Problematic bots

[Skyfish]

How do I set up a bot game to learn to play? I was going to just start a bot game, evolve into a fade to learn how it works when it comes to aiming and range, but I never even managed to get any fade. The first time the commanding bot left the command, and I had to protect the whole map as a gorge to prevent the marines from disrupting my attempts at figuring out how to make a fade. I mysteriously won the game before I could figure out how, not that any skulk did anything. On subsequent tries I couldn't get a space on the alien team to even begin. Why do the bots go to the wrong team? I set it up to be 4 marines vs 8 aliens so it is uneven.
Are bot matches hosted on peoples servers? I set a password so no one could join. I got a message saying "this server is vac secured" are mods making the teams even? I just want to learn the basics of what structures do what and how a fade plays.

[WarpFactoid]

Hi BlueSkyfish,

Bots will just do their own preprogrammed tasks (scout, attack, build, etc). I find it easier if instead you went to Sandbox Mode (last one in Training) to try everything out without any player/bot disrupting your progress.

As for your Bot match... since the match won't start without equal amount of players on each team (or close to anyway), your 4 Marines vs 8 Aliens setting won't change a thing. Here are some useful console commands to take control of a bot match:

` <- opens console (key is below ESC), then type commands:

cheats 1 <- toggles cheats mode, type "cheats 0" to disable.
addbot 1 <- adds 1 bot to the ready room, it will choose its own team
addbot 1 1 <- add 1 bot to Marines, type "addbot 1 2" to add 1 bot to aliens
addbot 1 1 com <- adds a commander bot to Marines, type "addbot 1 2 com" for alien commander bot

removebots 1 <- removes 1 bot from any team
removebots 1 1 <-removes 1 bot from Marines, change the second 1 to 2 for Aliens.
removebots all <-removes all bots in your server

[Skyfish]

Thanks for your help, I used these commands to be able to get on the alien team and have it slightly unbalanced. It was working ok all until I managed to become a fade, at that point, the marines all dissapeared mysteriously. The bots were still in the game, but their entire base and spawn points vanished. I tried going on their side to see what happened, they had no command centres. I wonder why the game didn't end, I'm pretty sure my skulks didn't go eat them all, they didn't even manage to leave the base most the time.

[WarpFactoid]

Your Skulks did probably eat their base. In cheats mode, teams can be unbalanced and the game will not end no matter what, so even if the Marines were stuck in respawn queue, the game is still on :)

Other handy commands in cheats mode:

skulk - turns you into a Skulk instantly (no cost required)
gorge - see above
lerk - see above
fade - see above
onos - see above

spawn [put name of structure here] - spawns a structure you indicated, like "spawn armory" or "spawn commandstation"
autobuild - everything builds itself to 100%, type again to disable

[Skyfish]

ohh that is handy, I will try it and become a fade right away.