AI controlled units?

[GreatPalm]

Since there are bugs that spawn and can go attack, is there anything like that for player? Like if i just build robots and they go fight autonomously?

[Shurenai]

No. Only defense is automated. Closest you get is artillery which can effectively delete biter nests from very far away (the newly un-homed biters then come attack your base.)

[Fel]

Well, we do have the spidertron, but it's not driven by an AI.

There are mods that go in that direction like AAI vehicles (not sure if it's updated for 2.0) but the main issue is that such things come at a large performance cost due to pathfinding.

[[Linux] Sissy Kandi]

@Fel beat me to it lolz...
AAI
(Let me check my mods)

Edit

Just AAI Containers & Warehouses are updated.

[[Linux] Sissy Kandi]

Also as a side note, its all circuit heavy too.

[[Linux] Sissy Kandi]

I stand corrected... AAI Signal Transmission & AAI Industry are also up to date.

[Strategic Sage]

Just to add to the other comments, one of the reasons for this Factorio isn't designed as an RTS. Things like that would slow the game down dramatically; it's one of the reasons why enemies are relatively simplistic.

By default, combat is not the main focus of the game, it's more of a driver to get the player to go do things instead of just sitting there. Of course you can change settings and such and play it in a combat-heavy way, just like some people prefer removing enemies entirely, but basically resources that go into fighting are resources that don't go into the main thing.

The main thing is expanding the factory to meet the expanding needs of the factory. The Factory Must Grow. All other priorities are secondary.

[[Linux] Sissy Kandi]

oh lolz the AAI Vehicles follow bitter pathfinder, so its a bit... iffy... if there are things in the way, so it dumps UPS...

Edit:
[There is an option to turn down ticks... but it makes more jank with pathing so you can squeeze in more UPS.]

Also... off topic...

Wasn't there a mod back in .15 or .17 that let you build spawners?
Can't remember if you could control them tho...