AI commands in Campaign

[Victory Element]

I dont think i'm the only one who gets frustrated when my AI marines run into the middle of the battlefield and get sprayed with plasma during the campaign. A new feature that would be simple and effective in future halos would be AI controls. It could use the squad system like in reach when walk up to group of marines and it displays their names as part of your squad. Once in your squad you could give them simple orders in combat situations. Things like hold fire, take cover, open fire, advance, etc.... You could aslo be able to position them in areas where they would be most effective on a battlefield.Or, let them fire at will within boundary that they wont advance past. i would like to have cover fire when i actually need it for a change. I could position my marines in a strategic spot, keep them in cover while i engage the enemy, and then give them the order to fire from their position. these would be optional actions so you wouldnt have to go through the trouble if you didnt want to. The AIs are pointless if they get killed in 5 seconds and this would add an interesting strategic element to the game. I know most players dont care about the marines, but i find them usefull when they dont screw up. Any thoughts?

[Red Death]

that's a really good idea!i hope this is in halo 4.

[RedStarRocket91]

I think most of the problem is that the AI in Halo just isn't very good. A squad command feature could be very interesting and it would definitely open up new gameplay options (think how nice it would be to hand a Marine a Sniper Rifle and watch them actually use it beyond melee range, for instance!) but it would also add another layer of complexity that would first of all be very difficult to actually use in a heated firefight - and if your squad isn't capable of reacting to new combat situations, they'd probably get killed even quicker than they do at present. That also presents the issue of when the AI kicks back in - do they immediately do their own thing once they've moved to where you tell them to, do they stay there for an entire fight or move up to flank opponents or get a better shot, do they run away when being flanked or just stay put because that's where you told them to be? I can imagine getting very frustrated when my rocket launcher Marine runs forward to take out a Grunt when I want him on the flank to cover against vehicles and generally avoid damage, or when I suddenly discover I'm 50 feet in front of my team with no cover because they're following the orders I gave them at the start of the fight and then not moving up to support me.

 

There's also the issue of how it would fit on a controller - is it done via the Pause menu, off the D-Pad, or is there a button to press which then alters existing controls and gives me a new, more in-depth control scheme to work with? Needless to say, that's a lot of extra complexity which could be mostly fixed simply by making their controlling AI more intelligent.

 

The other thing is I'm not really sure it has a place in Halo, which is much more based around personal skill and run-and-gun combat than clever tactical manoeuvres and AI micromanagement. There's definitely nothing wrong with that type of game - how much poorer would the Rainbow Six, Mass Effect or Future Soldier games be without that ability to individually control squadmates? - but I just don't really see it fitting in with first-person combat.

 

It's definitely an interesting idea though, and perhaps some basic commands could be included - I'm sure it should be possible to tell individual Marines to hang back or get forward without causing too much complexity. Left on the D-Pad for keeping down, right for supporting you closely, down for getting them to resume normal AI routines, perhaps? I just don't think it would work well with anything more complex than that, otherwise you spend more time worrying about whether your Marines have the right weapons and positioning than you do choosing which Grunt's life to ruin next.

[Mr Biggles]

i would like AI commands, after all, he is the chief, he is meant to be the leader and rally the troops etc.

[Anonymousnorris]

I had a similar idea, but you would need Kinect and you would say the commands. I don't know how else the control scheme would work...maybe a command menu that pops up when you press right/left on the D-Pad?

 

I mainly just want to control the AI better when I'm in warthogs, they're rather useless during firefights, other than to serve as a distraction. I really don't see any tactical application with the use of the Halo AI.

 

"Get into the turret" "Get out of the turret" "Get into the drivers seat" "Get out of the drivers seat" "Follow me"

[Victory Element]

I think most of the problem is that the AI in Halo just isn't very good. A squad command feature could be very interesting and it would definitely open up new gameplay options (think how nice it would be to hand a Marine a Sniper Rifle and watch them actually use it beyond melee range, for instance!) but it would also add another layer of complexity that would first of all be very difficult to actually use in a heated firefight - and if your squad isn't capable of reacting to new combat situations, they'd probably get killed even quicker than they do at present. That also presents the issue of when the AI kicks back in - do they immediately do their own thing once they've moved to where you tell them to, do they stay there for an entire fight or move up to flank opponents or get a better shot, do they run away when being flanked or just stay put because that's where you told them to be? I can imagine getting very frustrated when my rocket launcher Marine runs forward to take out a Grunt when I want him on the flank to cover against vehicles and generally avoid damage, or when I suddenly discover I'm 50 feet in front of my team with no cover because they're following the orders I gave them at the start of the fight and then not moving up to support me.

 

There's also the issue of how it would fit on a controller - is it done via the Pause menu, off the D-Pad, or is there a button to press which then alters existing controls and gives me a new, more in-depth control scheme to work with? Needless to say, that's a lot of extra complexity which could be mostly fixed simply by making their controlling AI more intelligent.

 

The other thing is I'm not really sure it has a place in Halo, which is much more based around personal skill and run-and-gun combat than clever tactical manoeuvres and AI micromanagement. There's definitely nothing wrong with that type of game - how much poorer would the Rainbow Six, Mass Effect or Future Soldier games be without that ability to individually control squadmates? - but I just don't really see it fitting in with first-person combat.

 

It's definitely an interesting idea though, and perhaps some basic commands could be included - I'm sure it should be possible to tell individual Marines to hang back or get forward without causing too much complexity. Left on the D-Pad for keeping down, right for supporting you closely, down for getting them to resume normal AI routines, perhaps? I just don't think it would work well with anything more complex than that, otherwise you spend more time worrying about whether your Marines have the right weapons and positioning than you do choosing which Grunt's life to ruin next.

 

you do have some really good points, and I wanted to keep the idea simple enough to keep the gameplay the way it always has been. I figured it would end up on the D-pad almost like you said, stuff like up-advance(while firing) down-stay back, in cover(hold fire) left-resume normal AI habits right-activates position marker(aim reticule at desired destination to position troops). it needs to stay simple or it would impact the gameplay too much

[BigMartin58]

Control Scheme:

 

(While you are Driver - No Actions to Passenger)

 

D+UP - Combat (Just shoots at anything it sees)

D+DOWN - Cover me (Shoots at whatever is shooting at your warthog)

 

D+LEFT - Swap Gunner/Driver

D+RIGHT - No Action

 

(While you are Gunner - No Actions to Passenger)

D+UP Drive to Objective region

D+DOWN - Stop

D+LEFT - Swap Driver/Gunner

D+RIGHT - No Action

 

(On foot - Must Hold button near Marine)

X - Follow me/ Stay put (Depending on already current action)

 

D+UP - Combat (Just shoots at anything it sees)

D+DOWN - Cover me (Shoots at whatever is shooting you)

D+LEFT - Driver (Gets in driver's seat, waits for you and Drives foward to next objective region)

D+RIGHT - Gunner (Gets on turret and Shoots at anything it sees)

 

(If in vehicle, Passenger seat is Default if actions aren't given)

 

(If on foot, Combat is Default if actions aren't given)

[SykoWolf]

The D-pad would be the best place with the following controls=

Up = Advance to this location (and hold position for minimum 10 minutes which they will then revert to AI training)

Down= Hold position

Left= Use Grenade (If possible and when hovered over enemy, perhaps they can have like a limit on there number of grenades)

Right= Concentrate fire (when hovered over an enemy)

[Sierra1117]

Well in Reach the convenant AI was amazing, it was just the marines that were stupid

[Ryu♥Hayabusa]

Major flaw, the d-pad left and right buttons are used to swap grenades. So, you only have two available buttons to use.

[Victory Element]

Major flaw, the d-pad left and right buttons are used to swap grenades. So, you only have two available buttons to use.

 

well, that ruins my idea.....

[SykoWolf]

You could use up as advance to position and down to regroup, these are simple commands but would increase overall tactical use of the marines.

Although it would be difficult to implement

[Victory Element]

That might work SykoWolf. i would personslly stick with up-go to destination wherr reticule is aimed and down-resume normal AI actions

 

That might work SykoWolf. i would personslly stick with up-go to destination wherr reticule is aimed and down-resume normal AI actions

[Ryu♥Hayabusa]

You could use up as advance to position and down to regroup, these are simple commands but would increase overall tactical use of the marines.

Although it would be difficult to implement

Not at all, anything you can imagine can be implemented into a game, but the complexity (which this isn't, it's only two commands.) of the implementation can get difficult later on in development. The real thing is how often it would even be used. Hardly anyone would care to use it instead of running in and gunning them down themselves.

[SternuS]

Not at all, anything you can imagine can be implemented into a game, but the complexity (which this isn't, it's only two commands.) of the implementation can get difficult later on in development. The real thing is how often it would even be used. Hardly anyone would care to use it instead of running in and gunning them down themselves.

I must quote Red Star Rocket, he said everything i wanted to say. And i agree with Ryu, no one would use it. Admit it, when you have a shotgun, do you care about marines?

But, perhaps, a better AI would be nice. No need to give orders, just upgrade them. Since Reach, i don't trust anyone to be the driver...too many bad jokes. (Kat, why? why?)

[Ryu♥Hayabusa]

I must quote Red Star Rocket, he said everything i wanted to say. And i agree with Ryu, no one would use it. Admit it, when you have a shotgun, do you care about marines?

But, perhaps, a better AI would be nice. No need to give orders, just upgrade them. Since Reach, i don't trust anyone to be the driver...too many bad jokes. (Kat, why? why?)

I always eject her off a cliff onto a ledge in TotS to gun for myself.

[Victory Element]

I must quote Red Star Rocket, he said everything i wanted to say. And i agree with Ryu, no one would use it. Admit it, when you have a shotgun, do you care about marines?

But, perhaps, a better AI would be nice. No need to give orders, just upgrade them. Since Reach, i don't trust anyone to be the driver...too many bad jokes. (Kat, why? why?)

 

thats is a good point, most people wouldnt use it much, but i think i would occassionally. I like beating the campaign with the claasic run and gun style, but then i go back and try to make everything seem all tactical. I just think its fun.

 

But with or without the commands, the AI could be improved a lot

[SternuS]

thats is a good point, most people wouldnt use it much, but i think i would occassionally. I like beating the campaign with the claasic run and gun style, but then i go back and try to make everything seem all tactical. I just think its fun.

 

But with or without the commands, the AI could be improved a lot

My only concern is that 343i would spent too much time creating an AI system that requires complicated orders and situations, putting less attention to the story or bugs fixing.

[Victory Element]

My only concern is that 343i would spent too much time creating an AI system that requires complicated orders and situations, putting less attention to the story or bugs fixing.

 

its not even that big of an issue, just a cool idea that i had. It does sound like it may cause problems in the gameplay and for 343i, so halo 4 may be better off without it