Commanding the AI | Gameplay Basics Arma III Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Basics

Commanding the AI is an important part of the game. This section contains useful information on commanding a team.

Under the ~ key, there is a main menu for commands. The commands issued from this menu will be performed by every unit in your team. To request a single unit, hover the cursor over that unit and you should see a number with the name of that individual. So, if the number is 4, a menu command for this unit will be located unter the F4 key.

If you want a unit to move to a certain spot, go the command menu of that unit and select Move There. Now use your crosshair and point it at a place to which you want that unit to move to, and then press Move There once again.

Now open the Move menu, by entering a command menu of one of your units and pressing the 1 key. The commands in this menu are:

Return to formation- all units go back to a default formation.

Advance - a selected unit will advance a few meters ahead.

Stay back - a selected unit will stand behind you in formation.

Flank left - a selected unit will move on your left flank.

Flank right - a selected unit will move on your right flank.

Stop - a selected unit will stop and will remain in that position until you tell him to move.

Wait for me - if a selected unit is far ahead of you, then he will stop and wait until you get there.

Find cover - during the enemy contact, a selected unit will start looking for cover.

Attack

Another important menu is Engagement. Open it by going into a command menu of one of your units, and then press the 3 key. Commands in this menu are:

Open Fire - selected units will open fire on marked enemies.

Hold Fire - selected units will hold fire.

Fire - if a selected unit is on Hold Fire command but it still has enemies marked, then a Fire command will make the selected unit open fire and go back to Hold Fire, after the enemy is killed.

Engage - a selected unit will start chasing a marked enemy, leaving the formation. It will return after the enemy has been killed.

Engage at will - a selected unit will engage on every marked enemy

Disengage - a selected unit that have received the Engage or Engage at will commands will return to formation.

Scan horizon - selected units will scan the horizion in search for the enemy.

Watch direction - a selected unit will carefully scan the direction you chose.

Targeting

If you see a group of enemies and you will want to command your team to open fire, you will have two options. Move the crosshair on the enemy and then select the command menu of one of your units - the first option that should appear in this menu is Attack (enemy) - select this, and then press Open Fire. The selected unit will then attack the enemy.

You can do the same thing but without actually seeing the enemy. Choose a unit, go into its command menu and press the 2 key. You will see a menu with a list of enemies that are in sight of that unit. Choose one of the enemies and then press Open Fire.

Vehicles

The following menu is Mount. You can open it by going into the command menu of one of your units and then press the 4 key. The commands in this menu will allow you to send units to a selected vehicle on different positions.

To send a unit to a vehicle, aim your crosshair at a selected vehicle and then press Get in (vehicle) - you will see a menu from which you can choose a position to which you want that unit to go to.

You can also command a unit to drive the car into a selected spot. Send a unit to the driver seat of a selected vehicle, enter the command menu of that unit and then press Move There on a desired spot for that unit to go to.

Help

Using the Action menu, you can command a unit to treat yourself or other units, as well as to collect weapons and ammunition from dead enemies.

In order to heal a wounded unit, you need to have a medic in your team. Go into the command menu of your medic, and then press the 6 key. If one of your units is wounded, you should see a command called Treat (unit).

Same goes for picking up guns or ammunition, only that it can be done by every unit, not just a medic. Just go into the command menu of a selected unit, press 6 and if there are any dead bodies in the area, then you will notice a command called, eg. Take Katiba 6.5 mm.

Combat Modes

The next useful menu is Combat Mode. Go into the command menu of one of your units, and then press the 7 key.

Stealth - selected units will go into stealth mode, and they will try not to make any noise and hold fire.

Danger - selected units will go into danger mode - their weapons will always be raised and they will attack the enemy as soon as they see one.

Aware - selected unit will go into aware mode - their weapons will be lowered, but they will go into danger mode as soon as there's an enemy in sight.

Safe - selected units will go into safe mode and will avoid exchanging fire.

Stand up - selected units will go into a standing up position.

Stay crouched - selected units will go into a crouching position.

Go prone - selected units will go into a lying down position.

Copy my stance - selected units will go into a position that you are currently in.