Source-checkedTechnology & automation

[OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets

by Zelious · for Space Engineers

NOTICE: This mod is obsolete (and broken), you should really use Smart Turrets 2 instead: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1769486689 Old Description Begins Here This mod adds…

16KDownloads
9 yr agoLast updated
Steam WorkshopSource

About [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets

From Steam Workshop

NOTICE: This mod is obsolete (and broken), you should really use Smart Turrets 2 instead: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1769486689 Old Description Begins Here This mod adds…

NOTICE: This mod is obsolete (and broken), you should really use Smart Turrets 2 instead:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1769486689

Old Description Begins Here

This mod adds more targeting options for both vanilla and modded turrets. This is something you would think someone would of done a long time ago, alas it requires a near-complete rewrite of the turret AI.

Feedback

Because of how complex this mod is it is sure to be littered with bugs and even crashes that I couldn't find. If you find a bug or crash please report it in the Bugs/Crashes discussion below. Also please leave a rating it helps me know what people like and promotes the mod on the workshop.

Wait, What Does It Do?

This mod takes any turret, modded or vanilla, and gives it a shiny new AI. This AI has far more targeting parameters, most notably you can finally choose what blocks you want your turrets to target and in what order. It also makes turrets a bit less stupid, hence Smart Turrets. Just note that this AI is for blocks only, don't expect it to shoot meteorites or spiders.

Ooo, Targeting Parameters...

The first thing you will want to do after you've got yourself in a world with this mod is to put down a turret and marvel at all those glorious targeting parameters...

Use Smart Targeting: Not really a targeting parameter, just allows you to choose between Keen's AI and Smart Targeting. You will notice that turning this on will turn off target, well everything, this is because it's the only way I've found to disable Keen's targeting AI. Don't worry we won't be using those settings. The only one that still works is Target Neutrals, it works the same with Smart Targeting as vanilla.

Track Target: Also not really a targeting parameter and fairly self explanatory, should the turret track (lead) the target or just point right at it.

Smart Targeting Range: Same as vanilla range setting but for smart targeting, caps at 800m. The reason we don't just use the vanilla range setting is that some modded turrets crash the game if you check their range and its above 800m.

Fire Through The Target Grid: Finally a REAL targeting parameter, this determines if the turret should shoot everything or only things it can see.

Obstacle Block Tolerance: This is a slider than can be set from 0 to 10 and determines how many blocks the turret can shoot through even if Fire Through The Target Grid is disabled.

Fire Through Hostile Grids, Fire Through Neutral Grids, Fire Through Friendly Grids: These three setting let you choose what the turret is allowed to shoot through. Fire Through Friendly Grids includes the turrets own grid and seems a bit stupid but some larger modded turrets will see themselves as an obstruction so wont fire unless you allow this.

Minimum Target Grid Size: A slider from 0 to 300, self explanatory, so your turrets don't shoot at space junk :)

Targeting Priorities: A big long list of every type of block you would ever want to target. Items labelled (-) are disabled and (+) are enabled, you can select an item and toggle it with the Enable/Disable button. You can also change the position of items as to prioritise them using the Priority Up and Priority Down buttons, top of the list is the highest priority and bottom the lowest. This unfortunately cannot be set for multiple turrets at once so you'll need to configure each one manually. For anyone wondering decoys are always targeted first.

More Targeting Parameters?

If you would like to have a certain targeting parameter added to the mod shove it in the Suggestions discussion below.

I'm... La..g.g..i..ng!!!

As mentioned this mod is extremely complex, so much so that most of it doesn't actually run inside of Space Engineers, that would be unplayabley laggy, instead the laggy stuff is done on another thread (think of it like another program). This means your computers processing power is the limit but even that can be an obstacle, if you try and use Smart Targeting turrets for your battleship fight you will quickly max your CPU causing low sim-speed and FPS. At least you would if it wasn't for the failsafe. The failsafe being the fact that the mod will only look for new targets (the laggyest part of the mod) 6 times per second, so 6 turrets can get new targets per second, which still puts a wet blanket over your battleship fight plans because some turrets will be waiting quite a while to get targets, but at least you can do it if you really want :)

Notes

If you want to minimize lag disable anything you really don't need to target and enable Fire Through The Target Grid, that will minimise the amount of math your computer needs to do.

Some bugs include the whole turrets keep on shooting at dead things bug, or in this case destroyed blocks, it's pretty rare but if you get it you can fix it by toggling on/off Track Target. And sometimes the terminal controls won't appear, I'm still working on this, try other worlds or new worlds.

Highlights

From source data

Footprint

Rated a light load on a server.

Last update

Its author last shipped an update 9 yr ago.

[OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets on Nxeon

From our catalogue
One-click install
Not available. One-click install isn't available for this game's mods yet. Download it and upload it to your server in Files.
Server load
light
Smallest plan we suggest
Space Engineers — 8 GB (8 GB RAM). This follows our own load rating above, not a benchmark.
Latest build
2017-12-21, released 2017-12-21

Game versions by loader

LoaderGame versionsNewest
Workshop

From 1 recorded build of [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets.

Run [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets on a Space Engineers server

Deploy a server above, then upload the file in Files.

What kind of mod it is

From the catalog
Listed on Steam Workshop as “Workshop”

Technology & automation

Machines, power, logistics and automation.

Compatibility

Game
Space Engineers

Verified at the source

  • ✓Steam WorkshopOfficial listing, checked 2026-11-01Open ↗
  • ✓AuthorZelious, as published on Steam Workshop
  • ✓LicenseNot published by the sourceFree

[OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets, answered

Generated from the mod’s own source data.

Is it free?

Yes. [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets is free to download from Steam Workshop.

How do I add it to my Nxeon server?

One-click install isn't available for this game's mods yet. Download [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets from Steam Workshop and upload it to your Nxeon Space Engineers server in Files.

NxLabs

Run [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets on a Space Engineers server.

Deploy in about a minute from $13.99 a month, then upload [OBSOLETE] Smart Turrets in Files.