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1 | 1 | # Bots |
2 | 2 |
|
3 | | -Bots are AI-controlled players that join matches and worlds alongside real |
4 | | -players. They are implemented and scripted by |
5 | | -[asobi_lua](https://github.com/widgrensit/asobi_lua) — asobi itself has no bot |
6 | | -code, so asobi_lua's documentation is the reference and this page points to it |
7 | | -rather than keeping a copy that drifts. |
8 | | - |
9 | | -- [Lua bots](https://github.com/widgrensit/asobi_lua/blob/main/guides/lua-bots.md) |
10 | | - — enabling bots per game mode, the `bots` config map, and writing bot scripts |
11 | | -- [Lua scripting](https://github.com/widgrensit/asobi_lua/blob/main/guides/lua-scripting.md) |
12 | | - — the callbacks a bot script implements |
13 | | - |
14 | | -See also [Lua Scripting](lua-scripting.md) for the runtime itself. |
| 3 | +Asobi includes built-in bot support. Bots run as server-side processes that |
| 4 | +join matches as regular players -- no fake clients, no network overhead. The |
| 5 | +AI logic runs in the same tick loop as the game. |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## When to use bots |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +- Fill empty slots so matches start immediately instead of waiting for a full lobby. |
| 10 | +- A tutorial or single-player sandbox with scripted opponents. |
| 11 | +- Load-testing your tick loop without spawning real WebSocket sessions. |
| 12 | +- Replay / record-and-replay testing. |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +## How It Works |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +1. A player queues for matchmaking |
| 17 | +2. If no match is found within the configured wait time, Asobi adds bots |
| 18 | +3. Bots join the match like regular players |
| 19 | +4. Each tick, the bot calls a `think()` function to decide its input |
| 20 | +5. Bot input goes through the same `handle_input` path as real players |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +## Configuration |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +### Lua (Docker) |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +Enable bots by adding `bots` to your match script globals and a `names` |
| 27 | +list to your bot script: |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +```lua |
| 30 | +-- match.lua |
| 31 | +match_size = 4 |
| 32 | +max_players = 8 |
| 33 | +strategy = "fill" |
| 34 | +bots = { script = "bots/chaser.lua", min_players = 4 } |
| 35 | +``` |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +`bots.min_players` is optional and defaults to `match_size`. `bots.enabled` |
| 38 | +is also optional and defaults to `true` (set it to `false` to keep the |
| 39 | +table around, e.g. to declare `min_players`, while disabling bot-fill). |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +```lua |
| 42 | +-- bots/chaser.lua |
| 43 | +names = {"Spark", "Blitz", "Volt", "Neon", "Pulse"} |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +function think(bot_id, state) |
| 46 | + -- AI logic here |
| 47 | +end |
| 48 | +``` |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +The platform reads `names` from your bot script at runtime. Bot names are |
| 51 | +prefixed with `bot_` (e.g., `bot_Spark`). |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +The spawner checks the queue every 8 seconds (a fixed interval, not tunable) and |
| 54 | +fills a waiting match with bots up to the mode's `min_players`, capped at |
| 55 | +`max_players` so a small `match_size`/`max_players` mode never overshoots into |
| 56 | +a second, bot-only match. Both settings below live in the game mode's `bots` |
| 57 | +map — there are no bot environment variables. |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +### Erlang (sys.config) |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +For Erlang OTP projects, configure bots in `sys.config`: |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +```erlang |
| 64 | +{game_modes, #{ |
| 65 | + ~"arena" => #{ |
| 66 | + module => {lua, "game/match.lua"}, |
| 67 | + match_size => 4, |
| 68 | + bots => #{ |
| 69 | + enabled => true, |
| 70 | + min_players => 4, |
| 71 | + script => <<"game/bots/chaser.lua">> |
| 72 | + } |
| 73 | + } |
| 74 | +}} |
| 75 | +``` |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +Bot names are read from the bot script's `names` global. If not defined, |
| 78 | +defaults to `["Spark", "Blitz", "Volt", "Neon", "Pulse"]`. |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +## Writing a Bot AI Script |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +A bot script defines a single function: `think(bot_id, state)`. It receives |
| 83 | +the current game state and returns an input table -- the same format a real |
| 84 | +player would send. That is the whole callback surface: a bot script has no |
| 85 | +`on_join` / `on_leave` / `on_message` hooks; it only ever produces the next |
| 86 | +input from the current state (plus an optional `names` list, below). |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +Since the bot only decides from `state`, difficulty is a property of the |
| 89 | +script, not a config knob: throttle a reaction-time delay or degrade the target |
| 90 | +selection by keying private per-bot state off `bot_id` in a module-level table. |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +```lua |
| 93 | +-- game/bots/chaser.lua |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +function think(bot_id, state) |
| 96 | + local players = state.players or {} |
| 97 | + local me = players[bot_id] |
| 98 | + if not me then return {} end |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | + -- Find nearest enemy |
| 101 | + local target = find_nearest(bot_id, me, players) |
| 102 | + if not target then |
| 103 | + return wander() |
| 104 | + end |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | + -- Chase and shoot |
| 107 | + local dist = distance(me, target) |
| 108 | + return { |
| 109 | + right = target.x > me.x, |
| 110 | + left = target.x < me.x, |
| 111 | + down = target.y > me.y, |
| 112 | + up = target.y < me.y, |
| 113 | + shoot = dist < 200, |
| 114 | + aim_x = target.x, |
| 115 | + aim_y = target.y |
| 116 | + } |
| 117 | +end |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +function find_nearest(bot_id, me, players) |
| 120 | + local nearest, min_dist = nil, 99999 |
| 121 | + for id, p in pairs(players) do |
| 122 | + if id ~= bot_id and p.hp and p.hp > 0 then |
| 123 | + local d = distance(me, p) |
| 124 | + if d < min_dist then |
| 125 | + nearest, min_dist = p, d |
| 126 | + end |
| 127 | + end |
| 128 | + end |
| 129 | + return nearest |
| 130 | +end |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +function distance(a, b) |
| 133 | + local dx = (a.x or 0) - (b.x or 0) |
| 134 | + local dy = (a.y or 0) - (b.y or 0) |
| 135 | + return math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy) |
| 136 | +end |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | +function wander() |
| 139 | + return { |
| 140 | + right = math.random(2) == 1, |
| 141 | + left = math.random(2) == 1, |
| 142 | + down = math.random(2) == 1, |
| 143 | + up = math.random(2) == 1, |
| 144 | + shoot = false |
| 145 | + } |
| 146 | +end |
| 147 | +``` |
| 148 | + |
| 149 | +## Multiple Bot Types |
| 150 | + |
| 151 | +Create different AI scripts for different playstyles: |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +``` |
| 154 | +game/bots/ |
| 155 | +├── chaser.lua -- rushes nearest player |
| 156 | +├── sniper.lua -- stays back, long range |
| 157 | +├── healer.lua -- supports teammates |
| 158 | +└── camper.lua -- holds position, ambushes |
| 159 | +``` |
| 160 | + |
| 161 | +Currently, all bots in a game mode use the same script. To vary behavior, |
| 162 | +add randomization inside your `think()` function: |
| 163 | + |
| 164 | +```lua |
| 165 | +local STRATEGIES = { "aggressive", "defensive", "random" } |
| 166 | + |
| 167 | +function think(bot_id, state) |
| 168 | + -- Use bot_id hash to pick consistent strategy per bot |
| 169 | + local strategy = STRATEGIES[(#bot_id % #STRATEGIES) + 1] |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | + if strategy == "aggressive" then |
| 172 | + return chase(bot_id, state) |
| 173 | + elseif strategy == "defensive" then |
| 174 | + return defend(bot_id, state) |
| 175 | + else |
| 176 | + return wander() |
| 177 | + end |
| 178 | +end |
| 179 | +``` |
| 180 | + |
| 181 | +## Default AI |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +If no bot script is configured, bots use a built-in default AI that: |
| 184 | + |
| 185 | +- Finds the nearest living enemy |
| 186 | +- Moves toward them |
| 187 | +- Shoots when within range (200 units) |
| 188 | +- Adds slight aim randomization |
| 189 | +- Wanders randomly if no targets are alive |
| 190 | + |
| 191 | +This works for most arena-style games out of the box. |
| 192 | + |
| 193 | +## Auto Boon Pick and Voting |
| 194 | + |
| 195 | +Bots automatically handle game phases: |
| 196 | + |
| 197 | +- **Boon pick**: Bots pick the first available option immediately |
| 198 | +- **Voting**: Bots cast a random vote after a 1-3 second delay |
| 199 | + |
| 200 | +This behavior is built-in and doesn't require any bot script code. |
| 201 | + |
| 202 | +## Bot IDs |
| 203 | + |
| 204 | +Bot player IDs are prefixed with `bot_` followed by their display name |
| 205 | +(e.g., `bot_Spark`, `bot_Blitz`). Your game logic can check for bots: |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | +```lua |
| 208 | +function is_bot(player_id) |
| 209 | + return string.sub(player_id, 1, 4) == "bot_" |
| 210 | +end |
| 211 | +``` |
| 212 | + |
| 213 | +Clients receive bot players in the normal game state. Whether to show them |
| 214 | +differently (e.g., "AI" tag) is up to the client. |
| 215 | + |
| 216 | +## Next steps |
| 217 | + |
| 218 | +- [Lua scripting](lua-scripting.md) - the `game.*` API a bot's `think` shares with match logic. |
| 219 | +- [Trust model](security-trust-model.md) - a bot's `think` runs bounded, like any callback. |
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