8:00 EST as always, everyone is welcome. For this Tactical Thursday we will be focusing on some of the basics -- infantry vs. infantry contact, infantry vs. enemy light/armor assets, and infantry + support (air/armor) vs. whatever.

I'd like to particularly encourage anyone is has been considering playing with us to join us for this session.

I'll be taking it a bit slower against less formidable odds. It's increasingly clear that we are getting beaten up by the new AI for not properly securing our flanks, taking cover, and moving with buddy support, so we'll be focusing on nailing down our basic tactics in a variety of situations. No real lectures, just more experience on the 'battlefield'!



See you there!

Basic animation showing how bounding overwatch should work with two teams or two squads (or even a single team of 4 divided into 2/2). Movement should never be broken below 2; you are always with your battle buddy.



Wedge formation. This is the formation we should be in when moving to contact or traveling between objectives. Alpha team leads, squad lead in the center, bravo trailing wedged out the opposite way. This is also a good formation, at a team level, for engaging, since it provides solid fire in multiple directions. It should be your default.




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Another note: on reporting contacts. Lately we have started reporting contacts based on compass direction. This is useful in certain situations, but unless you are right next to someone, it's not always that informative.

When I hear 'enemy patrol, 65' I don't know very much, other than there's an enemy patrol, at some distance, to the northeast relative to myself.

More useful is a callout such as 'enemy patrol, 200 meters to the northeast of Alpha team.' Now I know where they are relative to a known value (Alpha's location) and how far away they are.

Superb is (IMO) 'enemy patrol, 200 meters northeast, by the red house with the blue roof.' That's a lot of info so you'd only give it if we weren't engaged with them, but now I can easily find them.

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On suppressing fire: ArmA's AI reacts to suppressing fire in a way that very few 'shooter' AIs do. They will go lower, slow down their movement, breathe heavily, fire in shorter, less accurate bursts, and make poorer decisions about movement.

If enemy forces are moving on us, shoot at them! Pin them down and force them to stop their movement and get into cover, even if you aren't getting hits (this means that the SAW(s) should be chattering with great frequency during almost any encounter). Otherwise we'll very shortly have an enemy team/squad in our flank. Nearly all of the SHQ missions use the UPSMON AI enhancement scripts, which provide a very dangerous flanking maneuver, coordinated among teams, to the AIs.

I'll be there

Some good missions tonight, and a number of entertaining glitches in the older ones. Nothing like watching an entire team plummet to their doom when the parachute fails to appear :3

Bravo Team in action....

sorry i couldnt make it, internet wasnt working

Don't worry, we ate some Tea and Scones.... (A mission ending message that you created I believe)

Probably won't be able to make Thursdays anymore...my work schedule changed so I don't get home until about half way thru