Thread: Map usage - Advanced AI control

The map has a variety of uses. Whether you trying to ascertain your location, the location or your team members or your position in relation to the enemy. The map itself it fairly straight forward and easy to understand. The most powerful feature of the map is the the information that it can display about your team members and the manner in which is allows you to control them. In this guide I'll be covering it's usage in relation to controlling your AI team members more efficiently.







I: Map Overview

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The map gives you a good overview of your current position and the status of your Fireteam and Squad members. On the bottom right there is a box that displays the current grid reference of your cursor on the map to pass along positional information to to other players. It also provides a distance scale that changes to remain relevant depending on your level of zoom.

II: Status Overview

This display is present both in game view and the map view. If you are playing in hardcore mode it will only be visible in the map. This menu is helpful in providing a very broad overview of your teams status and health. Their health is displayed by what color their icon is colored, and their fire state is indicated by the red hold symbol located over the team number.

When in the map you can press either the 'q' or Caps Lock button to expand this menu giving you more information about your team members. By expanding the menu you are given presented with a variety of information as shown in the picture to the right. It displays their current health as indicated by the orange human silhouette, and their role. They're fire state is still indicated by the red symbol above their number showing that they are holding fire.

You are able to select individual fireteam members of your own fireteam as well as other entire fireteams of your squad which are under your command. Your fireteam members can be selected individually by either clicking on their icon, clicking their position indicator on the map or, pressing their corresponding number key. Clicking them or pressing their key a second time will deselect them. They can also be quickly de-selected by left clicking anywhere on the map unless you have a special move order selected. In the menu's default state there are none of your fireteam members selected or other fireteams. In this state it acts as if you have all of them selected. If you issue an order with either non or all of them selected it will be a general order to them all.

Fireteams and fireteam members can also be selected in the game view by opening up the command radial and pressing their associated number. For more information on the command radial see WhiskeySix's Command-Radial Overview.






III: Health Display Status

Your fireteam members health is displayed in 4 different states.

White = healthy
Yellow = Lightly wounded
Orange = Heavily wounded
Red = Incapacitated
When they are killed their icon disappears.

You can also see the current status of individual members of fireteams under your control. If you have the menu expanded you can hover over the squads icon and the menu will expand showing the current number of members the fireteam has and their health as shown on the right. These fireteams are selected in the same manner as individual fireteam members and you can issue them their own movement or attack orders. Fireteams can only be assigned a single order as a whole however, you can not give specific orders to their individual members.









IV: Advanced Menu


After expanding the information pane using 'q' or caps lock a new menu will appear at the top of the map. This menu will allow you to issue the same commands as the command radial without having to work your way through multiple selections or expose yourself to enemy fire.

F1 Move Menu:

This menu allows you to issue specific orders to either a single soldier or entire fireteams/squads. After making a selection your cursor will change to small circle cursor, clicking on the map will issue that order to the selected soldiers. Not all of these orders require you to select a location, they are detailed below.

1: Enter -- Order your selected units to mount the vehicle you select on the map
2: Exit -- Order your selected units to exit their currently mounted vehicle.
3: Move -- Order your selected units to move to the location you indicate at a jogging pace. Their movement speed will vary depending on whether they are under fire.
4: Move Fast -- Order your selected units to move the the location you indicate at sprinting speed. Their movement speed will vary depending on whether they are under fire.
5: Follow Target -- Order your selected units to follow the target you select.
6: Regroup -- This order is instantly carried out. It will order the currently selected units to fall back into formation.
7: Halt -- This order is instantly carried out. It will order the currently selected units to stop and hold position.
8: Defend -- Order your currently selected units to to defend the position that you select.
9: Fall Back -- Order your selected units to fall back to the position that you specify. If your units are not under fire they will simply sprint to that position. However, if they are under fire they will pop smoke in an effort to cover their withdrawl and move to the specified position as fast as possible.

F2 Formations Menu:

This menu contains all instant commands. It is used to change the formation of your currently selected units and change the distance between each individual unit. The images below show the result of each menu action. Wedge and normal spread are the default options in this menu. The images are shown with an additional fireteam under your command to better show the formation.















L- 1. Line Formation R- 2. Column Formation


L- 3. Echelon Right R- 4. Echelon Left


L- 5. Wedge Formation (default formation) R- 6. Vee Formation



L- 7. Tight C- 8.Normal (default spacing) R- 9. Combat Spread

F3 Attack Menu:

This menu contains attack orders for your selected units. There are no instant orders in this menu, all of them need to have a point selected on the map where it should be carried out.

1. Engage -- Orders selected units to engage a selected enemy soldier or vehicle.
2. Suppress -- Orders selected units to suppress a selected enemy soldier, vehicle or point on the map. You can assign this order to any point or building on the map even if there is no enemy present. Your units will continue to fire until ordered otherwise.
3. Assault -- Orders selected units to assault an enemy unit or position on the map.
4. Assault Building -- Orders selected units to assault and clear the selected building.
5. Flank Right -- Orders selected units to flank to the right of a specified location or enemy unit.
6. Flank Left -- Orders selected units to flank to the left of a specified location or enemy unit.

F4 Rules of Engagement Menu (ROE):

This menu is used to change the fire condition or state of selected units.

1. Hold Fire (Red) -- Orders selected units to hold fire. This order stops your units from firing on spotted enemies, it also prevents them from returning enemy fire. While in this state they will acknowledge all attack orders but will not fire until returned to the fire at will state(Green).
2. Return Fire (Yellow) -- Orders selected units to only fire if fired upon by the enemy. Similarly your units will acknowledge your attack orders but will not fire until returned to the fire at will state(Green).
3. Fire at Will (Green) -- Orders your selected units to engage any spotted enemy units.
4. Fire on My Lead (Yellow) -- Orders your selected units to hold fire until you open fire (good for ambushing).

F5 Special Menu:

This menu contains all commands required to order your units to provide medical assistance and repair damaged vehicles.

1. Medic -- Calls for a medic on yourself, this is an instant command.
2. Treat Wounded -- Orders the selected units to treat the selected wounded soldier.
3. Repair -- Orders the selected units to repair the selected vehicle.

V: Mouse Context Menus & Connecting Multiple Waypoints:

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When in the map is is not necessary to use the advanced menu for every move order. Using only the mouse it is possible to issue basic orders by right clicking the map. Right clicking the map bring sup a context menu based on what is under the mouse at that time. If you right click on open ground it will open a menu with 4 options as shown in the image to the right.

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There are are other context menus as well for different object. Picture here are two more. On the left is an example of clicking on a building which brings up a menu to order an assault. On the right you can order a unit to heal another wounded unit without having to access either the command radial or use the advanced menu. Other menus exist for ordering your units to mount vehicles or to mount a machine gun emplacement.

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It is possible to chain multiple way points on the map. While issuing orders on the map if the shift key is held down it will allow for you to add more way point for the selected units. These way points to can be anything that you want them to be making this feature very useful. You are not limited to only the context menu commands you can also use the advanced menu. As long as you have the desired unit selected you can chain as many way points as you want and add to them as desired. If you issue a way point that is incorrect it is possible to remove it by simply right clicking on that way point and choosing to delete it. It is also possible to delete every way point past a selected position as shown on the left.



The map is a very versatile tool. Not only for controlling friendly AI but also for helping to direct the movement of human players in both coop and multiplayer.


I hope that someone can find this useful. If you see any errors of oversights please let me know.