Gate ambient fleet behind PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots (default off: alt-bot-only mode)

- ConfigReader: add PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots switch (default 0) + fleet_bots() accessor
- Module::Init/OnWorldUpdate: skip population shaper, bot guilds, craft-order
  board, BG/LFG queue auto-fill, and AutoResume/AutoSpawn when fleet disabled
- Services: FleetThread is not started in alt-bot-only mode
- conf/playerbot.conf.dist + README document the new key

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/PlayerbotV2.cpp

@@ -811,7 +811,23 @@ void Module::Init()
 
     initialized_ = true;
 
-    if (Services::Config().auto_resume_on_boot())
+    if (!Services::Config().fleet_bots())
+    {
+        // PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0 (DEFAULT) — alt-bot-only mode. The
+        // ambient fleet does not run: no auto-resume / auto-spawn of
+        // population bots at boot, and the fleet subsystems (population
+        // shaper, guilds, craft-order board, BG/LFG auto-fill) are all
+        // skipped in OnWorldUpdate. The only bots that enter the world
+        // are those a player explicitly brings up via the alt creation
+        // path (.playerbot summon / login / alt ...).
+        auto_resume_pending_ = 0;
+        auto_spawn_pending_  = 0;
+        TC_LOG_INFO("server.loading",
+            "[PlayerbotV2] PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0: ambient fleet disabled — "
+            "alt-bot creation path only (summon/login/alt). "
+            "AutoResumeOnBoot/AutoSpawnOnBoot ignored.");
+    }
+    else if (Services::Config().auto_resume_on_boot())
     {
         // B-2: clamp the boot fill to Population.TotalTarget. AutoResumeCap
         // is an independent knob (default 100), so a 10-bot target still
@@ -825,12 +841,23 @@ void Module::Init()
             "[PlayerbotV2] AutoResumeOnBoot=true; will batch-login marked bots over multiple ticks (cap {}).",
             auto_resume_pending_);
     }
-    auto_spawn_pending_ = Services::Config().auto_spawn_on_boot();
+    else
-    if (auto_spawn_pending_)
     {
-        TC_LOG_INFO("server.loading",
+        auto_resume_pending_ = 0;
-            "[PlayerbotV2] AutoSpawnOnBoot={}; will create new bots on first world tick to reach that target (hard cap 200).",
+    }
-            auto_spawn_pending_);
+    if (Services::Config().fleet_bots())
+    {
+        auto_spawn_pending_ = Services::Config().auto_spawn_on_boot();
+        if (auto_spawn_pending_)
+        {
+            TC_LOG_INFO("server.loading",
+                "[PlayerbotV2] AutoSpawnOnBoot={}; will create new bots on first world tick to reach that target (hard cap 200).",
+                auto_spawn_pending_);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        auto_spawn_pending_ = 0;
     }
     // #1B: apply the configured wedge-confirm thresholds + displacement gate.
     wedge_watchdog_.set_threshold_ms(Services::Config().wedge_watchdog_threshold_ms());
@@ -1097,7 +1124,7 @@ void Module::OnWorldUpdate(std::chrono::milliseconds diff)
     // Spreading the resume kBootSpawnPerTick at a time keeps the bnet
     // write rate well below the row-lock contention threshold.
     constexpr uint32 kBootResumePerTick = 5;
-    if (auto_resume_pending_ > 0 && boot_gate_open_)
+    if (auto_resume_pending_ > 0 && boot_gate_open_ && Services::Config().fleet_bots())
     {
         const uint32 batch = std::min(auto_resume_pending_, kBootResumePerTick);
         // LoginAll's cap is "stop when active_count >= cap". Active count
@@ -1132,7 +1159,7 @@ void Module::OnWorldUpdate(std::chrono::milliseconds diff)
     // Hard-capped at AUTO_SPAWN_HARD_CAP overall.
     constexpr uint32 AUTO_SPAWN_HARD_CAP = 200;
     constexpr uint32 kBootSpawnPerTick   = 5;
-    if (auto_spawn_pending_ && boot_gate_open_)
+    if (auto_spawn_pending_ && boot_gate_open_ && Services::Config().fleet_bots())
     {
         const uint32 currentMarked = uint32(Services::Lifecycle().size());
         const uint32 target_total = std::min(
@@ -1969,7 +1996,11 @@ void Module::OnWorldUpdate(std::chrono::milliseconds diff)
     // 1.5. Stagger-fire any deferred BG ports + LFG proposal accepts whose
     //      delay has elapsed (see OnBGInvitationReceived /
     //      OnLfgProposalReceived). MUST run before DrainIntents so the
-    //      freshly-pushed intents fire this same tick.
+    //      freshly-pushed intents fire this same tick. Fleet-only: the
+    //      BG/LFG queue machinery recruits population bots, so in
+    //      alt-bot-only mode (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0) the whole block
+    //      is skipped.
+    if (Services::Config().fleet_bots())
     {
         const uint32 t0 = getMSTime();
         FireDueBgPorts();
@@ -1998,7 +2029,11 @@ void Module::OnWorldUpdate(std::chrono::milliseconds diff)
 
     // 2.6. Population shaper tick (Phase A of WORLD_POPULATION_PLAN).
     //      Internally rate-limits to its tick interval (default 60s) so
-    //      this is cheap to call every world frame.
+    //      this is cheap to call every world frame. Fleet-only — the
+    //      shaper owns the ambient world population (JIT spawn / login /
+    //      logout / BG+arena seeding), so it is fully disabled in
+    //      alt-bot-only mode (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0).
+    if (Services::Config().fleet_bots())
     {
         const uint32 t0 = getMSTime();
         Services::Population().OnWorldTick(static_cast<uint32>(total.count()));
@@ -2008,19 +2043,23 @@ void Module::OnWorldUpdate(std::chrono::milliseconds diff)
     // 2b. Bot guild manager tick (GUILD_PLAN.md Phase A.2). Internally
     //     60s rate-limited; cheap to call every frame. Elects founders
     //     when guild slots are open + sweeps stale name reservations
-    //     + aborts founders that exceeded the 30-min FSM budget.
+    //     + aborts founders that exceeded the 30-min FSM budget. This is
-    Services::Guilds().Tick(getMSTime());
+    //     the bot-guild ecosystem — a fleet feature — so it is skipped in
+    //     alt-bot-only mode.
+    if (Services::Config().fleet_bots())
+        Services::Guilds().Tick(getMSTime());
 
     // 2c. Craft-order board tick (#4B-2). Ages out stale Claimed orders
     //     (timeout -> Fail + refund so escrow can't be trapped behind a stuck
     //     crafter) and prunes finished rows. Self-rate-limited cheaply via a
     //     local accumulator — the board only needs minute-granularity since
-    //     the claim timeout is 30 min.
+    //     the claim timeout is 30 min. Fleet bot-to-bot economy — skipped in
+    //     alt-bot-only mode.
     craft_board_total_ += diff;
     if (craft_board_total_ - last_craft_board_at_ >= kCraftBoardIntervalMs)
     {
         last_craft_board_at_ = craft_board_total_;
-        if (Services::Initialized())
+        if (Services::Initialized() && Services::Config().fleet_bots())
             Services::CraftOrders().Tick(GameTime::GetGameTimeMS());
     }
 
@@ -3779,6 +3818,11 @@ void Module::OnPartyChat(Player* sender, Group* group, std::string const& msg)
 void Module::OnPlayerJoinedBgQueue(Player* player, uint32 bg_type_id, uint8 bracket)
 {
     if (!initialized_ || !player) return;
+    // Fleet-only: BG queue filling recruits population bots. In alt-bot-only
+    // mode (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0) there is no ambient fleet to fill a
+    // queue with, so the whole fill is skipped.
+    if (!Services::Config().fleet_bots())
+        return;
     // SOLO bots ignore (they're queued by Filler intent emit, not by core
     // path — re-firing the fill for each would recurse). A bot GROUP LEADER
     // is the exception (audit B25): a premade (guild BG-night /
@@ -3864,6 +3908,12 @@ void Module::OnPlayerJoinedLfg(Player* player, uint32 dungeon_id, uint8 /*role_m
 {
     if (!initialized_ || !player) return;
     if (player->GetSession() && player->GetSession()->IsBot()) return;
+    // Fleet-only: LFG fill drafts population bots (and can JIT-spawn new ones).
+    // In alt-bot-only mode (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0) there is no ambient
+    // fleet, so bots for a player's queue must come from their own alts —
+    // skip the auto-fill entirely.
+    if (!Services::Config().fleet_bots())
+        return;
 
     Fleet::BotQueueFiller filler;
     Fleet::BotQueueFiller::FillRequest req{};

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/README.md

@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ The `playerbot_v2_altbot` table is auto-created on first `BindAlt()` call via
 
 Configuration lives in `playerbot.conf` (same directory as `worldserver.conf`).
 Key settings:
+- `PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots` — ambient-fleet master switch (default 0 = alt-bot-only mode; only the alt creation path runs)
 - `Playerbot.V2.Population.TotalTarget` — fleet bot population target
 - `Playerbot.V2.Population.Shape` — distribution shape (Pyramid, Bell, Flat, MaxHeavy)
 - `Playerbot.V2.MaxAltsAsBots` — per-account altbot cap

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/Services.cpp

@@ -662,7 +662,12 @@ void Init()
     h->craft_orders->LoadFromDb();
 
     h->ai_pool->start();
-    h->fleet->start();
+    // FleetThread is the fleet-layer admin worker. In alt-bot-only mode
+    // (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots=0) the ambient fleet is disabled, so the
+    // thread is never started — nothing posts to it and the worker just
+    // sits idle waiting on its CV.
+    if (h->config->fleet_bots())
+        h->fleet->start();
 
     g_holder = h;
 }

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/Util/ConfigReader.cpp

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ void ConfigReader::apply_from_loaded_config()
 
     ai_worker_threads_     = c.GetIntDefault ("Playerbot.AiWorkerThreads",       0);
     fleet_thread_enabled_  = c.GetBoolDefault("Playerbot.FleetThreadEnabled",    true);
+    fleet_bots_enabled_    = c.GetBoolDefault("PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots",         false);
     tick_budget_ms_        = c.GetIntDefault ("Playerbot.TickBudgetMs",          10);
     // #5 Phase 4 parallel snapshot Build. DEFAULT ON. The 2026-06-15 crash
     // (ACCESS_VIOLATION in Build->objective_blacklisted, serial AND parallel) was

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/Util/ConfigReader.h

@@ -23,6 +23,19 @@ public:
     bool   fleet_thread_enabled()   const { return fleet_thread_enabled_; }
     uint32 tick_budget_ms()         const { return tick_budget_ms_; }
 
+    // Ambient fleet master switch (PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots). When false
+    // (DEFAULT) the module runs in alt-bot-only mode: NO population-managed
+    // bots exist out in the world. The BotPopulationManager shaper,
+    // bot guild ecosystem, bot-to-bot craft-order board, and BG/LFG queue
+    // auto-fill are all disabled, and the fleet-entrenching GM commands
+    // (.playerbot spawn/create/loginall/population/wipefleet/pipeline/
+    // smoketest/dungeontest/reseed) refuse to run. The only bots that enter
+    // the world are the ones a player explicitly brings up via the alt
+    // creation path (.playerbot summon / login / alt ...). Set to 1 to
+    // re-enable the full ambient fleet. Read once at Init; toggling on a
+    // live server requires a restart.
+    bool   fleet_bots()            const { return fleet_bots_enabled_; }
+
     // #5 Phase 4: parallelize BotSnapshotBuilder::Build per Map* across a
     // fixed worker pool during the world-thread snapshot window. When false
     // the snapshot loop runs exactly as before (serial, world thread). Kept
@@ -282,6 +295,7 @@ private:
     // Cached typed values.
     uint32 ai_worker_threads_  = 0;
     bool   fleet_thread_enabled_ = true;
+    bool   fleet_bots_enabled_ = false;
     uint32 tick_budget_ms_ = 10;
     bool   parallel_snapshot_build_ = true;
     uint32 snapshot_build_threads_  = 0;

src/modules/PlayerbotV2/conf/playerbot.conf.dist

@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ Playerbot.AiWorkerThreads = 0
 # HR-no
 Playerbot.FleetThreadEnabled = 1
 
+# Ambient-fleet master switch. When 0 (DEFAULT) the module runs in alt-bot-only
+# mode: NO population-managed fleet bots exist out in the world. The population
+# shaper, bot guild ecosystem, bot-to-bot craft-order board, and BG/LFG queue
+# auto-fill are disabled, and the fleet-entrenching GM commands
+# (.playerbot spawn/create/loginall/population/wipefleet/pipeline/smoketest/
+# dungeontest/reseed) refuse to run. The only bots that enter the world are the
+# ones a player explicitly brings up via the alt creation path
+# (.playerbot summon / login / alt ...). Set to 1 to re-enable the full
+# ambient fleet. Read once at startup — toggling requires a restart.
+# HR-no
+PlayerbotsV2.FleetBots = 0
+
 # World tick budget for V2, in milliseconds. Bots skip ticks if exceeded.
 # HR-yes
 Playerbot.TickBudgetMs = 10