Defense Category And Budget Reference

Defense Category And Budget Reference

Source-verified 2026-07-12 against master 9d7482116. Paths relative to Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/ unless noted. Arma 2 OA 1.64.

Player- and commander-placed base defenses are not free-for-all: each placement is sorted into one of four budget categories, and the server enforces a per-category live-object cap; fortification and mine caps scale with barracks level while the statics cap is a flat constant. This page documents the two halves of that mechanism — the categorizer WFBE_CO_FNC_GetDefenseCategory (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf) and its sole consumer, the RequestDefense server handler (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf) — plus the tuning constants in Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf that set the caps and gate thresholds. This is the contract and gate logic, distinct from Defense-Structures-Catalog, which lists the actual defense classnames and their prices.

The whole gate layer is opt-in behind one constant: WFBE_C_DEFENSE_BUDGET (Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1898, default 1). When it is 0, RequestDefense builds exactly as it did before the budget feature existed (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:298-305).

WFBE_CO_FNC_GetDefenseCategory — the categorizer

Registered as WFBE_CO_FNC_GetDefenseCategory = Compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "Common\Functions\Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf" (Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:172).

Aspect	Detail	Citation
Parameters	_this select 0 = classname (String), _this select 1 = side (Side)	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:24-25
Returns	One of "STATICS", "FORTIFICATIONS", "MINES", "OTHER" (String)	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:17
Default	_cat = "OTHER" — anything unmatched is OTHER and uncapped in v1	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:62, :106-108
Side use	Side is stringified (str _side) only to build the faction static-array variable names	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:72

Classification order

The function returns on the first match, evaluated top to bottom:

Order	Category	Test	Citation
1	MINES	_cls == "Sign_Danger" (the mine-field placer; faction-neutral)	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:67
2	STATICS	_cls in _staticsList (faction arrays) or substring match on the crewable-weapon needle list	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:86, :91-98
3	FORTIFICATIONS	substring match on the barrier/wire/wall needle list	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:103
4	OTHER	fall-through (ammo crates, MASH, lights, spawn markers)	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:108

STATICS resolution

The faction-specific static-weapon arrays are read by name from missionNamespace and concatenated into one list (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:73-80):

WFBE_<side>DEFENSES_MG / _GL / _AAPOD / _ATPOD / _CANNON / _MORTAR

These are populated per-faction in the Core_Structures config files — e.g. WFBE_<side>DEFENSES_MG = ['M2StaticMG_US_EP1'] (Common/Config/Core_Structures/Structures_CO_US.sqf:229), ['KORD_high_TK_EP1'] for RU (Common/Config/Core_Structures/Structures_CO_RU.sqf:227), ['DSHKM_CDF'] for CDF (Common/Config/Core_Structures/Structures_CDF.sqf:158). Any classname found in the merged list sets _isStatic = true (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:86).

Classnames not in the faction arrays (e.g. sandbag MG nests, or any other faction's gun reused) get a second pass: a substring scan over a fixed needle list of crewable-weapon tokens (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:93):

mgnestt, mgbag, mgnest, m2staticmg, kord, dshkm, zu23, ags, mk19, tow,
stinger, igla, metis, spg9, m252, 2b14, m119, d30, mlrs,
baf_gpmg, baf_gmg, baf_l2a1, m2hd, m1129

A match here also sets _isStatic = true; if static, the function exits "STATICS" (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:94, :98). The searchlight is deliberately left as OTHER because it is non-crewable for combat (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:90).

FORTIFICATIONS resolution

A single substring pass over the barrier/obstacle needle list returns "FORTIFICATIONS" (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:103):

hbarrier, barrier5x, barrier10x, bagfence, razorwire, hedgehog, hhedgehog,
camonet, camo_net, fort_rampart, fort_artillery, fortified_nest,
concrete_wall, cncblock

Two defensive guards (both from live incidents)

Guard	What it does	Why	Citation
_matchAny substring matcher	Hand-rolled toArray-based substring search; _this = [haystackLower, [needle, ...]], returns a Boolean	find on a String is an Arma 3 command; on A2 OA it throws "Type String, expected Array" and killed the calling script (RequestDefense mid-purchase, live-burned 2026-06-11)	Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:31-55, comment :27-30
nil/non-string entry guard	`if (isNil "_cls"		{typeName _cls != "STRING"}) exitWith {"OTHER"}`

The _matchAny block uses only A2-safe constructs (toArray, count, forEach, for, exitWith), and all callers lowercase the haystack before passing it (Common/Functions/Common_GetDefenseCategory.sqf:93, :103).

RequestDefense — the consumer

RequestDefense.sqf is the server PVF handler that fires when a client requests a base defense. Its signature (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:1-8): [_side, _defenseType, _pos, _dir, _manned, _builtByRepairTruck?, _reqPlayer?]. The trailing two args are optional (default false / objNull) to stay compatible with the EASA repair-truck merge.

The handler only proceeds if _defenseType resolves in the side's WFBE_<side>DEFENSENAMES list (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:11-12). It then enters the budget/threat gate only when WFBE_C_DEFENSE_BUDGET > 0 (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:24).

Gate pipeline (inside-base only)

Step	Logic	Citation
A. Base-center detection	Mirrors the RequestStructure bank pattern: collect getPos of wfbe_startpos + each wfbe_basearea from the side logic; nearest center within WFBE_C_BASE_AREA_RANGE (default 250) → _isInsideBase	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:43-60
(gate skip)	If not inside a base area, budget does not apply — build immediately	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:289-296
B1. Barracks level	_barrackLvl = _upgrades select WFBE_UP_BARRACKS (index 0)	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:70-72
B2. Anchor vs single	If _defenseType is in WFBE_POSITION_ANCHOR_NAMES, expand to ALL template children (resolved via WFBE_POSITION_TEMPLATE_MAP + optional _WEST/_EAST suffix); else _clsToCheck = [_defenseType]	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:79-108
B3. Threat gate	See below	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:116-141
B3b. Composition cap	Anchors only — see below	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:152-168
B4. Budget cap	Single defenses only — see below	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:179-240
B5. Reject + refund / build	See refund section	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:245-287

B3 — Threat gate

The handler classifies every entry in _clsToCheck with WFBE_CO_FNC_GetDefenseCategory; if any is STATICS or MINES, the placement is threat-gated (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:119-122). Fortifications and OTHER are never threat-gated (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:112-114).

When gated, it counts enemy ground units near the base center and rejects if the count meets WFBE_C_DEFENSE_THREAT_MIN (default 3):

• Enemy side = [west, east] - [_side] (no ambient GUER) (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:131).
• Counted classes = ["Man","Car","Motorcycle","Tank"] (no Air) within _baseRange (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:134).
• Threshold check at Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:137; the 2026-06-10 play-test rationale (the original any-1-enemy/any-class gate near-permanently blocked placement; ambient resistance AI and overflights counted as a "raid") is in the comment at :126-130.

B3b — WDDM composition cap

Anchors only. Counts distinct WFBE_WDDMPositionAnchor placement-IDs on nearby defense objects; rejects with _rejCat = "WddmCompositionCapReached" once the distinct count reaches WFBE_C_WDDM_COMP_CAP (default 3, size-independent) (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:152-167).

B4 — Per-category budget caps

Single (non-anchor) defenses only; WDDM composition children are exempt here (their cap is B3b). The pending placement is classified, then existing live, non-child objects of the same category are counted near the base center via nearestObjects, and the request is rejected if existing + pending > cap (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:179-235).

Category	Cap formula	Default	Reject label	Citation
STATICS	WFBE_C_BASE_DEFENSE_STATICS_CAP (flat)	25	Statics	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:193, :227-228
FORTIFICATIONS	20 + 10 * _barrackLvl	20 (lvl 0)	Fortifications	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:194, :230-231
MINES	10 + 5 * _barrackLvl	10 (lvl 0)	Mines	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:195, :233-234

The existing-count loops skip any object flagged WFBE_WDDMPositionChild so composition pieces never consume single-defense budget slots (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:213, :218, :223).

B5 — Reject + refund

If either gate fired and _reqPlayer is alive, the player is refunded (defenses are charged optimistically on the client at placement). The server first tries to price the defense server-side via missionNamespace getVariable _defenseType then select QUERYUNITPRICE (index 2, Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:8) (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:249-252).

Case	Message sent	Refund arg	Citation
Price resolved, threat reject	["DefenseThreatGate", _defPrice]	number	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:255-256
Price resolved, comp-cap reject	["WddmCompositionCapReached", _rejUsed, _rejCap, _defenseType]	—	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:258-259
Price resolved, budget reject	["DefenseBudgetFull", _rejCat, _rejUsed, _rejCap, _defPrice]	number	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:260-261
Price NOT resolvable (WDDM anchors)	same keys but pass _defenseType classname so the client refunds via its own lookup	classname string	Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:264-277

The classname-fallback exists because anchors lost their 2,500–5,000 cash on threat reject when the server could only notify with 0 (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:265-267). The client-side LocalizeMessage handler accepts either a number (refund directly) or a classname string (look up select QUERYUNITPRICE and refund the exact amount it charged) for both DefenseBudgetFull (Client/PVFunctions/LocalizeMessage.sqf:132-144) and DefenseThreatGate (Client/PVFunctions/LocalizeMessage.sqf:165-178); the WddmCompositionCapReached branch always refunds via the anchor classname lookup (Client/PVFunctions/LocalizeMessage.sqf:147-156).

When all gates pass, the build dispatches: anchors → Server_ConstructPosition (Spawn), single defenses → ConstructDefense (Call) with the manning range and repair-truck flag (Server/PVFunctions/RequestDefense.sqf:280-287).

Tuning constants

Constant	Default	Meaning	Citation
WFBE_C_DEFENSE_BUDGET	1	Master switch for the whole gate layer	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1898
WFBE_C_BASE_DEFENSE_STATICS_CAP	25	Flat STATICS cap per base area (raised from 10)	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1899
WFBE_C_DEFENSE_THREAT_MIN	3	Min enemy ground units to fire the statics/mines threat gate	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1900
WFBE_C_WDDM_COMP_CAP	3	Max distinct WDDM compositions per base area	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1902
WFBE_C_BASE_AREA_RANGE	250	Base-area radius (meters) for detection, threat, and counting	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1411
WFBE_C_BASE_DEFENSE_MANNING_RANGE	250	Manning range passed to ConstructDefense	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:1396

Continue Reading

• Defense-Structures-Catalog — the defense classnames, prices, and content this gate categorizes
• Construction-And-CoIn-Systems-Atlas — where RequestDefense sits in the build-request flow
• Server-Composition-Spawner-Function-Reference — Server_ConstructPosition and WDDM composition spawning
• PVF-Dispatch-Implementation-Playbook — how PVF handlers like RequestDefense are wired and dispatched
• Bank-Reserve-And-Artillery-Radar-Structures — the base-center detection pattern RequestDefense mirrors