STW/Combat Knowledge

Configuration files

Combat Knowledge currently uses one persisted behavior file:

$profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json

The live schema is version 12. It contains all switches, probabilities, timing values, throughput limits, failure backoffs, drone-surveillance settings and faction profiles documented in the Configuration section below. The file is generated and validated by Combat Knowledge; stop the server before editing it and restart afterward.

Other JSON files mentioned by integrated mods are not Combat Knowledge configuration files. For example, STWCombatZone reads $profile:STW/CombatZone/STWCombatZoneConfig.json, while STWCombatSupportAPI has no behavior JSON of its own.

Dependencies

STW Transport Helipads is required for automated Helicopter Assault. STW Snipers & Spotters remains optional: when installed, it supplies managed sniper and spotter roles through STW Combat Support API; Combat Knowledge then applies its shorter contact-memory and lower-priority policy to AI-observed roles. Without it, the vanilla low-visibility policy remains in effect.

STW Snipers & Spotters is optional. Install it only on servers that want its sniper/spotter functionality.

What it does

STW/Combat Knowledge turns legitimate AI perception into support opportunities. It does not continuously scan the map, track players, or invent enemy positions. A contact begins only when an eligible AI group discovers it; the system keeps the AI-reported last-known position and uses it for any later order.

Server setup

1. Load STW/Combat Knowledge, STW Combat Support API, the desired support providers, and STW Transport Helipads on the server and clients.
2. Start the scenario once. The server creates $profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json.
3. Configuration is loaded once per server session. Stop the server before making changes, then restart it.
4. All currently implemented automatic support categories are enabled in the fresh default configuration. Tune individual switches, probabilities, limits and faction profiles to suit the mission.

The live schema is version 10. If the stored version is older, Combat Knowledge deletes that obsolete file and writes a fresh file with current defaults. Default profiles cover US, RHS_USAF, USSR, RHS_AFRF, CIV and PLASTICBANDIT. US, USSR, RHS_USAF and RHS_AFRF can use CAS and Helicopter Assault. CIV has no automatic support. PLASTICBANDIT is limited to light vehicles unless an administrator changes its capability list.

How support is chosen

Support categories are independent: an accepted CAS request does not suppress armored, light-vehicle, or mortar/smoke evaluation. HE and smoke remain alternatives within one indirect mission: smoke is preferred 70% of the time, and HE is preferred otherwise. If the preferred indirect option cannot be scheduled, the other may be tried.

At night (20:00–06:00 by default), a qualifying observation can also schedule an illumination flare. Flares are independent from CAS, ground, smoke and HE decisions, but share the faction mortar queue.

Mortar missions use the reporting AI's last-known target information. They have a 45-second preparation delay, and each faction's mortar queue spaces later missions behind earlier ones. As a result, a queued mission can take longer than 45 seconds to fire.

Covering fire and building clearance

Combat Knowledge also gives nearby friendly AI groups two direct-response options. These use the groups already reporting a recent enemy contact; they do not create a separate mortar, helicopter, or vehicle mission.

Safety and deconfliction

Sniper and spotter concealment

STWSnipers-managed snipers and spotters are treated as lower-confidence contacts after AI has genuinely seen them. Combat Knowledge retains their actionable report for less time and lowers their automatic-support priority. If they conceal themselves and are not seen again, a delayed smoke, mortar, or illumination order can be cancelled as stale. Vanilla low-visibility units receive a lighter version of the same policy.

This does not reveal hidden snipers or track them after sight is lost. It also does not overwrite vanilla AI's own combat-memory system.

• AI has to discover the target first; hidden players receive no automatic tracking.
• AI uses its observed position snapshot, not a live target transform.
• Player-issued support orders have priority over automation through the shared support API reservation mechanism.
• Faction capability policy, support-provider availability, safety gates and cooldowns remain authoritative.
• Automatic requests do not retask player-owned CAS or other player-owned support activity.

Behavior configuration parameters

These values are stored in $profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json. The current schema is version 10. Use true/false for switches and values from 0.0 to 1.0 for probabilities. Validation clamps invalid values; zero is allowed for most delays and distances, while throughput, pending-work and retry thresholds are kept at a safe minimum of one.

Faction profiles

Set factionProfiles[].factionKey, enabled and permittedCapabilities deliberately. Unknown factions are disabled. A faction must list the exact capability before it can use it: mortar_he, mortar_smoke, mortar_flare, cas, light_vehicle, armored, tanks or helicopter_assault. The profile switch and capability list are applied in addition to every provider, safety, cooldown and dispatch limit.

Gameplay testing and diagnostics

Use normal gameplay to assess whether support frequency, delays and availability feel believable. Keep the server script log available during testing: entries beginning [STW][CombatKnowledge] explain what happened.

A scheduled order is not an immediate visual effect. Allow for the preparation delay and any existing faction mortar queue before treating it as missing. Covering fire and building clearance also depend on a recent, usable AI contact and nearby group.

Automated Helicopter Assault

STW Transport Helipads is required for this capability. When a legitimate AI observation qualifies, Combat Knowledge can call a same-faction transport to insert an AI assault group near the reported enemy position.

The AI-reported last-known enemy position is the assault anchor and initial ground objective. The transport service selects a safe landing area 75–150 metres from that anchor, then the inserted group moves toward it after landing.

By default, a selected helicopter carries its current full cargo capacity. Server administrators can choose a specific troop count instead. Player orders retain priority; faction policy, probability, provider availability, helicopter cooldown and readiness, and landing-area validation still apply.

Automated support deconfliction

Automated CAS, armored, tank, light-vehicle, and Helicopter Assault support uses automatedSupportAreaRadiusMeters, defaulting to 300 metres, to group nearby contacts. The same faction and support type cannot be assigned again in that area until the first order completes, is cancelled, or fails. This prevents support markers and vehicles from accumulating around one contact area.

Mortar HE, smoke, and illumination remain independently schedulable. Observed player-controlled enemy contacts receive priority and bypass normal random opportunity suppression, while still requiring legitimate AI detection and all safety and provider-availability checks.

Adjust automatedSupportAreaRadiusMeters in $profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json; it is a map-cell grouping size rather than a circular hard radius.

DAC-controlled intelligence reveals

When STWCombatKnowledge, STWCombatZoneCKnowledgeAdapter, and STWDivideAndConquer are loaded together, periodic intelligence reveals adapt to the selected player's current Divide and Conquer hex. Friendly hexes use a longer interval and lower probability; neutral hexes use a moderately longer interval and lower probability; enemy hexes use a shorter interval and higher probability; frontline hexes use the shortest interval and highest probability.

Each reveal cycle selects one currently connected player, so the classification is evaluated independently for multiple players. The server performs the evaluation authoritatively. If DAC integration is unavailable or the hex cannot be classified, CombatKnowledge falls back to the base intelligence-reveal settings.

These settings are stored in $profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json. The schema version is 14.

Interval multipliers apply to intelligenceRevealIntervalMinSeconds and intelligenceRevealIntervalMaxSeconds. Probability multipliers apply to intelligenceRevealProbability; the result is clamped to 0.0–1.0. Missing fields are created with defaults by the normal configuration migration/save path.

Additional live configuration reference

The live schema is version 12. The following newer parameters are stored in $profile:STW/CombatKnowledge/STWCombatKnowledgeBehavior.json:

Separate configuration: STW Combat Zone itself reads $profile:STW/CombatZone/STWCombatZoneConfig.json. STW Combat Support API does not have a behavior JSON.