Insurgency: Sandstorm Bot Settings: Co-op, Versus and Mode Tuning

Co-op vs versus: where bots apply

Co-op modes pit players against AI: Checkpoint (and its Hardcore variant), Outpost and Survival. Versus modes (Push, Firefight, Frontline, Domination and others) are player-against-player. Mode lists change with updates, so confirm what your build offers with the scenarios RCON command.

Player caps differ by type. The developers' guide says that on co-op servers MaxPlayers counts only human players, so the number of bots does not eat into your slots. The default map cycle, if you provide no MapCycle.txt, is all Versus scenarios, so a co-op server needs a cycle or start scenario that selects co-op scenarios.

Co-op settings in Game.ini

[/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode]
AIDifficulty=0.5
MinimumEnemies=6
MaximumEnemies=12
FriendlyBotQuota=4
bUseVehicleInsertion=True

The guide gives no further explanation of how the minimum and maximum interact with player count, so adjust in small steps and watch a round before committing. Raising AIDifficulty toward 1 makes the AI harder, and raising the enemy counts puts more enemies on the map.

Bots in versus modes

Under [/Script/Insurgency.INSMultiplayerMode], bBots ("enable bots") defaults to False, and a bot quota setting fills teams. The developers' guide spells the quota key inconsistently ("BotQuota" in the description, "BotQuots" in the table), so we are not going to tell you which spelling is correct. Check the guide and test it before relying on it.

[/Script/Insurgency.INSMultiplayerMode]
bBots=True

One mutator interacts with bots: Hot Potato has a bBotsOnly option (default false) and a matching HotPotato_bBotsOnly travel parameter that limits grenade drops to bots.

Checkpoint: pacing and counterattacks

Checkpoint is the main co-op mode: players capture objectives in order and survive timed counterattacks after some of them. The settings below are under [/Script/Insurgency.INSCheckpointGameMode].

For Hardcore Checkpoint, use Mode="CheckpointHardcore" in your map cycle entry.

Survival and Outpost

Survival has random objectives, limited supplies and a final extraction. Documented defaults under [/Script/Insurgency.INSSurvivalGameMode]:

Outpost has its own game mode section, INSOutpostGameMode, but the sources we reviewed do not list its settings, so use the RCON commands below to see what your build exposes.

Versus mode sections

Each versus mode has a section with its own timers. The developers' guide lists the keys and defaults for INSPushGameMode (for example AttackerWavesPerObjective 5, AttackerWaveTimer 20, DefenderWaveTimer 35), INSFrontlineGameMode (StartingWaves 15), INSSkirmishGameMode (DefaultReinforcementWaves 5) and others, plus INSFirefightGameMode and INSTeamDeathmatchGameMode sections. Common match flow settings, such as WinTime, PostRoundTime, PreRoundLimit and OverTime, live under INSMultiplayerMode.

Map cycle and performance tips for co-op

A map cycle entry can set its own player cap, so you can keep a small cap for co-op and a larger one for versus on the same server: (Scenario="Scenario_Crossing_Checkpoint_Security",MaxPlayers=8). Day and night entries are separate lines for the same scenario.

Co-op with many AI players is heavier on the server than versus. One host guide recommends a high-clock CPU for hit registration and AI in co-op. Raising NetServerMaxTickRate in Engine.ini (the XGamingServer example sets 128 under [/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver]) increases CPU use, so only try it if you have the headroom.

Test values live with RCON

Enable RCON (the [Rcon] section in Game.ini or the -Rcon flags), connect with a client such as mcrcon, and use these commands from the developers' guide:

listgamemodeproperties AIDifficulty
gamemodeproperty AIDifficulty 0.7
restartround 0
scenarios Crossing

Changes made this way are for testing. Copy values you like into Game.ini, since RCON changes are not described as persistent. Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Insurgency Sandstorm server hosting page lists what is included, such as a built-in mod installer, free server backups and SFTP file access.

Frequently asked questions