Smoke grenades

[neofit]

I've started playing today. What's the deal with smoke grenades? From my first battle the AIs are popping smoke two three times a battle and manage to accurately shoot from inside or behind? Half my combat time is hiding and waiting for them to wound or kill my squad mates.

Is there a way to prevent this from happening, like a setting or a mod? Not only it removes a large part of the fun from combat, but it makes no sense either. Smoke is used to hide and run away, not as an invisibility spell that allows one to snipe from inside with impunity.

[SilentScav]

From what I've seen my troops are the only ones popping smoke. When I removed smoke from their inventory, no more smoke.

Does smoke even affect AI's?

[baddoggs]

@neofit, Smoke IS used in RL to conceal movement.. Period.
Yes it is uses to cover withdrawals but mostly to conceal an advance
or just "general movement" through the battlespace..
I do however, agree the Ai can be "smoke happy" from time to time.
There are ways to deal with this situation.

1: Don't give smoke to ALL your soldiers, they don't need it. I personally
only equip 1-2 members of each squad with smoke. A grenade LAUNCHER is
FAR more useful.

2: Tactical spacing between your squads. Don't place them Too close
together. you can avoid the "wall of smoke" and leave gaps to shoot through.

3: ironically, i seem to be able to "see through" smoke whilst using a weapon
with an "optic" on it so...

@ToadStoned, Agreed i have seen nothing to suggest the Opfor Ai uses smoke.

[neofit]

I was certain that it was the AIs that were using smoke grenades. It was always popping over them, just like when you pop one around yourself to gtfo. But I removed these grenades from my squad's inventories, and after a few fights, I can confirm that no smoke was popped. Thanks for the heads up. The responsible parties have been punished.

[IRDCAM]

Take away the AI smoke as stated...no more smoke. Smoke does little or nothing, actually creates more problems if you are geared for the long range fights.

[neofit]

Publicado originalmente por neofit:

But I removed these grenades from my squad's inventories, and after a few fights, I can confirm that no smoke was popped.

I spoke too soon. As soon as I posted that, my next two fights had Armored Marauders/Terrorists pop smoke, up to 4 'nades in a fight. I am sure none of my guys had a smoke grenade in their inventory, I even sold them all from mine. Please fix.

[IRDCAM]

Not broken

[neofit]

Publicado originalmente por Cpt. Crunch (SAG):

Not broken

Is broken.

Your previous post in this thread has shown that you don't read a thread before replying. So here is what I am talking about: how is throwing smoke on yourself, then proceeding to accurately snipe everyone around you from inside, with zero visibility, not broken? Totally is, from the very purpose of throwing smoke, to the implementation of its effects.

[IRDCAM]

You still see the 'shadows' when they are close and you can 'sense shoot' if you 'know' where they will be ort approach from. Smoke does not make the enemy or you bulletproof. You can see bad guys in your smoke cloud easier if you go prone. IRL you see smoke, you concentrate fire on the smoke as that is where the bad guys are. Here the AI is predictable you set up your people and you low before the crest you will easily see them climbing past as you do in real life as smoke rises. BTDT Real life expieriences kinda relate to the game believe it or not.

[papercutz]

It is the opfor using smoke and using it as cover to snipe you through. Your troops will use it as well if you let them so dont but it will still happen too much.

[neofit]

Publicado originalmente por Cpt. Crunch (SAG):

BTDT Real life expieriences kinda relate to the game believe it or not.

I don't know what you've BTDT'ed. You pop smoke to get out of dodge. You don't stand there to super accurately snipe people from inside. And no, I don't see anybody inside, whether I am prone, crouching or standing.
You concentrate fire on smoke when you have MGs. 7 guys with rifles are useless against a 10m x 10m x 10m blanket of smoke, with 3-4 prone guys inside that don't care about suppression, and who have no problem seeing and sniping you from inside.

So, I can't see through smoke, my guys still shoot into it but apparently without much effect. From my experience, without smoke I slaughter the enemy. As soon as there is smoke, my crew is slaughtered. So please fix.

[Miles Teg]

I don't see any point to smoke. My AI guys are perfect shots through it and it just messes me up. I use no smoke on my squads now.

Night vision can help with it if the enemy uses it.

[SilentScav]

Publicado originalmente por Miles Teg:

I don't see any point to smoke. My AI guys are perfect shots through it and it just messes me up. I use no smoke on my squads now.

Night vision can help with it if the enemy uses it.

Agreed.
To me though smoke is useless on AI and probably should be removed from all default inventory if its not going to affect them.

[neofit]

Publicado originalmente por ToadStoned:

To me though smoke is useless on AI and probably should be removed from all default inventory if its not going to affect them.

Then it's up to the devs to remove it from the opfor inventories too. If you implement something like smoke, you make sure it affects the AI's vision as well, if you can't then you just remove it until you figure it out, otherwise it makes all those encounters with smoke-bearers unplayable.

[Gravy]

Smoke is broken. A small group of terrorist attacked my city, they were outnumbered 2 to 1 but as soon as the fight started smoke covered almost the whole area. The enemy is concealed and can still shoot through the smoke BUT my guys just stand there and die. This happened again when I attacked another small group of terrorist. i watched in extreme frustration as ONE terrorist popped smoke and proceeded to kill 5 of my men. My guys were helpless as they could not see nor shoot the last enemy, a penalty that the opposing side does not share. I feel that smoke should just be removed or something that only the player can use. My reasoning is that if both sides had their lanes of fire obscured by the smoke then fights would be like hiring dozens of heavily armed blind men to crouch in a field. However, if the player were the only one with this equipment then they could be used far more strategically and with limited uses.

[Reno Story]

Really, the best way to deal with smoke is to shoot into the smoke and hit as many guys as you can. I noticed that my troops, even if they can't see, will start blasting any enemies you hit yourself. So if you got an assault rifle or machine gun and you know where the cluster if enemies is, just let loose some lead and they'll be able to shoot at the guys hiding in smoke.

Then again, with the recent patch, I'm not sure if this still works or not.