STW Tanks Spawner — Online Manual

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STW Tanks Spawner is made by STW (ScienceTechWorks). It is a self-contained, server-authoritative population system: its core operation does not require another STW mod. It selects the faction keys available to the running scenario, preferring RHS_USAF then US for US-aligned tanks and RHS_AFRF then USSR for AFRF-aligned tanks.

Its marker and persistence approach matches the wider STW suite, while its configuration and save data remain specific to STW Tanks Spawner.

What it adds

After the configured startup delay, the authoritative server analyses suitable terrain and creates separate US and AFRF/USSR tank populations. Spawned tanks are faction-aligned, AI-crewed, unlocked, and engine-started. They are selected from the built-in catalog of M1A1/M1A2 variants for the US side, and Kurganets-25, T-14, and T-90M variants for the AFRF side.

Terrain-aware placement

Candidates are checked for slope, nearby obstacles, vegetation, and separation from accepted tanks. The server retries positions within analysed areas up to the configured attempt limit.

Defensive AI

By default, each generated or restored tank receives a local-defense waypoint around its home position, so it can respond to nearby contacts without roaming across the map.

Useful map support

Optional static markers can reveal exact tank locations or use a deliberately offset position. Marker visibility is controlled by map zoom.

For players

There is no player menu or client-side setup. Join a server running STW Tanks Spawner and use the generated tanks through the normal Arma Reforger vehicle controls.

Tank markers appear only when the administrator enables them and the map is at or above the configured zoom threshold.
Markers may be intentionally approximate. An approximate marker does not necessarily identify the tank’s exact location.
Taking a seat uses the vehicle normally. Fuel support does not refill a tracked tank while a player is inside it.

For Game Masters and scenario hosts

STW Tanks Spawner runs from the server world; it does not add a Game Master placement tool or a player-side configuration menu. Game Masters may interact with the generated tanks using normal world tools, but quotas, placement, defensive behavior, markers, persistence, and fuel support are server settings.

Quota sides are independent. If a configured US-side faction is unavailable, the AFRF/USSR side can still generate its own requested population, and vice versa.

Server setup

Install and enable STW Tanks Spawner on the server, then start the target scenario and map once.
The mod creates $profile:STW/Tanks/STWTanksConfig.json and $profile:STW/Tanks/STWTanksFuelSupportConfig.json.
Stop the server, back up the file you plan to change, edit valid JSON, then restart.
Review the server log after startup. Invalid values are corrected and the validated configuration is saved back to disk.

Safe editing: do not edit generated configuration or persistence files while the server is running. Begin close to the defaults; high quotas, large placement attempt counts, and short persistence intervals increase server work.

Configuration

The main file is $profile:STW/Tanks/STWTanksConfig.json. Defaults are shown below; invalid settings are validated at startup.

Setting	Default	Meaning
`targetUSTankCount` `targetAFRFTankCount`	3 / 2	Requested new-population quotas for each aligned side. Negative values become zero.
`minimumTankSeparation` `spawnAreaRadius`	500 m / 130 m	Minimum accepted horizontal tank spacing and candidate-search radius per analysed area. The search radius has a 10 m minimum.
`maximumTerrainSlopeDegrees` `terrainSampleDistance`	8° / 6 m	Terrain slope limit (clamped 1–30°) and sample distance used to assess a candidate.
`obstacleClearanceRadius` `maximumNearbyVegetation`	9 m / 2	Clearance checks for buildings, walls, rocks, boulders, and nearby trees, bushes, shrubs, or forest entities.
`maximumPlacementAttemptsPerArea`	24	Random candidates checked per analysed area; at least one is required.
`showTankMarkers` `usePreciseTankMarkerPositions`	true / false	Enables markers and determines whether their position is exact.
`maximumTankMarkerOffset` `markerZoomThreshold`	250 m / 1.5	Maximum displacement for imprecise markers and the minimum map zoom (PPU) at which markers display. Zero zoom threshold disables zoom filtering.
`generationDelaySeconds`	10	Delay between server-world initialization and terrain analysis. Negative values become zero.
`preferredUSFactionKeys` `preferredAFRFFactionKeys`	RHS_USAF, US RHS_AFRF, USSR	Ordered faction-key fallback lists. The first available key in each list is used for affiliation and default crew generation.

Local defense

localDefenseEnabled defaults to true. The defaults are a 350 m detection radius, 500 m engagement radius, 250 m response-move radius, and 400 m maximum roaming distance. The effective defend radius is limited by the smallest applicable movement and engagement values, keeping tanks close to their home position.

Fuel support

STWTanksFuelSupportConfig.json defaults to enabled checks every 20 minutes. Empty, undestroyed tanks spawned or restored by this mod are refueled when at or below 0.35 fuel, to a randomized value from 0.45 to 0.80. It never discovers or changes Game Master-placed tanks.

Persistence

Persistence is enabled by default. Surviving generated tanks are saved at the configured interval (15 minutes by default) and restored for the same scenario and map. Save files live in $profile:STW/Persistence/ with the form STW_Tanks_<Scenario>_<Map>.json; scenario and map identifiers are sanitized for safe filenames.

To reset one population safely, stop the server, back up and then move or delete only that matching persistence file, then start the server. With no save for that scenario/map, the mod creates a fresh tank set.

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More STW manuals: STW Online Manuals