OpenFront.io Bots Guide

Overview

In OpenFront.io, bots are non-player countries used to fill the map, slowing player expansion and creating dynamic encounters. Every public game spawns 400 bots by default, each with unique two-word names and no custom flags. Bots never build cities or ships—they only expand by sending small, steady attacks into neighboring tiles.

Bot Behavior

1. Static Spawn
   • Bots appear at random locations, evenly spaced, before the game begins.
   • They never relocate once placed.
2. Expansion
   • Bots send minimal-sized attacks (often 1 – 5% of their population) at adjacent neutral tiles.
   • They never construct buildings or transport units; any city or port they possess was conquered from another country.
3. Aggression Level
   • Predictable and low: players rarely need to fear a sudden large-scale bot offensive—unless they “full-send” into a bot and allow it to rebuild behind them.

Game Modes & Bot Settings

• Public Multiplayer
  • 400 bots fixed; players compete for land and gold against both human opponents and bots.
• Single Player
  • Default bot count is 400; adjustable via slider in the lobby.
  • Reducing bots speeds up expansion; setting to zero removes bots entirely, leaving only nations and human players.

Bot Difficulty Variants

• Normal Bots
  • Standard behavior as above.
• Impossible Bots
  • Enhanced starting populations (e.g., 100 K troops) and faster expansion rates.
  • Treat as human-level opponents: prioritize early city building and tactical encirclement to contain them.

Counter-Bot Strategies

Strategy	Early Game (Tiles < 50)	Mid/Late Game (Tiles > 50)
Attack Ratio	50% of max troops	20% of max troops
Worker Percentage	~50% to balance growth & offense	Increase only if secure front
Encirclement	Surround isolated bots to prevent reinforcement	Link encircled bots with cities/ports to starve their gold income
Port Priority	Build 1st port after second city	Maintain ports on bot-heavy coasts
City Placement	Build on neutral gold tiles early	Upgrade existing cities to boost population cap

1. 50% Attack Push
   • Using half your troops maximizes territory gain while preserving population growth, crucial when bots pack lightly defended tiles.
2. 20% Follow-Up
   • After initial expansion, switch to 20% attacks to steadily grind down bot holdings without overextending.
3. Encircle & Starve
   • Quickly circle a bot’s territory, then build a city or port on the encirclement line. This cuts off its gold and reinforcements, making it trivial to mop up later.
4. Prioritize Cities
   • Early cities raise the population cap, fueling future attacks. Aim for at least two cities before aggressive pushes into Impossible Bot zones.
5. Port Control
   • On maps with water, securing a port grants sea lanes for surprise attacks on bot-isolated islands or coasts.

Advanced Tips

• Bot Name Recognition
  • Bots use two random words (e.g., “Blue Tiger”); no custom flags—identifying them by flag absence helps target weaker foes.
• Difficulty Correlation
  • In single-player, increasing difficulty may subtly boost bot aggression or initial populations, though exact modifiers are undocumented.
• Tradeoffs
  • Removing bots entirely speeds games but eliminates early-game resistance and gold sources from bot-conquered ports.

Adhering to these tactics will render bots predictable obstacles rather than frustrating roadblocks. Mastering the 50%/20% attack rhythm, encirclement, and city-port prioritization turns every bot-filled map into an opportunity for rapid, controlled expansion.