AI Mods And Pathfinding Reference

AI Mods And Pathfinding Reference

Source anchors: docs/design/AI-MODS-AND-PATHFINDING.md, docs/design/SLX-AI-STEERING-TRIAL-RUNBOOK.md, server-config/hc_launch.cmd, server-config/hc2_launch.cmd, server-config/README.md, and current Build84 source at origin/claude/build84-cmdcon36@5fca3239069a5eff6335f06fecb26bb72e8c9ceb. Wiki-only lane 319; no mission source, server config, package artifact, deploy, or live server state changed.

This page is the server/headless-client decision guide for AI enhancement mods and pathfinding limits in WASP. It is not a player optional-mod page; player-side sound, visual and HUD mods live in Optional client mods guide.

Verdict

Question	Answer
Should WASP add ASR AI?	No new add is needed. ASR AI is already bundled in @adwasp; the important question is whether the HCs load that same mod line.
Do the current versioned HC launch files load @adwasp?	Yes. Both server-config/hc_launch.cmd and server-config/hc2_launch.cmd include @CBA_CO;@adwasp;@admkswf. Re-read the live box before any ops change.
Do classic A2 AI mods fix fixed-wing landing?	No. Fixed-wing landing is map airfield/ILS configuration and engine behavior, not something ASR/Zeus/GL4/SLX can reliably fix.
What is the only mod trial worth considering first?	Isolated SLX_AI_Steering.pbo, and only after confirming the HC mod line and soaking ASR-on-HC alone.
What should be rejected for the warfare mission?	GL4, UPSMON, DAC, WW AICover, Zeus AI as an extra layer, and full SLX/COSLX bundles because they fight the commander-team driver or duplicate existing ASR behavior.

Why HC Locality Decides Everything

WASP's AICOM combat teams are created and driven where they are local, which is normally the headless client. AI mods that change skill, danger FSMs or behavior only affect AI local to the machine that loads them.

That makes the HC -mod line load-bearing. The Build84 server-config snapshot has both HCs launching with:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2;expansion;@CBA_CO;@adwasp;@admkswf

This means the versioned config already carries the same ASR-bearing @adwasp stack to the HCs. Do not remove @adwasp from HC launch lines, and keep @CBA_CO before @adwasp.

Operational gate: before any live mod trial, re-read C:\WASP\hc_launch.cmd and the HC2 launcher on the box. If the live box differs from the versioned config, fix or explain that drift before adding any new mod.

ASR AI Status

ASR AI is already part of WASP through @adwasp. It improves infantry skill/spotting/suppression behavior and is userconfig-tunable, but it does not solve aircraft pathfinding.

There is one naming discrepancy to keep visible: the source design note says the bundled build was labelled asr_ai3 / ASR AI 3, while Arma 2 OA's era-valid line is asr_ai 1.16.x. Before changing ASR config or packaging, inspect @adwasp\addons and confirm whether the actual PBO names are asr_ai_*.pbo or asr_ai3_*.pbo. Only OA 1.64-valid content belongs on the live box.

Reject List

Mod / family	Decision	Reason
GL4	Reject	It injects reinforcement, flank and group-retask behavior. That fights the commander-team driver.
UPSMON	Reject for AICOM teams	It owns patrol/garrison waypoints and is a poor fit for HC-created commander teams.
DAC 3	Reject for main warfare AICOM	DAC is good when it owns its own scenario groups; it is wrong as a second spawner/tasker inside CTI commander logic.
WW AICover	Reject	Threat-withdraw behavior can pull attacking teams off objectives.
Zeus AI	Reject as an extra layer	It overlaps ASR and adds more behavior-heavy cover/CQB movement.
Full SLX/COSLX	Reject	Group-link/tasking components fight the commander driver and the source notes warn the full bundle can harm air/UAV behavior.
Tiny dispersion/range tweaks	Skip	Redundant with ASR's skill/dispersion layer.

The core rule: if a mod issues waypoints, re-tasks groups, withdraws squads or owns garrison/patrol behavior, it does not layer cleanly over WASP's AICOM driver.

Bounded Trial Candidate

The only first mod trial worth preserving is isolated SLX_AI_Steering.pbo.

Why it is special:

• It is the only mined A2-era component with a direct "less crashing" aircraft/vehicle handling claim.
• The claim is not controlled proof, so it must be treated as an experiment.
• It must be isolated from the full SLX/COSLX bundle.
• It must be loaded on both server and HCs if tested, because the relevant AI is HC-local.

Use the SLX AI Steering isolated-PBO trial runbook as the operator checklist. The gate is strict: first confirm the live HC mod line, then soak the existing ASR-on-HC posture alone, then test only the isolated steering PBO if there is still a measured aircraft problem to chase.

Aircraft And Pathfinding Limits

Classic A2 OA aircraft AI has hard engine limits:

Limit	Practical impact
Fixed-wing landing needs map-configured airfields / ILS	A plane cannot reliably land just because a script wants it to. No terrain airfield config means crash, circle or bad approach behavior.
flyInHeight is terrain-relative and weak for planes on OA 1.64	It helps helicopters much more than fixed-wing. Planes need safer waypoint/loiter design, not faith in altitude commands.
Aircraft fly near-straight waypoint legs with weak obstacle avoidance	Low legs, tight loiters and terrain ridges cause crash-into-terrain problems.
Grouped aircraft bunch up	Use single-hull air groups and staggered routes rather than expecting the engine to maintain separation.

Mission-side fixes are more realistic than addon fixes:

• Port the existing heli terrain guard to HC-local AICOM helicopters.
• Give fixed-wing teams larger loiter/strike patterns and avoid ground-style SAD behavior.
• Use map-aware altitude floors for Takistan and Zargabad terrain.
• Prefer fly-off-map/refund behavior over forced fixed-wing landings where no valid airfield config exists.

Decision Checklist

Before approving any AI mod or pathfinding lane:

1. Confirm the live HC launcher includes @CBA_CO;@adwasp;@admkswf.
2. Confirm actual ASR PBO names in @adwasp\addons.
3. Ask whether the proposed mod changes skill/spotting only, or whether it issues movement/tasking.
4. Reject anything that fights the commander-team driver.
5. For aircraft, prefer mission-side route/loiter/terrain-guard changes over addon claims.
6. If testing SLX_AI_Steering, use only the isolated PBO and collect server plus both HC RPT evidence.

Continue Reading

• AI, headless and performance - AI/HC gateway.
• Headless client scaling and topology - HC locality and delegation.
• Commander-team driver - owner of AICOM team movement and posture.
• Optional client mods guide - player-side sound/visual/HUD mods, separate from AI mods.