How to provide friendly reconnaissance (and not fire support)

[Eboreg]

I've been thinking a bit about scenario design lately and I was wondering if there was any way I can set up an AI-controlled side to be friendly to another side but not attack sides that attack the side they are providing reconnaissance to. For example, say the scenario involves the US attacking Iran and the Soviet Union is providing reconnaissance to Iran. I've seen a disturbing amount of times this kind of situation is put in but, for instance, the Soviet Union side in this scenario will declare the US hostile as soon as the guy playing as the US starts attacking Iranian units and will start launching Anti-Shipping missiles (I'm looking at you "Praying Mantis"). Is there any way this kind of bug can be prevented?

[Gunner98]

My experience with building this type of scenario (Old Grudges Never Die) is that what you're describing is difficult to achieve as the logic behind side postures leans towards hostile posture as a defense mechanism. You just need a player to shoot in the general direction of your 3rd side and they join the fight.

If I understand the situation correctly you might try to have the Soviet side have only non-munitions based assets (Recon, ECM, radars etc), and just live with them going hostile because they cannot engage the player. If you want the Soviets to join later, put the kinetic assets on a 3rd side and bring them in by Lua when you want them. Relying on side posture alone might work but it is tricky to get right and is subject to variables the player may unwittingly trigger.

Probably not much help but ...

[stww2]

I wonder, could you set the recon AI's side doctrine to "Weapons Hold" for all weapon types? Then even if they do go hostile they shouldn't try to attack the player. Of course, you would run into problems if there was a scenario where the player could feasibly attack the recon AI side and you want the AI to defend itself/retaliate if that happens, but those particular circumstances notwithstanding, a restrictive ROE could get the job done.