Features - AI Zeus

🎯 Core AI Systems

Fog of War

AI only knows what it can see - no omniscient awareness

Intel System

Information decays over time, creating realistic uncertainty

Tactical States

AI switches between offensive, defensive, and retreat modes

Classical Doctrine

Based on real military principles and tactics

👁️ Detection Systems

Visual Detection

Line-of-sight based enemy spotting

Audio Detection

AI hears gunshots with realistic range and modifiers

Drone Recon

UAV operators deploy drones to scout enemy positions

Explosion Deafness

Nearby explosions temporarily deafen AI units

Vision Limiter

AI cannot see through grass or smoke - concealment works

⚔️ Combat Systems

Building Garrison

AI occupies buildings during defensive posture

Building Assault

Heavy weapons (armor, AT rockets) engage fortified buildings before infantry clear

Static Weapons

AI mans HMGs, GMGs, mortars, and AT positions

CQB Clearing

Room-by-room building clearing with grenades

Suppression Response

AI reacts to incoming fire with cover and return fire

Skill Degradation

AI accuracy dynamically decreases under suppressive fire

🚁 Support Systems

CAS Support

AI can call in close air support strikes

Artillery

Coordinated artillery barrages on player positions

Counter-Battery

Detects incoming artillery and returns fire on the source

Reinforcements

Dynamic spawning when taking casualties

Medic System

Wounded AI call for help, medics heal with animations

🗺️ Tactical Behaviors

Baseline Stance

Per-side DEFENSIVE / PROBING / OFFENSIVE setting controls behavior when no explicit objectives exist. OFFENSIVE auto-generates ephemeral ATTACK directives at known threat clusters

Escalation System

4-level proportional response based on threat and casualties

Environment Tactics

AI adapts formations and behavior to terrain type (forest, urban, hills, open)

Eden Modules

Drag-and-drop Eden Editor and Zeus modules for Init, Attack, Defend, Defend Object, Defend Area, and custom patrol/garrison waypoints

Vanilla Zeus Hook

Place the vanilla "Search and Destroy" module from the Zeus interface and AI Zeus translates it into an ATTACK directive automatically

Marker Directives

Mission makers set attack/defend objectives via map markers, including object defense, town/village area defense with fallback, and adaptive behavior

Patrol System

Multiple patrol types when no enemies detected

Ambush Tactics

L-shaped ambushes with coordinated triggers

Night Operations

Flares, tighter formations, slower movement at night

🎖️ Per-Side Doctrine

NATO Doctrine

Combined-arms / AirLand Battle. Default for WEST. Pincer assaults, 3-round precision artillery, 200m dismount, upper-floor garrisons, 90° flanking envelopment

Eastern Bloc Doctrine

Soviet motor-rifle (FM 100-2.1 / Grau & Bartles). Default for EAST. Echeloned 2-wave assaults with tanks forward, 30s artillery preparation, 400m dismount, reverse-slope garrisons, deeper 70° envelopment, sticky commitment

Guerrilla Doctrine

Mao + Giap insurgent practice. Default for INDEPENDENT. Harass-and-fade only — brief suppress from 300m standoff then immediate fall-back. Never assaults. No CAS, no organic artillery, no idle helicopter patrols. Ground-floor garrisons, lower aim, higher courage and terrain awareness

Auto-Mapping

Doctrine defaults from <code>AIZEUS_controlledSide</code> (AUTO mode). Override via Eden Init module Combo, CBA Settings, or <code>#aizeus doctrine_*</code> admin command. Live transitions re-apply skill biases to controlled units

Skill Biasing

Each doctrine multiplies the EASY / MEDIUM / HARD / VETERAN skill preset before randomization — NATO baseline, Eastern Bloc 0.95 aim / 1.05 courage, Guerrilla 0.85 aim / 1.15 courage / 1.1 spot distance

Backward Compatible

NATO doctrine values are bit-for-bit identical to v1.7.9 constants — missions on WEST keep their previous behavior. Missions on EAST that depended on v1.7.9 NATO-flavored behavior must set <code>AIZEUS_doctrineStr = "NATO"</code>

📊 Monitoring & UX

Live Assignment Overlay

Toggleable in-game panel for admins and Zeus curators showing every managed group, its directive, and state (Engaging / En Route / Holding / Routed). Bound to a configurable CBA keybind

First-Run Hint

One-shot hint shown 25-30s after init if no objectives are configured, listing the three workflows (module / marker / OFFENSIVE stance)

Server-Rendered State

Group state classification and overlay content built once on the server every 3s and broadcast as a string — HC-safe, low overhead

Workshop FAQ

"How Do I Tell My AI to Attack?" pinned at the top of the Steam Workshop description and README so new admins are productive in seconds

🛡️ Self-Preservation

Vehicle Preservation

Four-tier response: withdraw at >50% damage, crew bailout at >80%, static defense when immobilized, RTB at <20% fuel

Casualty Retreat

Groups losing 50%+ of original strength independently fall back 200m, with 60s cooldown before new orders

Remnant Regrouping

Groups with 2 or fewer survivors merge into the nearest friendly group within 300m instead of continuing suicide runs

Ambush Break-Contact

Ambushers break off when own casualties hit 30% or enemy count doubles - pop smoke, bound back 100-200m

Water-Aware Retreat

Retreat rally and bound positions snap away from water via directional ring-search; smoke is suppressed for units in water so stuck waders no longer turn into continuous smoke factories

📦 Logistics

Transport System

AI orders units into APCs, trucks, helicopters for tactical repositioning

Always-Moving Helicopters

Idle helis automatically loop a 600-900m patrol cycle around their home position. After dropoff they RTB and resume the patrol, never sitting on the deck or hovering at a finished waypoint

Paradrop Support

Helicopters paradrop troops over target positions

Resupply System

Ammo sharing and resupply crate spawning

Vehicle Coordination

Convoy behavior and infantry support

Headless Client

Automatic load balancing across HCs

Skill System

Configurable AI skill presets

Feature Details

Fog of War System

AI Zeus implements a realistic fog of war system where AI units only have knowledge of what they can actually observe. This fundamentally changes how AI behaves compared to vanilla ArmA.

Intel Gathering

Units gather intel through line-of-sight checks. When an enemy is spotted, the information is logged with position, time, and confidence level.

Intel Sharing

Information is shared between friendly units within communication range. Squad leaders can relay intel to the commander level.

Intel Decay

Old information becomes stale and eventually expires. The AI must re-acquire targets rather than knowing positions indefinitely.

Tactical State Machine

The AI commander evaluates the battlefield situation and selects appropriate tactical postures:

State	Trigger Conditions	Behavior
`OFFENSIVE`	Numerical advantage, fresh intel on enemy positions	Aggressive movement, flanking, coordinated assaults
`DEFENSIVE`	Roughly matched forces, holding objectives	Hold positions, garrison buildings, set up static weapons
`RETREAT`	Heavy casualties, overwhelmed by enemy	Leapfrog withdrawal, smoke deployment, fighting retreat

Fire Support Systems

Close Air Support (CAS)

When enabled, AI Zeus can call in CAS strikes on confirmed enemy concentrations. The system evaluates target value, friendly proximity, and available assets before committing to a strike.

Artillery Support

Artillery barrages can be called on static enemy positions. The AI considers ammunition availability, cooldown timers, and collateral damage risk.

Reinforcements

When casualties exceed thresholds, AI Zeus can spawn reinforcement squads. Reinforcements arrive from designated spawn points and are automatically integrated into the command structure.

💡 Configuration

Each support system can be individually enabled or disabled. Cooldowns, thresholds, and spawn limits are all configurable.

Building Assault System

When AI Zeus detects confirmed enemies in buildings, it coordinates heavy weapons to assault fortified positions before sending infantry to clear.

Armor Support

Tanks and IFVs within 400m engage occupied buildings with main guns, suppressing defenders before infantry advance.

AT Teams

Infantry with AT weapons within 300m fire rockets at fortified positions. AT teams prioritize armor threats over buildings.

💡 Coordinated Clearing

Infantry clearing operations begin after the heavy weapons assault completes, reducing casualties during CQB operations.

Night Operations

AI Zeus detects low-light conditions and adapts its behavior accordingly:

Tighter Formations - Squads maintain closer spacing to prevent separation
Reduced Speed - Movement is slower and more cautious
Flare Deployment - AI will deploy illumination flares when engaging
Enhanced Listening - Greater reliance on sound detection

Comparison

AI Zeus vs Vanilla ArmA AI

Capability	Vanilla AI	AI Zeus
Enemy Knowledge	Often omniscient	Limited to line-of-sight
Coordination	Individual groups only	Force-wide coordination
Fire Support	Script-triggered only	Autonomous decisions
Building Use	Basic pathfinding	Tactical garrison positions
Retreat Behavior	Stand and die	Organized withdrawal
Smoke/Grenades	Rare, random	Tactical deployment
Medical	None	Medics heal wounded
Night Adaptation	None	Formation/speed/flares