4 — Gameplay‑specific systems

This page maps the gameplay systems that sit on top of the core AI architecture described in Phase 3.

4.1 — Pathfinding / Movement

Role - Handles movement commands, path choices, follow behavior, and special movement logic (BG paths, raid mechanics).

Key components - Movement actions under src/Ai/Base/Actions/MovementActions.* and specialized movement actions in raid files.
- Travel system: TravelMgr (src/Mgr/Travel/) and TravelTarget values ("travel target" value in AI context).
- BG movement: BattleGroundTactics (src/Ai/Base/Actions/BattleGroundTactics.cpp) with prebuilt paths.

How it works (high level) 1. Strategies enqueue movement actions (e.g., follow, move to, flee, BG pathing). 2. Movement actions call helpers like MoveTo / MoveNear. 3. TravelMgr provides destinations for RPG/quest travel and updates TravelTarget.

Extension points - Add new movement behaviors as MovementAction subclasses. - Register new travel destinations or logic in TravelMgr. - Extend BG pathing by adding paths/waypoints in BattleGroundTactics.

Risks / pitfalls - Movement is sensitive to world state; avoid forcing movement when a bot is already in flight, teleporting, or logging out. - Prefer existing movement helpers and flags rather than manual movement flag hacks.

flowchart TD
  A["Strategy / Trigger"] --> B["MovementAction (MoveTo/MoveNear)"]
  B --> C["MotionMaster / Movement flags"]
  B --> D["TravelTarget value"]
  D --> E["TravelMgr destinations"]
  B --> F["BattleGroundTactics paths"]

4.2 — Combat (melee / ranged / heal)

Role - Defines the combat decision‑making for different classes, roles, and situations.

Key components - Class strategies under src/Ai/Class/*/Strategy/ (combat logic per class/spec). - Default engine composition in AiFactory (src/Bot/Factory/AiFactory.cpp). - Core combat actions under src/Ai/Base/Actions/ (generic attacks, interrupts, buffs).

How it works (high level) 1. AiFactory builds the combat engine and attaches default strategies. 2. Class strategies define triggers and default actions (e.g., warrior DPS rotation). 3. The engine selects the highest‑priority action and executes it.

Extension points - Add or adjust class strategies for new rotations or smarter responses. - Add new combat actions and expose them via the AI context.

Risks / pitfalls - Avoid duplicating existing combat checks (use shared helpers and values). - Keep action relevance balanced to prevent “spammy” or unsafe actions.

flowchart TD
  A["AiFactory combat engine"] --> B["Combat strategies"]
  B --> C["Triggers -> NextAction"]
  C --> D["Action::Execute"]
  D --> E["Spell/Combat helpers"]

4.3 — Group / Raid logic

Role - Coordinates bots in groups and raids, including raid‑specific boss logic.

Key components - Raid strategies and raid action contexts under src/Ai/Raid/. - Raid trigger/action pairs for encounter logic (e.g., ICC, Magtheridon). - Group behaviors in base strategies (assist, follow, heal, tank).

How it works (high level) 1. Raid strategy contexts register encounter strategies. 2. Encounter strategies add triggers tied to boss mechanics. 3. Actions implement positioning, target selection, and special mechanics.

Extension points - Add new raid strategies and register them in RaidStrategyContext. - Add encounter actions/triggers in the relevant raid folder.

Risks / pitfalls - Raid logic often relies on movement timing; keep movement changes minimal and tested. - Avoid hard‑coding actions that conflict with generic combat logic.

flowchart TD
  A["RaidStrategyContext"] --> B["Encounter strategy"]
  B --> C["Raid triggers"]
  C --> D["Raid actions"]
  D --> E["Movement/target selection"]

4.4 — LFG / BG / Arena

Role - Manages bots in group finder, battlegrounds, and arena contexts.

Key components - RandomPlayerbotMgr queue checks: BG/LFG periodic checks and join logic.
- BattleGroundTactics for BG pathing and objectives. - Arena strategies via combat/non‑combat engine strategy switches.

How it works (high level) 1. RandomPlayerbotMgr::UpdateAIInternal schedules BG/LFG checks. 2. BG logic uses path tables and objective selection in BattleGroundTactics. 3. Arena adds/adjusts strategies via AiFactory (arena strategy flags).

Extension points - Add/adjust BG tactics (paths, flags, objectives). - Extend queue logic and scheduling in RandomPlayerbotMgr.

Risks / pitfalls - BG paths must exist for the target BG; missing paths can cause movement failures. - Arena strategy tuning should stay consistent with core combat expectations.

flowchart TD
  A["RandomPlayerbotMgr"] --> B["BG/LFG checks"]
  B --> C["Join/queue logic"]
  C --> D["BattleGroundTactics"]
  D --> E["Paths/objectives"]

4.5 — Random bot RPG logic

Role - Drives autonomous “life‑like” behavior: travel, grinding, questing, and roaming.

Key components - RPG strategies in src/Ai/World/Rpg/. - TravelMgr and travel targets for destination planning. - RandomPlayerbotMgr randomization and teleport helpers.

How it works (high level) 1. Random bots select an RPG strategy (classic RPG or new RPG). 2. Travel targets are chosen and movement actions are issued to reach them. 3. Random bot lifecycle updates (login/refresh/teleport) keep population active.

Extension points - Add new RPG actions or triggers (e.g., smarter roam, safer grinding). - Add or improve travel destinations and selection criteria.

Risks / pitfalls - Avoid heavy computations every tick; prefer cached values with intervals. - Respect existing random bot scheduling to avoid server load spikes.

flowchart TD
  A["RPG strategy"] --> B["TravelTarget selection"]
  B --> C["TravelMgr destinations"]
  C --> D["Movement actions"]
  A --> E["RandomPlayerbotMgr scheduling"]