Typical Sides

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Missions may encompass a variety of participating factions, ranging from the conventional two to occasionally more.

The BLUFOR (“Blue Force”) faction is categorized by blue and typically comprises American, NATO, or allied military units employing American or Western European equipment and aligned with Western ideologies. Forces from nations such as Germany, France, Britain, Australia, and Canada fall under the BLUFOR umbrella. In some instances, BLUFOR may simply denote the player-controlled faction in Cooperative missions, regardless of their equipment. They are alternately referred to as “West”.

BLUFOR predominately serves as the Player-controlled faction and is seldom designated as the AI-controlled adversary. Typically engaged in combat against OPFOR, INDFOR, or Zombie factions. Occasionally, scenarios may involve two BLUFOR factions, which typically cooperate but maintain separate command structures.

BLUFOR boasts a range of aircraft models and often boasts formidable air support capabilities. Their tanks and infantry fighting Vehicles (IFVs) tend to outmatch similar OPFOR vehicles due to advanced optics and systems, albeit in lesser numbers than their OPFOR counterparts. BLUFOR relies heavily on light vehicles and transport helicopters for troop mobility, with fewer armored personnel carriers (APCs) and similar vehicles in its arsenal.

The OPFOR (“Opposing Force”) faction is categorized by red and encompasses entities like the Soviet Red Army, Warsaw Pact militaries, or any formal military utilizing Soviet equipment or aligned with Eastern or non-democratic principles. This includes forces from China and Iran (referred to as “CSAT” in ArmA 3), as well as other non-Western armies like Russia, or non-state actors such as the Chedaki or Taliban. In cooperative missions, “OPFOR” may denote any AI-controlled opposing faction, regardless of its equipment. They are alternately referred to as “East” or “REDFOR”.

OPFOR typically assumes the role of the AI-controlled adversary, although instances of player-controlled OPFOR are not uncommon. It engages in combat against a variety of opposing factions and may even find itself confronting another OPFOR faction, in which case the player-controlled side might adopt the term “BLUFOR” to prevent confusion.

OPFOR boasts a wide array of armored ground vehicles, particularly various armored personnel carriers, tanks and IFVs. However, their equipment prioritizes functionality over comfort, which can present challenges for players operating them. OPFOR’s air power is potent, though it tends to be less abundant compared to other factions.

The INDFOR (“Independent Force”) faction is categorized by green and encompasses a diverse array of entities, including insurgents, non-state actors, PMCs, or any other paramilitary or unofficial force. Additionally, INDFOR may consist of nations or state actors with political stances independent of BLUFOR or OPFOR. Characterized by their independence and self-interest, INDFOR factions may exhibit varying degrees of hostility, friendliness, or neutrality towards other factions within a mission. They are alternately referred to as “Guerillas”, “INDEPFOR” (INDEPendent Force) or “GREENFOR (GREEN FORce).

Independents have the flexibility to employ a wide range of equipment, including combinations from different manufacturers. Guerillas and insurgents often rely on rudimentary gear, while PMCs typically boast advanced weaponry, and independent nations may possess a formidable arsenal of military vehicles. The size and strength of INDFOR factions can vary greatly, ranging from outnumbering opposing forces to being significantly smaller, depending on mission parameters. Typically, non-state INDFOR factions typically lack armored and aerial support, instead utilizing armed civilian vehicles (technicals) for transportation and fire support.

Missions featuring INDFOR are less common compared to BLUFOR versus OPFOR engagements but are more prevalent in adversarial scenarios. In missions featuring AI-controlled civilians, INDFOR operatives may exploit the advantage of blending in with civilian populations, enabling them to evade detection, gather intelligence, and launch surprise attacks against adversaries.

Civilians, sometimes referred to as non-combatants or CIVPOP, are denoted by the color purple and are typically unarmed individuals who abstain from direct involvement in the conflicts between BLUFOR, REDFOR, and INDFOR factions. This category also includes law enforcement officers, paramedics, firefighters, and non-military intelligence personnel.

While uncommon, players may occasionally find themselves assigned to this faction, such as embodying a police force tasked with maintaining order and preventing player-on-player violence. In cooperative gameplay, civilian players are often aligned with BLUFOR or another combatant faction, as AI typically refrains from engaging players designated as civilians. The nature of missions involving civilians allows for considerable creative interpretation and is largely dependent on the preferences of the mission maker.

Civilians are predominantly AI-controlled and typically refrain from wielding weapons, although in certain scenarios, they may resort to rudimentary weapons like rocks, particularly when aligned against a perceived invader. Players are generally instructed to avoid harming civilians whenever possible, although adherence to this directive may vary.

Depending on mission parameters, mission makers may enforce adherence to rules of engagement, potentially penalizing players who violate them. For example, in missions where players are bound by the laws of war, attempting to harm civilians could result in an automatic failure and game over. Alternatively, the mission maker may opt for more nuanced consequences, impacting the mission’s outcome, progression, or future events, or lead to negative outcomes in subsequent missions, ultimately influencing the overarching storyline.

Hostages and VIPs represent another dimension of the civilian side, primarily under player control. Their primary objective typically revolves around survival or finding a means to rendezvous with one of the “primary” factions actively seeking their extraction. The behavior of a player portraying a hostage or VIP can be unpredictable, potentially leading to unexpected actions such as aligning with an unexpected faction or pursuing alternative outcomes.

As players, hostages and VIPs may even resort to arming themselves during the mission, provided they can acquire a weapon discreetly and evade detection.

Renegades, categorized by yellow, are universally regarded as hostile entities and are targeted by all factions. These individuals harbor no allegiance to any established side and instead pose a threat to anyone not aligned with them. Renegades may span a spectrum ranging from rogue players to bands of marauders, or even zombie-like creatures.

In Arma, players can assume the role of a renegade by intentionally targeting members of their own faction or civilians within a short timeframe. As a consequence, the player’s faction and squad members turn hostile, tasked with eliminating the renegade. While occurrences of renegades are rare in cooperative or adversarial multiplayer modes, they remain a possibility in vanilla Arma singleplayer missions.

Mission designers may integrate renegade elements into scenarios, introducing groups of renegade trackers or hostile creatures that pose continuous threats to players. Furthermore, players may dynamically transition into renegades based on mission parameters, leading to scenarios experiencing scenarios where they may become rogue halfway through the mission, compelling other players to subdue or apprehend them.

Zombies, creatures, and rioters represent a distinct category of renegade forces often encountered in specific mission types, all of which are exclusively AI-controlled.

These entities typically eschew conventional weaponry and vehicles, relying instead on primitive methods of attack such as clawing, biting, or melee strikes as they advance toward their targets. Mission design often capitalizes on their stealth and proximity, incorporating elements like dense fog or moonless nights to obscure visibility to afford them the opportunity to close the distance before players can effectively react with firearms.

Their primary strength lies in their sheer numbers and their capacity to form formidable hordes. This numerical advantage allows them to gradually wear down players, exhaust ammunition supplies, and eventually overwhelming them through sheer force of numbers.

As with any rule, there may exist additional exceptions or variations to these established norms.