BetterBots

BetterBots — Smarter bots for Darktide Solo Play

Vanilla Solo Play bots leave most of their tools unused. The game already gives them a way to fire abilities and use player-like inputs, but only a small part of that system is active by default.

BetterBots opens that system back up and adds the missing decision logic around it. The aim is simple: bots should use the abilities, grenades, blitzes, weapons, and pickups they already have in ways that make Solo Play less frustrating.

Solo Play only. Darktide uses dedicated servers for public and matched games. Gameplay mods only affect locally hosted missions through Solo Play. BetterBots does not command bots in public matchmaking, public Havoc, or private duo lobbies with server-side bots.

The short version

• []Bots use combat abilities instead of holding them all mission.[/]

  []Bots throw grenades and blitzes, including Psyker powers, Zealot knives, Arbites tools, and Ogryn rocks.[/]

  []Bots revive more intelligently, free netted allies, prioritize disablers when someone is pinned or grabbed, and use defensive tools before committing to danger.[/]

  []Bots ping elites and specials, push poxbursters, avoid sleeping daemonhosts, and stop chasing distant specials quite so eagerly.[/]

  []Bots carry books, respond to tagged pickups and limited command-wheel calls, and leave scarce ammo and healing for humans first.[/]

  []Bot profiles give you a class-diverse squad instead of the default all-veteran lineup.[/]

  []Almost everything new can be toggled or tuned in the mod settings.[/]

  What changes in-game

  Abilities and blitzes

  Bots can use the full combat-ability set for Veteran, Zealot, Psyker, Ogryn, Arbites, and Hive Scum. The same goes for the grenade/blitz slot: frags, kraks, smoke, fire, shock grenades, Ogryn rocks and clusters, Zealot knives, Psyker Assail/Smite/Chain Lightning, Arbites whistle/mine, and the Hive Scum tools.

  The important bit is that they do not just fire everything on cooldown. Abilities have per-class rules: shouts get used under pressure, charges are aimed toward useful targets or rescues, shields and relics are treated as defensive tools, and team cooldowns are staggered so three bots do not spend overlapping abilities at the same moment.

  Combat behavior

  BetterBots also patches several smaller behaviors that matter in actual missions:

  []melee attacks are biased toward light/heavy/special choices that fit the target[/]

  []many weapon specials are used deliberately, including power weapons, chain weapons, thunder hammers, force swords, Ogryn shovels/clubs/pickaxes, rippergun bayonets, and supported shotgun special shells[/]

  [*]staff charged attacks,