What the heck is this guy thinking?

(8:30) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Heroic. After a while I noticed something odd about the set-up featured in the previous movie. There was an Elite exhibiting some very unusual behaviour - which I ended up having a lot of fun with as you'll see!

Released March 17th 2020, gameplay recorded March 8th-16th 2020.

00:02 (Introduction) These first three clips give some views of the phenomenon from the ground. That's how I was initially exploring things, though the footage here is actually from later (better and more entertaining than the various early clips I recorded). The Elite wasn't always jumping off the bridge, but when he did, it always seemed to be quite soon; typically around 20 seconds after I came through the door. In the third clip, I'd quickly flown across to the covies on the far side to kill them (especially the Elite who runs for a Ghost), so I could watch the fall in relative peace.

01:29 (Going airborne) Partly prompted by the hassle I was getting on the ground, I started going airborne, which also gave me better views of course. Fortunately I'd left my Banshee close to the door. I soon saw that the Elite was exiting from the lower deck, which I hadn't noticed before. I also realized I could have fun with him, blasting him or splattering him or (as in the 2:33 clip) cushioning him, or some combination thereof. And indeed, that's the focus of the majority of the movie.

02:48 (Explanation) Eventually I gained some understanding of what was happening - and these two clips provide some illustration. Sometimes the Elite is on the top deck, and he falls through a hole where the glass was blown out; then he drops onto the edge of a ramp, from which he clumsily dismounts, which is the so-called 'jump'. I think the drop and the dismount are both shortcomings of his movement AI. The drop looks unintentional, and I assume the dismount is an attempt at reaching the lower deck. In the first clip you can see him on the edge of the ramp (looking somewhat glitchy), and in the second you get to see how he drops down onto it (I'd quickly ascended to be able to get that view).

However, I always needed to avoid being seen (or otherwise detected, I think), or else he'd stop - as seen in both of the clips. As such, I couldn't get close views of the jump itself. Actually there was one time when he saw me (which I know because he fired) and then still jumped, but that was exceptional, and maybe he was somehow already committed to the jump (i.e. dismount).

03:25 (Fun resumes) I'll comment on each clip from here on. The fun resumes with a nice splattering.

03:38 After immediately heading across the battlefield to get high up near the far cliff wall, I arc around for a fuel rod attack. You can see him do the drop and jump, though the view is distant.

03:53 Best view yet, of the drop and jump. I weaken him with plasma and try to cushion him, but the impact is just a bit too much and kills him. I then manage a fuel rod hit.

04:07 A brief interlude to the aerial fun. I figured I'd try and whack him as he reached the ground. It was actually quite hard because the timing has to be spot on. I managed quite a few examples though, and this was my favourite, including some bonus entertainment in the form of a tagged Ghost pilot.

04:33 After firing a shot at the Wraith to wake it up (not shown) and then quickly climbing up the cliff wall, I head across to attempt a long-range shot. This is probably the routine I did the most takes for, partly because of shot difficulty but also because I often got detected so he didn't jump. I only ever got a few hits. But I stuck at it because I liked the wall climb. At the end when I blast a Jackal, a loose plasma goes off. I think that must've come from the faller.

04:57 An amusing bounce on the Banshee's nose.

05:11 After a bit of plasma fire to weaken him, I deliver a killing fuel rod shot at close range.

05:21 By blasting the Elite near where he suffers fall-death, it was possible to get a plasma grenade or two to detonate. I was specifically trying for that here. There are two more examples in the rest of the movie.

05:33 (Sniping) After a while, I realized there was just enough time to grab the sniper rifle and snipe the faller, though it was also good to first repel a couple of Jackals who'd otherwise pester me. In this first clip it takes three shots to kill him.

05:59 This time I take better aim and score a headshot.

06:19 (Rocketing) I also tried rocketing but it was an extremely hard shot to make. What you see here is the only time I scored a hit, out of a large number of tries. A good hit though, with plasma detonation! The rocket hits just after fall-death.

06:40 This was a difficult routine to pull off. I quickly climb up the near cliff wall and get high enough to do an amusing freefall ambush. You also get to see him falling through the hole, though I'm a long way off at that point. I needed to be a long way off or he'd spot me.

07:00 For a moment the Elite seems to be getting a ride on top of the Banshee, having been carefully cushioned. But then he dives off and I blast him.

07:14 A nice forthright splatter, after he does a bit of pointing.

07:25 Towards the end of my playing, I was starting to precede my approach to the faller with some attack work on the ground troops, to add some extra fun to the movie. This is a nice example, featuring a Jackal and a spiralling ascent around a tree. Needed a lot of takes to get a hit though.

07:39 Again some ground attack work; and then I settle in to blast the Elite. I was trying for plasma detonation, and got it.

07:53 This is another try on the 3:38 routine, but this time I had to pull off a longer shot. Actually though, the main reason I included this clip is because of the two Jackals getting gloriously blasted at the end. I'd noticed them during my descent, and realized the possibility for comedy. Just had to land a shot in between them, which wasn't too hard.

08:07 After weakening him with plasma, I deliver an amusing fuel rod blast at close range, to finish off in satisfying fashion.

Closing remarks In this set-up, seen created in BCM413, I'm initially just behing the loading point. As such, each play begins with crossing the loading point. I suspect that sometimes the Elite gets respawned on the top deck, in the position needed for a potential drop through the hole (and subsequent jump), and other times gets respawned on the lower deck. That may've been the core reason for the randomness in whether I'd get a jump or not (though I also needed to avoid being detected, as mentioned previously).

As to the likelihood of jumping, I did a test comprising running to the doorway and just watching, and that gave me 18 jumps in 50 plays, a jump rate of 36%. But I also monitored things when making attempts at rocketing, and with that routine I got 51 jumps in 80 plays, a jump rate of about 64%. I can't explain that significant difference from the 36%. Not without doing a lot more testing anyway - which I'm not planning.

In regard to jump timing, jumps were occurring about 18-23 seconds after I got outside, or about 23-28 seconds after crossing the loading point.

One other aspect I can mention. When I let the guy jump unmolested, he seems to land in almost exactly the same position each time. If you were to take snapshots of each death pose, you'd be hard pressed to detect any difference in his configuration.

For more fun with a falling Elite, you might like to check out the trio BCM178, BCM184 (fuel rod extravaganza) and BCM202 (cushioning).

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