Ant Nest Navigation System

For ants to successfully navigate through the nest, I have developed a system that consists of Tunnel Actors, Chamber Actors and a Tunnel Manager. Each tunnel has an entrance and an exit, and to define these positions, I use Trigger Spheres. This means that each tunnel consists of two Trigger Spheres—one marking the entrance and one marking the exit. Additionally, each tunnel holds a numeric reference to indicate which chambers it connects. This allows it to dynamically link tunnels and chambers to form a structured underground navigation system.

Underground nest with all its actor components to support navigation.

Colony-Specific Nest System

All components, including tunnels and chambers, have a Colony ID. This ensures that when the game spawns multiple colonies, each colony uses its own distinct ID. To manage this, each colony has its own Tunnel Manager, responsible for directing ants through their respective tunnels and chambers.

Path finding and Route Planning

When an ant needs to move from the outside to a specific chamber—such as the larvae nursing chamber—the Tunnel Manager determines the required route. Since a route consists of multiple entrances and chambers, the Tunnel Manager finds the best sequence of tunnels and chambers for the ant to reach its destination.

Future Enhancements

In the future, i plan to introduce additional mechanics such as:

• Congestion Rate – Tunnels will track how many ants are using them, helping the AI avoid overcrowded paths.
• Danger Level – Some tunnels may be more hazardous due to enemies or flooding requiring strategic decision-making.
• Travel Time – Certain tunnels may be shorter but riskier, while others are longer but safer.

This will allow the AI to make more intelligent routing decisions, balancing speed, safety, and efficiency.

Next Steps

For now, i am working on the basic version, ensuring that ants can successfully travel from Point A to Point B. While the concept sounds simple, i still need to programmatically connect everything so that a proper route can be generated and visually represented in the game.

I am excited to see the ants finally move through the tunnel system smoothly and connect the surface navigation mesh with it!

Stay tuned for more updates as I refine the system, making navigation a key component of the AI’s strategic decision-making using reinforcement learning.