# Bots — Casual Mode Fill

## Rules

- Each casual match fields both races (order presented is randomized)
- Bots fill empty slots until the match reaches **7v7** (14 total)
- Once 7v7 is reached, **no more bots are added** — additional human players replace bots as they join
- Bots are removed when real players join their team slot

## Why 7v7 Minimum

- Ensures the match feels active even at low population
- Avoids the ghost-town feeling of a 25v25 map with 3 players
- Bots are not added beyond 7v7 so human players always dominate strategy

## Implementation Notes

- **`bots/bot_manager.gd`** (server-authoritative autoload) owns bot lifecycle. All
  spawn/despawn decisions funnel through one function, `_reconcile_race(race_id)`,
  triggered by `PlayerRegistry`'s existing `loadout_updated`/`player_removed`
  signals (join/leave) and `World.decide_offered_races()` (match start) — no
  polling. This is the one place to change for future tweaks (fill curve, per-map
  team size, etc.)
- Bots get **negative peer_ids** (`-1, -2, ...`), assigned by `BotManager`. This
  lets them reuse every existing networked-ship system for free — spawning
  (`MultiplayerSpawner`), loadout replication/backfill (`PlayerRegistry`),
  position/health/visibility sync, bullet damage attribution — none of which
  cares whether a `peer_id` came from ENet or from `BotManager`
- Bots always fly **the race's fighter/Interceptor** (`race.ships[0]` in
  `team_select.gd`'s `RACES` data)
- AI (`bots/bot_ai.gd`, `class_name BotAI`): thrust toward nearest living enemy,
  turn to face it, shoot when roughly aimed and in range — simplified
  seek-and-shoot, intentionally easy (casual bots are filler, not a challenge).
  Fully isolated from `ship_movement.gd`'s networking code so future
  difficulty/behavior tuning only ever touches this one file
- Bot names: `bots/bot_names.gd`, a flat pool of procedural callsigns
- Tunables live in `GameConfig` (`bot_min_team_size`, `bot_engage_range`,
  `bot_stop_distance`, `bot_aim_tolerance_deg`)