along with a script enabling human players to set-up a net for a vehicle in a 30 second animation.

I have written a new script that makes a group of AI vehicles deploy their nets one-by-one. In many cases*, you'll see a crew member dismount to set-up the net using an animation and afterwards remount. I have added orders for each 'camo-net equipped' defender group to trigger this 'deploy camo net' script when they are to hide or perform a 'guard' action. Unlike hcpookie's script, camo nets won't automatically disappear when units move out of their camo net position.

I have reviewed all Arma2:CO units in PlannedAssault's unit database, and added camo net matching the unit's size and camouflage where applicable.

Just to clarify: the Arma2 AI doesn't decide on its own to the deploy a camo net. It is the additional orders in missions generated by PlannedAssault that make the AI units use the camouflage. It's been a simple addition for PlannedAssault and me, because PlannedAssault generates orders from a larger battle plan from which it is obvious when and where it make sense to deploy camo nets.

Four M119 howitzers firing from a concealed position (Arma2)

Cold war US M60A3 platoon on Kolguljev (Arma2)

CWR2's AH-1F Cobra w shark graphics (Arma2)

This update also includes a new map: Cold War Rearmed 2's Kolguljev island.

As an experiment, I've chosen a larger area size than for previous maps. The (North) Kolguljev map is 8 x 6 km, whereas all earlier maps were four times smaller at 4 x 3 km. Larger maps provide more room and freedom to define battles, but making positioning units in your browser more difficult. Larger maps used to take too much computing time on my side, but with a faster planner now in place I'm ready to explore this.

For testing CWR2's Kolguljev, I've added and used the new CWR2 AH-1F Cobra. It is available in the unit database with and without shark nose graphics.

Have fun!

William

*: In case the vehicle has cargo or has a gunner that is not a commander. This follows from Arma2 AI limitations: if the driver dismounts, all other crew will dismount as well. If the commander dismounts, other vehicles will move around, potentially leaving their camo net position.

Today's additions to the unit database are 'Canadian Army' themed. For Arma 2, there are "Operation Northstar's" arid and temperate weather CADPAT infantry. I've added L16 81mm mortar teams.

For Arma 1, there are "Operation Northstar's" arid CADPAT infantry.

Canadian Army soldiers firing L-16 mortars (Arma2)

Canadian infantry in CADPAT-AR defending (Arma1)

Canadian infantry moving up (Arma2)

For VBS2 1.40 and VBS2 1.50, the unit database covers the Canadian Army vehicles. These are the CH-146 helicopter variants, and the LAV-III variants for VBS2 1.40. VBS2 1.50 has the 1.40 content, and adds the M113 ADATS, the RG-31 MRAP and AHSVS Wrecker.

Since VBS2 is compatible with (most) Arma1 add-ons, I've added the "Operation Northstar" Arma1 soldiers to the unit database for VBS2. As part of the their database entries, I've equipped each of the soldiers with the best matching (Diemaco) rifles and anti-tanks missiles as available in VBS2 (through initialization statements).

Arma1 Canadian Infantry inserted by VBS2 CH-146 (VBS2)

Arma1 Operation Northstar Canadian Infantry with VBS2 weapons (VBS2)

ADATS vehicle firing missile at BMP (VBS2)

I've also made available for VBS2 mission generation the Obregan area on the northern Sahrani island.

The mission planner received improvements to formation path finding: when advancing with multiple groups abreast, the aim is to have the groups form a continuous front inside the available space. In earlier versions, when confronted with obstacles the planner would simply squeeze the groups closer together. In the new version, this squeezing takes into account where the obstacle is (left or right of the planned path) and attempts to only squeeze groups closed together on the side of the obstacle.

Formation path improvements: before and after

Sahrani's Obregan area

The new planning set-up works as planned, with planning time significantly reduced and stability high.

William