src/Ai/Base/Actions/BattleGroundTactics.cpp

@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ std::vector<uint32> const vFlagsIC = {GO_HORDE_BANNER,
                                       GO_HORDE_BANNER_GRAVEYARD_H,
                                       GO_HORDE_BANNER_GRAVEYARD_H_CONT};
 
-// BG Waypoints
+// BG Waypoints (vmangos)
 
 // Horde Flag Room to Horde Graveyard
 BattleBotPath vPath_WSG_HordeFlagRoom_to_HordeGraveyard = {

src/Ai/Base/Actions/MovementActions.cpp

@@ -386,8 +386,14 @@ bool MovementAction::MoveTo(uint32 mapId, float x, float y, float z, bool idle,
     else
     {
         // Direct dispatch — engine MovePoint(generatePath=true) handles
-        // pathfinding. Avoid ±z probes: their "shortest path" preference
+        // path-finding internally. Previously called SearchForBestPath
-        // can pick an unreachable ledge and air-walk via NOPATH fallback.
+        // here to probe ±step around the target z; that helped find
+        // polygons when the input z was several yards off the navmesh,
+        // but its "shortest path" preference would shift modifiedZ to
+        // an unreachable nearby polygon (upper terrace, ledge above)
+        // and then the engine's straight-spline NOPATH fallback would
+        // air-walk the bot up to it. cmangos doesn't have an
+        // equivalent — single-z PathFinder call is sufficient.
         float distance = bot->GetExactDist(x, y, z);
         if (distance > 0.01f)
         {
@@ -1173,7 +1179,7 @@ void MovementAction::UpdateMovementState()
     // {
     //     bot->SetSpeedRate(MOVE_RUN, 1.0f);
     // }
-    // check if target is not reachable
+    // check if target is not reachable (from Vmangos)
     // if (bot->GetMotionMaster()->GetCurrentMovementGeneratorType() == CHASE_MOTION_TYPE && bot->CanNotReachTarget() &&
     // !bot->InBattleground())
     // {
@@ -3215,12 +3221,22 @@ bool MovementAction::RefineWalkPoints(std::vector<G3D::Vector3>& walkPoints)
         WorldPosition aPos(mapId, a.x, a.y, a.z);
         WorldPosition bPos(mapId, b.x, b.y, b.z);
 
-        // Per-segment mmap query: routes around geometry the offline
+        // Per-segment mmap query against the live navmesh. The
-        // graph didn't account for, or returns empty if unreachable.
+        // travel-node graph stores offline-baked waypoints; if the
+        // straight line A->B crosses geometry the live navmesh has
+        // (mountain, ledge, model edit since offline gen), this
+        // returns either an mmap-routed path around it (NORMAL/
+        // INCOMPLETE) or empty (NOT_USING_PATH was rejected as
+        // "would walk through walls").
         std::vector<WorldPosition> segPath = bPos.getPathStepFrom(aPos, bot);
 
-        // Trust the raw waypoint pair when mmap can't validate it —
+        // Travelnode waypoints are authoritative once a plan is
-        // navmesh gaps/tile-edge artifacts shouldn't kill an active plan.
+        // active. When AC mmap can't validate the segment (empty
+        // result, or IsPathCheating rejects a 2-point shortcut /
+        // steep hop), fall back to dispatching the raw (A, B) pair
+        // instead of aborting the plan. Common cases: cmangos
+        // waypoints landing in 1y navmesh gaps from AC extractor
+        // differences, tile-edge artifacts at zone borders.
         bool const trustRaw = segPath.empty() ||
                               TravelPath::IsPathCheating(segPath, aPos.distance(bPos));
 
@@ -3232,8 +3248,9 @@ bool MovementAction::RefineWalkPoints(std::vector<G3D::Vector3>& walkPoints)
             continue;
         }
 
-        // Include the first segment's start; skip subsequent starts
+        // First segment: include its start point so the spline
-        // to avoid duplicating the prior segment's tail.
+        // begins from the original A. Later segments: skip the first
+        // point — it duplicates the previous segment's tail.
         size_t startK = (i == 0) ? 0 : 1;
         for (size_t k = startK; k < segPath.size(); ++k)
             refined.emplace_back(segPath[k].GetPositionX(),
@@ -3284,6 +3301,15 @@ bool MovementAction::GetTravelPlan(TravelPlan& plan, WorldPosition destination)
 {
     WorldPosition botPos(bot->GetMapId(), bot->GetPositionX(),
                          bot->GetPositionY(), bot->GetPositionZ());
+
+    LOG_DEBUG("playerbots",
+        "[TravelPlan] {} requesting plan: from ({:.0f},{:.0f},{:.0f}) map={} zone={} → "
+        "({:.0f},{:.0f},{:.0f}) map={} (straight={:.0f}yd)",
+        bot->GetName(), botPos.GetPositionX(), botPos.GetPositionY(), botPos.GetPositionZ(),
+        bot->GetMapId(), bot->GetZoneId(),
+        destination.GetPositionX(), destination.GetPositionY(), destination.GetPositionZ(),
+        destination.GetMapId(), botPos.fDist(destination));
+
     return sTravelNodeMap.GetFullPath(plan, botPos, bot->GetZoneId(), destination, bot);
 }
 
@@ -3447,8 +3473,14 @@ bool MovementAction::ExecuteTravelPlan(TravelPlan& state)
                 return true;
             }
 
-            // Re-validate each segment against the live navmesh and
+            // Re-validate each consecutive (A, B) pair against the
-            // substitute mmap-routed sub-paths where needed.
+            // live navmesh. The graph's offline-baked coords can
+            // produce a chain whose straight-line interpolation
+            // passes through geometry (mountains, ledges, model
+            // edits). RefineWalkPoints substitutes mmap-routed
+            // sub-paths between each pair; if any segment is
+            // unwalkable, abort the plan so MoveFarTo's own probe
+            // can re-derive a route.
             if (!RefineWalkPoints(state.walkPoints))
             {
                 G3D::Vector3 const& failPt = state.walkPoints.empty()
@@ -3607,7 +3639,8 @@ bool MovementAction::ExecuteTravelPlan(TravelPlan& state)
             if (bot->IsMounted())
                 bot->Dismount();
 
-            bot->ActivateTaxiPathTo(state.route, flightMaster, 0);
+            if (bot->ActivateTaxiPathTo(state.route, flightMaster, 0))
+                LOG_DEBUG("playerbots","[TravelPlan] Bot {} taking flight ({} nodes)", bot->GetName(), state.route.size());
 
             state.route.clear();
             state.stepIdx += 2;

src/Ai/World/Rpg/Action/NewRpgAction.cpp

@@ -433,45 +433,6 @@ bool NewRpgDoQuestAction::DoIncompleteQuest(NewRpgInfo::DoQuest& data)
             return MoveRandomNear(20.0f);
     }
 
-    // Kill-quest scout: at POI for 30s+ with no quest mob in sight
-    // means this cluster is empty. Switch to a different POI candidate
-    // (>50y away) if one exists; otherwise roam in place.
-    constexpr uint32 scoutTimeoutMs = 30 * 1000;
-    if (data.lastReachPOI && GetMSTimeDiffToNow(data.lastReachPOI) >= scoutTimeoutMs &&
-        !HasNearbyQuestMob(30.0f))
-    {
-        std::vector<POIInfo> poiInfo;
-        if (GetQuestPOIPosAndObjectiveIdx(questId, poiInfo))
-        {
-            std::vector<size_t> alternatives;
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < poiInfo.size(); ++i)
-            {
-                float dx = poiInfo[i].pos.x - data.pos.GetPositionX();
-                float dy = poiInfo[i].pos.y - data.pos.GetPositionY();
-                if (dx * dx + dy * dy > 50.0f * 50.0f)
-                    alternatives.push_back(i);
-            }
-            if (!alternatives.empty())
-            {
-                size_t pickIdx = alternatives[urand(0, alternatives.size() - 1)];
-                G3D::Vector2 newPoi = poiInfo[pickIdx].pos;
-                float dz = std::max(bot->GetMap()->GetHeight(newPoi.x, newPoi.y, MAX_HEIGHT),
-                                    bot->GetMap()->GetWaterLevel(newPoi.x, newPoi.y));
-                if (dz != INVALID_HEIGHT && dz != VMAP_INVALID_HEIGHT_VALUE)
-                {
-                    data.pos = WorldPosition(bot->GetMapId(), newPoi.x, newPoi.y, dz);
-                    data.objectiveIdx = poiInfo[pickIdx].objectiveIdx;
-                    data.lastReachPOI = 0;
-                    data.pursuedLootGO.Clear();
-                    data.pursuedUseGO.Clear();
-                    data.pursuedUseTarget.Clear();
-                    return true;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        return MoveRandomNear(20.0f);
-    }
-
     // kill quest: walk toward the marker before handing off to grind.
     // lastReachPOI trips at ~10y so without this the bot fights on the
     // edge and never reaches the dense cluster. Skip if a quest mob is

src/Ai/World/Rpg/Action/NewRpgBaseAction.cpp

@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
         }
     }
 
-    // Let an in-flight spline finish before recomputing — prevents
+    // Let previously committed movement finish before recomputing.
-    // oscillation when re-resolve produces a slightly different endpoint.
+    // If the bot is still actively walking toward its last committed
+    // point on the same map, just let the current spline finish.
+    // Prevents oscillation when a re-resolve produces a slightly
+    // different partial-path endpoint mid-walk.
     {
         LastMovement& lastMove = AI_VALUE(LastMovement&, "last movement");
         if (bot->isMoving() && lastMove.lastMoveToMapId == bot->GetMapId())
@@ -89,9 +92,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
     // 10% lastPath reuse — if the cached path's endpoint is still
     // close (within 10%) to the new dest, trim the cached path to
     // the bot's current position via makeShortCut and re-dispatch.
-    // Per-tick re-dispatch of the (trimmed) last path keeps the bot
+    // Mirrors cmangos ResolveMovePath: per-tick re-dispatch of the
-    // on-route after interrupts (knockback, combat, manual move)
+    // (trimmed) last path keeps the bot on-route after interrupts
-    // without needing a full replan.
+    // (knockback, combat, manual move) without needing a full replan.
     {
         LastMovement& lastMove = AI_VALUE(LastMovement&, "last movement");
         if (!lastMove.lastPath.empty())
@@ -136,16 +139,26 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
     float disToDest = bot->GetDistance(dest);
     float dis = bot->GetExactDist(dest);
 
-    // Try the travel-node graph first for cross-map or > 50y moves;
+    // Decision tree:
-    // fall back to chained mmap probe otherwise. BGs skip the graph.
+    //   1. Active node plan with matching dest → ride it.
-    constexpr float TRAVELNODE_THRESHOLD = 50.0f;
+    //   2. Long-distance / cross-map: try the node graph FIRST.
+    //      Graph internally probes mmap and falls back to A* route.
+    //   3. Else: 40-step chained mmap probe + regression guard.
+    //   4. Empty / non-progressing probe: single-waypoint MoveTo.
+    //
+    // needsLongPath gate — cross-map or > 75y go to graph.
+    // BG gating: graph holds open-world routes only.
+    constexpr float TRAVELNODE_THRESHOLD = 75.0f;
     bool tryNodes = sPlayerbotAIConfig.enableTravelNodes &&
                     !bot->InBattleground() &&
                     ((bot->GetMapId() != dest.GetMapId()) ||
                      (dis > TRAVELNODE_THRESHOLD));
 
-    // Ride the active node plan only if its dest still matches.
+    // If a node plan is already active, ride it — but only if its
-    // A stale plan would steer the bot past a new target.
+    // destination still matches the requested dest. Otherwise the
+    // old plan (e.g. built toward a quest objective POI) would keep
+    // driving the bot after the caller switched targets (e.g. to a
+    // turn-in NPC).
     if (tryNodes && botAI->rpgInfo.HasActiveTravelPlan())
     {
         if (botAI->rpgInfo.travelPlan.destination.distance(dest) > 10.0f)
@@ -161,6 +174,8 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
         StartTravelPlan(dest);
         if (botAI->rpgInfo.HasActiveTravelPlan())
         {
+            LOG_INFO("playerbots", "[MoveFar] {} nodetravel | dis={:.0f}",
+                bot->GetName(), dis);
             EmitDebugMove("MoveFar", "travelplan",
                           dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ());
             return UpdateTravelPlan();
@@ -178,8 +193,13 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
     WorldPosition botPos(bot);
     std::vector<WorldPosition> probe = botPos.getPathTo(dest, bot);
 
-    // Regression guard: prefer cached lastPath if it still ends closer
+    // Regression guard (cmangos ResolveMovePath parity): if a cached
-    // to dest than the new probe — catches probes blocked by geometry.
+    // lastPath ends at least as close to dest as the new probe's
+    // endpoint, prefer the cached path. The 10% reuse block above
+    // already returned early when cached was within 10% of dest;
+    // this catches "cached is far (>10%) but still better than the
+    // probe" — typically when the probe got blocked by geometry and
+    // ended much farther from dest than where cached had reached.
     {
         LastMovement& lastMove = AI_VALUE(LastMovement&, "last movement");
         if (!lastMove.lastPath.empty() && !probe.empty() && probe.size() >= 2)
@@ -227,6 +247,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
 
             if (points.size() >= 2)
             {
+                LOG_INFO("playerbots", "[MoveFar] {} mmap-path | dis={:.0f} | endDist={:.0f} | wp={}",
+                    bot->GetName(), dis, endDistToDest, (uint32)points.size());
+
                 // Mount up if outdoors and not in combat.
                 if (!bot->IsMounted() && !bot->IsInCombat() && bot->IsOutdoors() && bot->IsAlive())
                     botAI->DoSpecificAction("check mount state", Event(), true);
@@ -251,20 +274,13 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveFarTo(WorldPosition dest)
         }
     }
 
-    // Empty-probe fallback: single-waypoint MoveTo via engine PathGenerator.
+    // Empty-probe fallback — single-waypoint MoveTo. Engine
-    // Cross-map can't be served by a single-map spline — bail.
+    // MovePoint(generatePath=true) does the local PathGenerator
+    // resolution. Cross-map can't be served by a single-map spline
+    // — bail rather than dispatching toward unreachable coords.
     if (bot->GetMapId() != dest.GetMapId())
         return false;
 
-    // LOS gate: don't air-walk through trees/walls when the engine
-    // would otherwise drop to a straight-line BuildShortcut spline.
-    if (!bot->IsWithinLOS(dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ()))
-    {
-        EmitDebugMove("MoveFar", "spline-blocked",
-                      dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ());
-        return false;
-    }
-
     EmitDebugMove("MoveFar", "spline",
                   dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ());
     return MoveTo(dest.GetMapId(), dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ(),
@@ -278,30 +294,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
     if (points.size() < 2)
         return false;
 
-    // LOS gate: reject paths whose segments pass through visual
+    // Save planner output BEFORE any clip/fixup mutation so next-tick
-    // geometry. mmap is blind to M2 models (trees, decorative props)
+    // reuse/regress branches see the original intent, not a clip-
-    // and will route through them; vmap LOS catches the cases that
+    // truncated tail.
-    // matter — solid trunks, walls, terrain features.
-    if (Map* map = bot->GetMap())
-    {
-        float const eye = bot->GetCollisionHeight();
-        for (size_t i = 0; i + 1 < points.size(); ++i)
-        {
-            if (!map->isInLineOfSight(points[i].x, points[i].y, points[i].z + eye,
-                                      points[i + 1].x, points[i + 1].y, points[i + 1].z + eye,
-                                      bot->GetPhaseMask(),
-                                      LINEOFSIGHT_ALL_CHECKS,
-                                      VMAP::ModelIgnoreFlags::Nothing))
-            {
-                EmitDebugMove("MoveFar", "blocked",
-                              dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ());
-                return false;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Save planner output before clip/fixup so next-tick reuse sees
-    // the original intent, not a truncated tail.
     {
         LastMovement& lm = AI_VALUE(LastMovement&, "last movement");
         std::vector<WorldPosition> wpts;
@@ -311,8 +306,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
         lm.setPath(TravelPath(wpts));
     }
 
-    // Underwater fixup: lift submerged waypoints to the surface,
+    // Underwater fixup — push waypoints submerged below the water
-    // unless the destination is itself underwater.
+    // surface up to the surface itself, unless the destination is
+    // itself underwater.
     if (Map* map = bot->GetMap())
     {
         WorldPosition destWp = dest;
@@ -382,8 +378,10 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
 
     LastMovement& lastMove = AI_VALUE(LastMovement&, "last movement");
 
-    // Skip cosmetic walking for random bots with no nearby player —
+    // Inactive-bot teleport — when the path is longer than reactDistance
-    // teleport to the path tail and schedule a cooldown instead.
+    // and no real player is around to witness, jump to the path tail and
+    // schedule a cooldown. Skips cosmetic walking for unobserved random
+    // bots. Self-bots are excluded so observed sessions always walk.
     if (sRandomPlayerbotMgr.IsRandomBot(bot))
     {
         WorldPosition tail(dest.GetMapId(), last.x, last.y, last.z);
@@ -406,7 +404,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
         }
     }
 
-    // Match master's walk pace when they're nearby and walking.
+    // masterWalking — match the master's walk pace when they're nearby
+    // and walking. Lets a follower bot trail at walk speed instead of
+    // sprinting past. No-op for masterless RPG bots.
     ForcedMovement moveMode = FORCED_MOVEMENT_RUN;
     if (sPlayerbotAIConfig.walkDistance > 0.0f)
     {
@@ -420,7 +420,8 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
         }
     }
 
-    // Clear emote/sit/cast so the spline can begin cleanly.
+    // Pre-dispatch state cleanup. Clear emote / stand up / interrupt
+    // any non-melee cast so the spline can begin without state conflicts.
     bot->ClearEmoteState();
     if (!bot->IsStandState())
         bot->SetStandState(UNIT_STAND_STATE_STAND);
@@ -432,7 +433,9 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::DispatchPathPoints(WorldPosition const& dest,
 
     EmitDebugMove("MoveFar", label, last.x, last.y, last.z);
 
-    // WaitForReach: leave ~10y headroom on long paths.
+    // WaitForReach scheduling.
+    //   waitDist = (totalDist > reactDistance) ? totalDist - 10 : totalDist
+    //   duration = 1000 * (waitDist / speed) + reactDelay, capped at maxWaitForMove
     float waitDist = totalDist > sPlayerbotAIConfig.reactDistance
                          ? std::max(totalDist - 10.0f, 0.0f) : totalDist;
     UnitMoveType const speedType = (moveMode == FORCED_MOVEMENT_WALK) ? MOVE_WALK : MOVE_RUN;
@@ -453,6 +456,9 @@ void NewRpgBaseAction::StartTravelPlan(WorldPosition dest)
 {
     TravelPlan& plan = botAI->rpgInfo.travelPlan;
     GetTravelPlan(plan, dest);
+
+    LOG_DEBUG("playerbots","[New RPG] Bot {} starting travel plan to ({:.0f},{:.0f},{:.0f}) map={}, {} points",
+        bot->GetName(), dest.GetPositionX(), dest.GetPositionY(), dest.GetPositionZ(), dest.GetMapId(), plan.steps.size());
 }
 
 bool NewRpgBaseAction::UpdateTravelPlan()
@@ -484,9 +490,7 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveWorldObjectTo(ObjectGuid guid, float distance)
         angle = object->GetOrientation() +
                 (M_PI * irand(-25, 25) / 100.0);  // 45 degrees infront of target (leading it's movement)
 
-    // Bias toward the full radius so the bot stops next to the object,
+    float rnd = rand_norm();
-    // not on top of it. Uniform rnd would put dest anywhere in [0, distance].
-    float rnd = 0.85f + 0.15f * rand_norm();
     x += cos(angle) * distance * rnd;
     y += sin(angle) * distance * rnd;
     if (!object->GetMap()->CheckCollisionAndGetValidCoords(object, object->GetPositionX(), object->GetPositionY(),
@@ -496,8 +500,11 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveWorldObjectTo(ObjectGuid guid, float distance)
         y = object->GetPositionY();
         z = object->GetPositionZ();
     }
-    // Route through MoveFarTo so every approach gets the full probe
+    // Delegate to MoveFarTo so every approach gets the chained mmap
-    // + travel-node fallback (and a precise debug label).
+    // probe + spellDistance shortcut + travel-node fallback instead
+    // of a single direct MoveTo. The debug-move trace then labels
+    // the actual mechanism (spline / mmap / nodetravel) rather than
+    // a generic "MoveWorldObjectTo:spline".
     return MoveFarTo(WorldPosition(object->GetMapId(), x, y, z));
 }
 
@@ -510,7 +517,11 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveRandomNear(float moveStep, MovementPriority priority,
     const float x = bot->GetPositionX();
     const float y = bot->GetPositionY();
     const float z = bot->GetPositionZ();
-    // Retry random samples so one bad roll doesn't lock the bot in place.
+    // Previously: attempts = 1. A single random sample often landed in
+    // water / blocked geometry / unreachable poly, the function returned
+    // false, and the caller had no fallback — bot stood still. Retry a
+    // handful of times with a fresh distance each loop so a bad roll
+    // doesn't lock the bot in place.
     for (int attempt = 0; attempt < 8; ++attempt)
     {
         float distance = (0.4f + rand_norm() * 0.6f) * moveStep;
@@ -530,13 +541,6 @@ bool NewRpgBaseAction::MoveRandomNear(float moveStep, MovementPriority priority,
         if (map->IsInWater(bot->GetPhaseMask(), dx, dy, dz, bot->GetCollisionHeight()))
             continue;
 
-        // Reject samples whose straight-line passes through visual
-        // obstacles (trees, models) that aren't in the navmesh. The
-        // smooth-path step can otherwise interpolate a waypoint inside
-        // a tree, making the bot visibly walk through it.
-        if (!bot->IsWithinLOS(dx, dy, dz))
-            continue;
-
         bool moved = MoveTo(bot->GetMapId(), dx, dy, dz, false, false, false, true, priority);
         if (moved)
         {

src/Mgr/Travel/TravelNode.cpp

@@ -226,8 +226,11 @@ TravelNodePath* TravelNode::BuildPath(TravelNode* endNode, Unit* bot, bool postP
 
     bool canPath = endPos->isPathTo(path);  // Check if we reached our destination.
 
-    // Reject too-short or too-steep results — geometry shortcut that
+    // Reject "pathfinder cheating" — too-short or too-steep results
-    // mmap returns but a player can't actually walk.
+    // that mmap accepts but a player can't actually walk. Without this,
+    // the segment gets cached + saved to playerbots_travelnode_path
+    // and dispatched at runtime as straight-line spline through whatever
+    // mountain/cliff sat between A and B (cmangos parity).
     if (canPath && TravelPath::IsPathCheating(path, getPosition()->distance(endNode->getPosition())))
         canPath = false;
 
@@ -729,9 +732,9 @@ bool TravelPath::makeShortCut(WorldPosition startPos, float maxDist, Unit* bot)
 
     for (auto& p : fullPath)  // cycle over the full path
     {
-        // Walkability filter: portals/transports/taxis aren't valid
+        // Walkability filter (cmangos parity): portals/transports/taxis
-        // anchor points — picking one as the new start of the trimmed
+        // aren't valid anchor points — picking one as the new start of
-        // path would leave the bot anchored on a hop.
+        // the trimmed path would leave the bot anchored on a hop.
         if (p.point.GetMapId() == startPos.GetMapId() && p.isWalkable())
         {
             float curDist = p.point.sqDistance(startPos);
@@ -789,8 +792,9 @@ bool TravelPath::makeShortCut(WorldPosition startPos, float maxDist, Unit* bot)
     }
 
     // Pass the bot into getPathTo so PathGenerator picks up its
-    // collision/swim/fly state. nullptr defaults to a generic mover
+    // collision / swimming / flying flags. cmangos parity — passing
-    // which can produce paths the bot can't actually walk.
+    // nullptr here drops to a default mover and can produce a path
+    // the bot itself can't actually walk.
     std::vector<WorldPosition> toPath = startPos.getPathTo(beginPos, bot);
 
     // We can not reach the new begin position. Follow the complete path.
@@ -1286,8 +1290,10 @@ bool TravelNodeMap::GetFullPath(TravelPlan& plan,
     plan.Reset();
     plan.destination = destination;
 
-    // mmap-probe first: if a 40-step probe reaches dest, skip the
+    // mmap-probe-first. Run a 40-step chained probe; if it gets within
-    // graph entirely — a direct walk beats a node hop.
+    // spellDistance of dest, emit it as plan steps and skip the graph
+    // entirely (a short walk is always better than a node hop). When
+    // the probe falls short, fall through to graph routing.
     if (botPos.GetMapId() == destination.GetMapId())
     {
         std::vector<WorldPosition> probe = destination.getPathFromPath({botPos}, bot, 40);

src/Mgr/Travel/TravelNode.h

@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 
 // THEORY
 //
-//  Pathfinding uses the detour recast navmesh engine for mob, npc, and bot movement.
+//  Pathfinding in (c)mangos is based on detour recast, an opensource navmesh creation and pathfinding codebase.
+//  This system is used for mob and npc pathfinding and in this codebase also for bots.
 //  Because mobs and npc movement is based on following a player or a set path the PathGenerator is limited to 296y.
 //  This means that when trying to find a path from A to B distances beyond 296y will be a best guess often moving in a
 //  straight path. Bots would get stuck moving from Northshire to Stormwind because there is no 296y path that doesn't
@@ -492,8 +493,16 @@ public:
 
     bool makeShortCut(WorldPosition startPos, float maxDist, Unit* bot = nullptr);
 
-    // Reject paths the navmesh accepts but a player can't walk:
+    // Detect "pathfinder cheating" — paths that PathGenerator accepts
-    // 2-point shortcut over 5y, or > 10y vertical drop with slope steeper than 2:1.
+    // but a player can't actually walk:
+    //   * a 2-point path for an endpoint distance > 5y means navmesh
+    //     gave up and returned the straight A->B line.
+    //   * a vertical drop > 10y combined with a slope steeper than
+    //     2:1 at either start or end means the pathfinder hopped
+    //     through a near-vertical step the navmesh permits but a
+    //     player wouldn't survive.
+    // cmangos applies the same two checks in TravelNode::buildPath
+    // before caching a node-to-node segment.
     static bool IsPathCheating(std::vector<WorldPosition> const& path,
                                float endpointDistance);