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In this article I will describe my experiences as I move through the learning curve of waypointing for Marine Bot.

First and foremost this is not a manual, it is something to read that outlines a framework on how to prepare yourself to make a first set of waypoints.

The official instruction manual for Marine Bot is huge. That is needed but overwhelming.

Below I hope to add items I got stuck on and give you some tools adapted for day of defeat 1.3 as Frank McNeil who maintains the bot's code primarily plays Firearms is focused on that mod. However, he does a really good job and only a few places you may see differences between the two mods, his instructions do mention dod often. 

You may see this article change a lot...I am still learning and will add things as I go. So... come along with me as I fumble through this and learn from my dumbfuckery.

INDEX

Section 1.

Very basic info to start off.

I crashed and burned on my first try... we have all been there. Problem for me was as a person who waypoints for many bot programs I thought it would be easy enough, mostly a clone of what I know already.

Well, that was a mistake.

This bot can be simple or complex, if you have a need to just make a stack of simple waypoints for a Gun Game and have the bots get running around the map then it is easy, just watch the video Autowaypointing in Marine Bot made by Frank McNeil and you will very quickly have your bots running around the map. It's only 12 minutes long and you should watch that first.

That video is for the Firearms mod but it will also work fine for dod just using the basic commands.It's some thing to remember about this bot, it was for the HL1 Firearms Mod but... it's now also built for day of defeat 1.3.

But do read on a little more as this bot does have a substantial learning curve to do this at a "top" level. If you are wanting quality waypoints... this bot delivers where others fail. 

How does this bot "think" ?

This is a must for waypointers! Frank made a video, put simply it shows a bot navigating through a set of basic waypoint and path "sets". The bot makes choices based on how it is coded...so this is like looking into the brain of a human and how our processing works...at a very basic level. This will help you understand why the waypoints and the paths are laid out like they are... it helps the got "see" his environment to get from A to B.

This may help explain the special "cross waypoint" that paths start (most times) and stop, it serves as a junction where the bot looks at the option and selects one of the options based on all sorts of information it gets from scanning the paths, that is how you configured the waypoints and paths.

As Frank said in a news article 23rd Dec 2025...

"...why the bot doesn't choose ... or better to say cannot choose ... some paths you have added to the junctions."

Some useful files.

You may notice first up Frank is using his command menu, that is your first task, where do I get the install files and that menu he is using?

The files on the official site are here, the dod version is in the section (scroll down) "Marine Bot ports for different Half-Life 1 mods" "Day of Defeat 1.3". The waypoints are in the same section at the bottom.

The menu he uses is in the Firearms section.

To make it easier I have a mirror downloads section for Marine Bot here. In that section you will find it is split up with install files and another for waypoints.

1. Download the latest version. It will have the dod default standard maps waypoints included.
2. Download the special keypad binds menu I have built off the one you see in Franks guides (video and text) as it has been adapted to dod, like the Firearms blue and red "team names" are adjusted to "Allies (blue)" and "Axis (red)". There is a image of what and where the binds are, a config file to make them work.

That is all you need and both have a readme on install and basic usage.

The Marine Bot waypoint files.

Next is the actual files you will produce, on saving Marine Bot will make two files for a waypointing set, one for waypoints (.wpt) and another for paths (.pth).

They are stored in a choice of two folders, Half-Life\dod\marinebot\defaultwpts for the official dod maps and another for custom maps, Half-Life\dod\marinebot\customwpts

It really does not matter what folder you use and you can move them, even change them on saving via a menu selection, it is neater if custom maps are separated, it's something to remember that on a save waypoints will go into the defaultwpts folder if you don't change that.

Video guides and the web page manual...use both.

So we have the bot installed and now have access to the similar tools and binds Frank is using. I strongly urge you to watch the video and upon not getting what he is talking about, stop, read the web page via word searching the command of item that is being described.

I watched that video, Marine Bot Waypointing Video Guide over 2 hours long, read a bit, Marine Bot Waypointing Manual tried a similar layout, made mistakes and... did that again and again.

Eventually it sunk in. You will have a similar experience, just be ready to fail on first attempts, learn and move on.

The bot is complex and totally worth your time to master it as when you do it is by far faster to make waypoints, a better experience, end product is superior than Sturmbot or Shrikebot can give you. 

Note the binds he uses in the first 6 minutes of the video: Just be aware that he shows some binds in the video (Marine Bot Waypointing Video Guide ) to control waypoint "range" (a radius the bots use around waypoints), he changed the Keypad key binds 1,2,3 and 7,8,9 that were selecting waypoint range sizes to other more useful binds, the way to adjust the range is now via two other keys (+ and - for up or down) ... near the backspace key.

There are more commands he uses like "Mr Freeze" to stop the bots moving. Apart from the menu, there is a bind to another type, press the "END" key if you installed my binds. It brings up quite a few easy to use commands there as well.

As Frank says a few times in his video, you really should use his web page as the number one place to learn waypointing. Bookmark it, you will need it... Marine Bot Waypointing Manual

The web manual is quite a read, don't try and read all of it right away you will not absorb it all, start simple like the fore-mentioned auto waypointing method and move up to more complex tasks.

Now comes the part I got stuck on very early on. Waypoints and Paths. They are different in this bot, hard but very cool!

Waypoints.

You should now read this waypointing guide. The section labeled "The Waypoints".

But... most will watch the video first so lets stick with that moving between the two information sources.

The waypoints are very similar in other bot programs, but you will notice in the video Marine Bot Waypointing Video Guide Frank is laying down waypoints and no paths like his auto waypointing video.

You should also think that way, plan your layout with that mindset like how the bot will move effecintly around the space.

Lay down your waypoints out of spawn, adjust the "range" like he is doing so the bots use that to avoid hitting items in tight spots (that smaller radius also reduces speed and the bots has more "precise" movements around it) and also can move around the waypoint with added flexibility if the "range" is a larger radius. See the "Waypoint range" section on that.

The waypoints can also be "tagged" with special types, no different to other bots, a capture flag, crouch, crouch jump, and others. See the "Waypoint type (or tag or flag)" section for those types.

There is a waypoint type that you should be careful of. It actually looks confusing at first.

In that video Frank puts down a strange short blue waypoint.

That blue waypoint is a "cross" waypoint just another waypoint "type" and something (I still get wrong) is when you have a "crossroad", that is a junction point where the bot may have a choice of directions to choose and go to.

The "Cross" waypoint is not connectable to paths, sure you can see a horizontal line if you use key pad 5 "check cross" command but that isn't a path... as he explains... "Cross waypoint cannot be added to any path."

Something Frank told me early on was not to use that everywhere, the bots actually lose some communication along the paths as go through them. Do read his explanation of that "Cross" waypoint type in the "Waypoint type (or tag or flag)" section, as he says there... "When the bots reach 'cross' waypoint they will then choose between the next waypoints to move to." 

That is simple enough. So it is a junction, and on reaching that a path actually...ends. The bot then will decide what new path to take next but how can we get that bot to make a "informed decision" on what the best path is?

You may have noticed in the "Waypoint type (or tag or flag)" section, Frank has mentioned "priority "x" setting" in these waypoint types. That is a cool function you can apply to a waypoint to influence the bot's direction... give the bot a hint of what priority is best as they reach the end of one path and choose another on the other end of the "Cross" waypoint junction.

Read the "Waypoint priority" section on the setting from "0" no priority and the scale from 1-5 with "5" being the default when a waypoint is placed.

It is a lot to take in, but think of the Cross waypoint not as a waypoint, think of it as a place where paths start and end.

That is the next thing you notice in Frank's video, the paths are something else in this bot.

They behave like the waypoints in other bots where the bots just don't follow them, you can "tag" paths with all sorts of options too.

The waypoint time is also a item to read in the manual, read the "Waypoint time" section.

Knowing that I think you can look at the main sections of the command menu and see why Frank has 4 main categories.

1. Bot Menu - to control bots on the server.
2. Waypoint Menu - to alter Waypoints
3. Path menu - to alter Paths
4. Service Menu - Other items like diagnostics, saving the file.

The take-way so far is...

1. Yes its complex to get your head around,

2. Waypoints are the first layer you put down, Paths come after that.

3. Understanding the huge amount of options you have makes this complex at first but... it will benefit you later. 

4. Do simple waypoint/path sets first on simple Orange maps and build your way up to more complex maps.

 Next is paths.Oh don't worry if you thought waypoints were different, wait until you use the paths.

Paths.

Marine Bot handles paths very differently from other bot programs.

Typically in other bots you lay down waypoints and paths at the same time and a path is just a connection from one waypoint to another with the waypoint having the instructions within it.

Marine Bot handles waypoints and paths differently, so different that a "waypoint file" is actually two files, one for waypoints (.wpt) and another for paths (.pth)

This is the way you need to think as you design your waypoints. Lay down waypoints first, then do the paths.

About 19 minutes into the video, Frank starts laying down the paths. 

Note he is adding all sorts of options to the paths that are not explained at first like a "Avoid Enemy" option, two way path.

Like the waypoints there are "tags" you add to paths. Frank has them explained in his web page "Paths" section. You should read that and just look at the different types like you did for the waypoints.

To quote Frank from his web page...

"Using the term path type when speaking about Marine Bot paths isn't quite correct because there really is nothing like a one type of a path.

Every single path is defined by at least three factors.

The first factor is the way the bots will follow this path (refered as a direction).

Then there is a team restriction that works as a second factor.

Weapon restriction is the third factor.

The forth factor is optional."

That is the most important lessons, paths end up very important and are way above the adjustments that others in Sturmbot and Shrikebot offer you.

Watching the rest of the video Frank shows how to combine the waypoints and paths to make a complete set.

It will take a lot of experimenting, reading the guide and watching the videos.

The best map in dod to start from are the Orange maps. I have already done some and you can get them in the downloads section.

dod_orange, may be your best to look at first. Use those to look at where I got to in getting bots out of spawn and basic layout.

The diagnostic tools. A must to learn.

The bot has some useful checks included.

• To check waypoint info, stand on a waypoint and press the Key Pad back Slash key "wpt info more" command to get all the info on your screen.
• To check a path info' stand on a waypoint (that has paths) and press the Key Pad Multiply key "pathwpt info" command to get all the info on your screen.
• To check all waypoints on the map for problems press the Key Pad END key "wpt checkproblems" command,  and the console will open with a lot of information on the bugs and how to find that issue.
• To check all paths on the map for problems press the Key Pad Downarrow key "pathwpt checkproblems" command and the console will open with a lot of information on the bugs and how to find that issue.

If you have many paths on the waypoint you are standing on... press the Key Pad PgDn key "pathwpt printall nearby" command and it will list all of them. Now editing/deleting a specific one is one of those struggles I had listed here.

There is a lot more yet to the Marine Bot waypointing.

Below I have some items I will add where I got stuck and had to do further research.

Like I said, you will crash and burn making your first waypoints but get over that and you get more comfortable as you solve each issue.

The below is work in progress Dec 2025... more will be added when I have time.

Section 2.

Waypoint Issues

Some items that I got stuck on. Finding the answer in the official manual is sometimes hard, maybe the quick references below can help.

How do get bots to aim and destroy items?

That is via using a "shoot" waypoint and a "aim" waypoint, however the story is far more complex that you first think. Frank has a video devoted to this when I had my first try at it. He actually adjusted the bot code for this in an update. It works really well.

Just a side note, on the map dod_assault (a CS port map) I found it didn't work when the Axis bot goes through the ventilation duct that leads to the Allied first flag, the last part of the duct has a ceiling grill they need to shoot so they can drop down. Nothing was working.

So I got the allied bots below to shoot at the grill using the same techniques in Franks video guide. That worked fine and also... the allied bots not check that vent often, see that it is already broken and don't shoot.

However if a Axis bot is up there... they certainly do shoot at them.

The lesson I learned on that....

Now the issue could be (as Frank said) that the Axis bot in that particular map may have been "out of the world" in that cramped space, I quite agree knowing something of level design myself.

Just remember that there are other places like that on dod maps and if you see navigation issues... that could be that a cramped space is too "busy" loaded with special waypoints or... the level (maps) geometry while us humans can navigate it, may not be suited for a bot that may require a bit more room. 

Bots can't "see" like we can, looking at the Axis bot trying to work out that path, it was completely stumped as if it couldn't see that vent, it was not getting the info' it needed from the map.

So, placing a "shoot" waypoint and positioning a "aim" waypoint (with a priority 1 tag) to point at the object gives you a direction OK (that is left to right), but you need to adjust the height too.

Frank uses a command "checkshoot" and a line (likely pink if not on the breakable object) will appear from the shoot waypoint and show what to aim at (in height).

Adjust that via grabbing the aim waypoint number, (lets say it is 12) then use the move command like this... "wpt move 12 up 10" and repeat that command until the pink line finds the breakable object...when it does it turns green.

You can also use down, right and left in that command, vary the units you need to move the aiming line.

Very cool code there!

Section 3.

Path issues

I had many questions on paths starting to waypoint this bot. below are the issues I had to research.

Just reading them may help you when you come across the same issue.

I need to alter a path as it has a issue, how do I view it?

This issue comes up when you made a mistake, checked it using the "pathwpt checkproblems" command  (Key Pad Downarrow key ) and you may have many paths, just make sure you read the tips as that has your answer.

To view a path when you know the path index (number)... use the command "pathwpt highlight <path number>" to locate the problem path. All the other paths (and unrelated waypoints) turn off and you can see that path only. You may have to walk around to locate it.

To turn that special view off, just use "pathwpt highlight" command without a number and the others paths will show again.

Deleting paths when there are many

As you learn more about paths you find out that you can add many of them connecting through waypoints that do different tasks.

That also adds a complexity, say you added a path and you find you don't want it anymore or it came up as a problem in a check like when using "pathwpt info" command (pressing the key pad multiply bind). But you have since added lots of other paths you want to keep.

Now if you know the path index (number) you can just simply use this....

pathwpt delete <path number> Deletes whole path. You must be standing near a waypoint that is a part of the path. You can also use path index as an argument for this command. The system will then delete path matching this number. This is useful in case where there is more than one path on your waypoint.

However, if you want to view that path before you delete and there are so many do this... press the Key Pad PgDn key "pathwpt printall nearby" command and it will list them all.

To view the path the command pathwpt highlight <path number> is used here is a typical read out you get from the console should a path have errors...

 
BUG: Path no. 2 starts in a void ie. there's no cross waypoint or any other way to follow there!
BUG: Path no. 2 ends in a void ie. there's no cross waypoint, no goback waypoint or any other way to follow there!

total of 2 bugs/possible problems have been found
***TIP: use 'pathwpt highlight' or 'pathwpt compass' or 'wpt compass' to locate the problem paths or waypoints***
***TIP: use 'wpt checkproblems' to check for waypoints related problems***

...as you can see not only does the check give you lots of info' but also some commands on how to find the problem item.

My bots don't take the flags when they should.

This can be a few things. 

The last flag is something I often stuffed up, on the last flag (the first flag of the opposing side) if that "Flag" waypoint is in a junction, check your bots have another pathway at the junction to somewhere else, you may have one way team (the other team) paths only, common around a flag outside spawns. Make sure after hitting that last flag, the bot can proceed to another path, say a special one going back to the previous flag.

Next is no matter how you set up a route, adjusting waypoint priorities, the bots never seem to make the right choice to run from flag to flag. They deviate off and seem to not get it.  If you see that, consider putting in some extra waypoints (in between the junctions) and creating a one way path, with the team only tag from one flag to the next.

In short... just add another "one way only" path to choose just for that team and just for capping flags. The bots once on that special path will have less choices until the get to the end of that path. It is sort of like a simplified direction to a kid, instead of 3 choices to get get from A to B you show one path only and say... go and don't come back.

Section 4.

Other issues / workarounds

In this section I will list issues that may be caused with the bot code itself, they maybe solvable if Frank updates the issue or sometimes a map... or dod itself is misbehaving and you need to do a workaround that isn't standard.

Bots try and shoot through solid objects.

This is a bug in the Marine Bot code and... I see this in other bots too.

The bot can "see" other bots behind solid objects, they try and shoot through something like a Tank model.

Frank identified this recently (Dec 2025) ...

FIXED bot being able to see through solid models such as trees, trucks or tanks (bot has to be able to see and attack enemy through some transparent objects such as fence, window or glass in general but various game models that are added to the map when the engine builds the world at map load do use same function and properties which allowed bots to attack enemy that was hidden behind say a tank, bots simply were able to see through all these models, now there is kind of exception to remove the models from those transparent objects so the bots will no longer see and attack enemy hidden behind these models)

So in a development update (Marine Bot 0.97.2b[DOD] ) Frank shared a new .dll and will update that soon after more testing.

If you see the bots doing that in game... yes its a bug, update coming.

More soon