Guard Mode

Guard Mode is the main automated system for AI's to find targets, and control weapons. It can be configured and enabled/disabled via the Weapon Manager.

When Guard Mode is enabled, the weapon manager's computer assumes full control of weapons and turrets. It will pick a weapon based on the type of target and its range from the guard. Even if you select a weapon yourself, the guard will override your command.

## Configurable Parameters

There are a few configurable parameters, which define how the guard will behave.

### Firing Interval

Once a guard has acquired and engaged a target, it will fire on that target as soon as it has an opportunity. The firing interval value is the minimum amount of time in seconds it will wait before firing again. When engaging a target with guns, it will fire a burst for half of the cycle, and wait for the other half. For example, with a firing interval of 4, a guard will fire for 2 seconds, and wait for 2 seconds.

### Firing Burst Length

New since BDA 0.3.0: instead of firing guns for half the "firing interval" cycle and waiting for the other half, the burst length in seconds can be fine-tuned here. Default 0 = half/half behaviour as described above.

### Field of View

In order to find a target, the guard will scan a certain field of view in front of it. By default, this is a full 360 degree scan. When it finds a craft with a weapon manager on the opposing team, it will report this craft to its team's target database, and all other guards on the same team will be aware of that enemy.

### Visual Range

This is the maximum distance in meters the guard will be able to detect a target when scanning for targets "visually" (without sensors like radar).

### Guns Range

This value helps the guard decide whether to use guns or missiles. If the guard's target is closer than this range (in meters), the guard will give priority to guns; beyond this range, it will give priority to missiles.

**[Since BDAc 0.3.0]**

Which weapon is chosen, and if no weapon can be chosen at all, depends solely on the "engagement settings" on each individual weapon (to be set in the editor (VAB/SPH). There per weapon (missile, gun, turret) the user can chose at what minimum and maximum range the weapon may be used against which type of target (air, surface, missiles, ship/sub launched weapons), hence defining a clear "engagement envelope" for weapon usage.

### Missile per Target

(Missiles/Tgt) This value lets you define the maximum amount of missiles a guard will have deployed at a given time. Once it has fired this amount of missiles, it will wait until the previously fired missiles have missed or were destroyed before firing any more, even if it is ready to fire again. This is a good way to save missiles - you don't want a guard to fire all of its missiles on one target if one or two missiles would have been enough.

### ~~Target Type~~  [Deprecated as of BDAc 0.3.0 - use engagement envelope settings per weapon]

~~Target type can be toggled between "All Targets" or "Missiles". Setting it to missiles will make the guard behave as a missile defense system - only shooting at enemy missiles, but ignoring enemy vehicles.~~

## Other Information

### Radar

If a guard is equipped with radar, any enemy contacts detected by the radar will also be reported to the team's target database, even if it is further away than the guard's visual range.