That sounds like you have something set up incorrectly..perhaps a module not synced properly.

Our current campaign on our dedi server is on Takistan and I have it set to way lower (60-100 units) and I'm getting a TON of profiles spawning all over the map. I'm also using Project Opfor Middle East Militia and the Afghan Army and Police factions.

Make sure you have your Civ placement modules set to "no filter" for objective size and priority and see if that helps.

Also make sure your civ and mil obj modules are set to "place units" and not "objectives only." I bet that's what's going on here.

What are your client specs?

The highest amount of profiles I've ever used in a mission is around 100 or so for each side, but that decays quickly because they are actively killing each other.

And by that I mean total profiles active in the mission itself (I use a profile counter for that), not the amount selected in the objective modules.

Depending on the battlefield size and amount of objectives available where you are letting profiles spawn (and the filtering you use in the objective modules), the amount of profiles for each side can fluctuate a lot. The more objectives available, the more profiles.

Example: Company 400 set to spawn all over Altis will yield more profiles than a Company 400 set to spawn all over Stratis.

What I like to do when testing is to turn debug on for the Virtual AI module and then watch. If the map feels nicely populated after about 30 minutes or so and performance seems ok, that's generally good enough for me.

If profiles die too fast, and large swaths of the map feel bare, I'll either increase the amount of profiles in the obj modules, lower the filtering, or add custom objective modules to fill in the gaps.

CQB can also fill in the spaces nicely as well. It can sometimes make a town with only one active profile feel much more populated and dangerous. I can't even tell you the amount of times I've debugged something thinking a city only had one profile, and then I debug in the tablet "mark active units" (or whatever it's called. It's an Admin action and I'm not at home) and then seen the city filled to the gills!

Sometimes profiles will make their way to the location after you get there too and yo can actively be fighting tooth and nail for 30 mins to an hour!

To slow down the speed, the virtual AI module has an option to lower the profile speed. I like 25% (the slowest) but 50% is a popular choice as well.

I'd say shoot for good performance first on your client, then work your way up and test. You'll find a nice balance, it just takes some tinkering and testing.

I'd also say try downloading some other people's missions too and take a peak. AuTigerGrad has a ton on Steam you can certainly learn from.

I'll have to get you the profile counter later. @SpyderBlack723 shared it in the past but I'm not at home.

The force size parameter is indicative of profiles yes, but it's not a 1:1 ratio. For example, Battalion 800 cannot spawn 800 profiles on Stratis. It's impossible. The map is too small. Profile spawning is based on the amount of known objectives. The smaller the amount of objectives, the smaller amount of profiles that will spawn.

If you need absolute control over the amounts, remember you can always manually place the profiles yourself (under the groups tab in the editor) but make sure they are virtualized. Then make the obj modules spawn "objectives" only and the commanders will send to them to do their jobs.

For Occupation vs Occupation (or Invasion) missions, you don't need civilians at all. For those missions, since I like civilian ambience, I just keep them at medium placement (Civilian Placement module) and filter them to only small and above objectives. Sometimes I use even less with higher filters. No civs is an ok choice as well.

It's Assymetric commanders which need the civs, just an FYI.

I usually prefer two way battles myself but that's up to you.

I'd say try reducing the civs and seeing if performance improves. Then gradually either increase the profile placement, or lower the filtering in the civ/mil placement modules to increase the enemy profiles by taste.

If you really like enemy reinforcements, try out ASR AI and grab the Project OPFOR compatibility PBO for it (either on the ASR AI BI page or standalone on Steam). Remember you'll need ASR AI and the Project OPFOR patch running together.

What map are you playing on? What do your mil/civ obj modules look like? Can you take a couple screenshots?

Here's the profile counter:

if (isServer) then {

	_profilesBySide = [ALiVE_profileHandler,"profilesBySide"] call ALIVE_fnc_hashGet;
	_profilesBySide = _profilesBySide select 2;

	systemchat format ["Profile Count OPFOR - %1", count (_profilesBySide select 0)];
	systemchat format ["Profile Count BLUFOR - %1", count (_profilesBySide select 1)];
	systemchat format ["Profile Count INDEPENDANT - %1", count (_profilesBySide select 2)];

};

Paste this into your debug box in the esc screen and click local exec and go back into your mission and you'll see the count on the screen.

It only works in SP (so for mission testing only) and don't be alarmed it it changes every time you start the mission. ALiVE is random-ish by design.

OPCOM installations? You have an Assymetric commander then? Then you need civs if you want them to ever replenish their killed profiles.

Assymetric Commanders will get less profiles than the other commanders by design.

Assymetric commanders will grow in size very fast and have no limit! In fact I always try to make them start as small as possible and even reduce how they can recruit even further by adjusting the civ recruitment option in the OPCOM module.

Assymetric missions starting slow is pretty normal and very desirable IMO.

@Carmine39 I don't have an Assymetric commander. Just used debug and thought those meant something.

Oh ok. I'd love to see your mil/civ obj modules if possible. And possibly what the profiles counts are in game as well using that counter I posted for you.

"Civilian Placement" is the module that spawns civs. "Civilian Population" is what defines the civs role and hostility and I don't think has a purpose in non-Assymetric missions. Delete them both.

Don't get confused with "Military Commander Civilian Objective" placement. The one that's synced to OPCOM. You'll want to keep that!