ALiVE.OS · ALiVE 3 Development
ALiVE Custom Faction Compiler
Turn hand-placed Eden template groups into a real ALiVE faction that placement modules and the air commander can spawn from.
New in ALiVE 3 · in testing
ALiVE 3 is in active development. This briefing describes work in progress, and the behaviour it covers is subject to change as testing continues. Check the changelog at the foot of the page for what has moved recently.
On this page
Overview
What ALiVE Custom Faction Compiler does
The Faction Compiler is a new system module that lets a mission maker build a custom faction directly in the Eden editor instead of relying only on ALiVE's built-in curated factions. A mission maker places one or more template groups of units (and any vehicles those units are riding in), syncs one soldier from each group to a Group Category helper module (Infantry, Motorized, Armored, Air, and so on), or syncs a drone (UAV or UGV) itself to make a group of its own, and syncs the category helpers to a single Faction Compiler module. On mission start the compiler reads every synced group, records each unit's class, rank, loadout and position relative to its group leader, and any vehicle each group brings with it, then stores that as a mission-local faction that other ALiVE modules can use.
The compiler offers two ways to use the result, chosen with the Faction Override Mode setting. New Faction (the default) builds a brand-new faction under the Faction ID the mission maker types in, using the Proxy Faction setting to borrow compositions, supply boxes and fallback vehicles from an existing in-game faction. Your soldiers keep the side you placed them on, but the vehicles, crews and supply boxes a module adds for the faction take the proxy's side, as does an air commander using it, so pick a proxy on the same side. Override Categories instead replaces specific unit categories inside an existing faction, so a mission maker can, for example, swap only the Armored category of a modded faction for their own custom tank groups while leaving its infantry and air groups untouched. It works on any real faction, modded or the game's own such as NATO, CSAT and the AAF, and the categories you do not override keep that faction's own groups. Sync the compiler to any of the five Military Placement modules or a Military Air Component Commander and it uses the compiled faction instead of its own; a Military AI Commander needs the Faction ID typed into its Additional Factions (by name).
How it works
Setting up a custom faction
You build the faction's groups in the editor, sort them into categories and sync them through to the compiler. The modules synced to the compiler then use your faction instead of their own. This is how it looks in the editor.
- Build the groupsPlace each group the way it should spawn: its soldiers and their loadouts, and any vehicle with its crew already sitting in it. An empty vehicle isn't captured. Keep them on one side: a group on a different side from the first one the compiler reads is left out, stays in the mission as live units, and the log names it.
- Sort them into categoriesPlace an ALiVE Custom Faction Group Category for each kind of group, set its Category (Infantry, Motorized, Armored and 8 more), and sync one soldier from each group to it. Sync the soldier, not the vehicle: the editor warns in red if you sync a vehicle.
- Sync the categories to the compilerSync every Group Category to one ALiVE Custom Faction Compiler, and give it a Faction ID no other faction uses (to change an existing faction instead, see Override categories below). Stick to letters, numbers and single underscores: any run of other characters, spaces included, becomes one underscore, and the log says when your ID is changed.
- Sync the compiler to what should use itAny of the five Military Placement modules, or a Military Air Component Commander. Each one then places your faction instead of its own faction setting. Sync only one compiler to a module: with two, it uses neither and says so in the log.
- Tell the commanderA Military AI Commander isn't synced to the compiler. Type the Faction ID, exactly as the compiler uses it, into its Additional Factions (by name) so it commands your groups. A new commander starts with NATO ticked in its Factions list, so untick anything it shouldn't command as well: the first faction it has decides its side. A compiled faction never appears in a faction list.
- At mission startThe compiler copies each group, soldiers with their loadouts and vehicles with their fuel, damage and ammo, and removes the groups it copied while Delete Templates is Yes, the default. The Military Placement modules synced to it then spawn copies of your groups wherever they place forces. A Military Air Component Commander flies the aircraft types your groups brought, with their standard crews, or the proxy's where you brought none.
New faction: the default. Your groups become a faction of their own under the Faction ID, which can't be one the game or ALiVE already has: BLU_F is refused with a warning on the startup screen, the synced modules fall back to their own faction, and your templates are still removed if Delete Templates is Yes. A category you leave empty places nothing. Proxy Faction lends camps, supply boxes and fallback vehicles. Your soldiers keep the side you placed them on, but the vehicles, crews and supply boxes a module adds for the faction take the proxy's side, as does an air commander using it, so pick a proxy on the same side.
Override categories: put an existing faction's ID in Faction ID, BLU_F say, and each category you give groups to replaces that category of it, for every module in the mission that places it, synced to the compiler or not. Its other categories keep that faction's own groups, and Proxy Faction is ignored. Where ALiVE picks a single soldier or vehicle for that faction, for CQB say, it may pick one of yours.
Capabilities
What it handles
Captures groups exactly as placed
Reads every unit's class, rank, current loadout, damage state and position/rotation offset from its group leader, plus any vehicle the group is riding (a drone synced on its own becomes a group of its own: its hidden AI crew, with the drone as their vehicle), so the compiled faction reproduces the composition the mission maker built in Eden.
Preserves vehicle condition
For each captured vehicle it records damage, fuel, ammo, engine state, whether it can fire or move, and which seats units are assigned to, so vehicles spawn back out in the same condition they were placed in.
Sorted by category helper
A separate Group Category helper module assigns each synced template group to a standard ALiVE category (Infantry, Spec Ops, Motorized, Motorized MTP, Mechanized, Mechanized MTP, Armored, Air, Naval, Support, Artillery), which controls how placement modules pick and mix groups at runtime.
New faction or category override
New Faction mode creates a brand-new faction ID (must not already exist). Override Categories mode instead replaces the categories you give groups to in an existing faction, for every module in the mission, leaving its other categories untouched; the Proxy Faction setting is ignored in this mode. This works on the game's own factions as well as modded ones.
Borrows fallback data
The Proxy Faction setting points at a real in-game faction that supplies fallback vehicle and composition data. Your soldiers keep the side you placed them on, but the vehicles, crews and supply boxes a module adds for the faction take the proxy's side, so pick a proxy on the same side. The choice is saved with the mission so it survives a save and reload.
Loadouts reapplied when units spawn
When ALiVE spawns a unit from the compiled faction it reapplies the exact loadout that was captured from the original placed unit, rather than falling back to the class's default gear. It does this every time the group spawns, not just the first, so a group the AI Commander sends to attack later still wears your kit. After a man in the group dies, the survivors keep their own kit: they're matched to their places by class, in order. Two men of the same class with different kits can still swap.
How to use it
Getting started
- Build a template group in EdenPlace a group leader plus a few members (and a vehicle with them sitting in it, if the group should use one) exactly how you want them to spawn later. An empty vehicle isn't captured, except a drone (UAV or UGV): place it crewed or empty and sync the drone itself in step 2.
- Sync one soldier from each group to a Group Category helper modulePlace ALiVE Custom Faction Group Category, sync any one soldier of the group to it (the soldier, not a vehicle, unless it's a drone: then sync the drone itself), and set Category (Infantry, Motorized, Armored, Air, etc.) to match the group.
- Sync the category helper to the Faction Compiler modulePlace ALiVE Custom Faction Compiler and sync the Group Category helper to it. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for each extra template group; groups of the same category can share one helper.
- Set the Faction ID, Display Name and Proxy FactionOn the compiler, type a unique Faction ID and Display Name, leave Faction Override Mode on New Faction, and pick a Proxy Faction on the same side as your groups to supply fallback vehicle and composition data. Leave Delete Templates on Yes to clear the placed groups after compiling.
- Sync the compiler into a placement module or an air commanderSync the Faction Compiler to any of the five Military Placement modules (Mil. Obj., Cust. Obj., Garrison Obj., Civ. Obj. or Cust. Civ. Obj.) or a Military Air Component Commander. You don't need to enter the Faction ID there: the synced module uses the compiled faction in place of the faction chosen on it. A Military AI Commander does need it, typed into its Additional Factions (by name).
- Run the mission and check the spawned groupsConfirm the template group disappears once compiled, then watch the placement module spawn groups matching the same unit types, vehicle and gear you placed.
Settings
Every setting, and what it does
The Custom Faction Compiler turns groups you place in the editor into a faction that ALiVE's placement modules can use. These settings name the faction, choose which existing faction it borrows static data from, and decide whether it's a brand new faction or replaces some group categories of an existing one. Your soldiers keep the side you placed them on. This helper module goes between the Custom Faction Compiler and your template groups, and tells the compiler which ALiVE group category those groups belong to. Place one per category, sync your groups to it and sync it to the compiler.
Quick setups
A brand new faction built from your own groups
- Faction ID: MY_REBELS
- Display Name: Rebels
- Faction Override Mode: New faction
Your template groups become a faction of their own. Sync a placement module to the compiler and it uses that faction instead of the one chosen on the module. The ID has only letters, numbers and underscores, so it's kept exactly as typed.
Swap only the infantry of an existing faction
- Faction ID: the existing faction's classname, for example OPF_F
- Faction Override Mode: Override categories
The categories you have groups for are replaced and the faction's other categories stay as they were.
Keep the template groups visible while you build the faction
- Delete Templates: No
The groups you synced stay on the map after compiling instead of being deleted, so you can check them in preview.
Give a custom faction its own foot patrols and motorised units
- Category: Infantry
Use one helper set to Infantry for the foot groups and a second helper set to Motorized for the groups in vehicles, each synced to the same compiler.
Custom special forces for a faction
- Category: Spec Ops
Groups synced to this helper are filed under Spec Ops, so modules that ask for special forces pick them.
General
6 settings
Choices: Yes / No
Writes extra lines to the log file while the faction is compiled: each group it captured, the total and the mode, or that it found none. Groups it leaves out are logged whether Debug is on or not. It doesn't change the faction.
The name your compiled faction is stored under. Any run of characters other than letters and numbers becomes one underscore, so "My Faction!" becomes "My_Faction_"; an ID with no letter or number becomes ALIVE_CUSTOM_FACTION, and the log says when it's changed. In Override categories mode it names the existing faction you're changing.
AffectsTwo compilers that end up with the same ID clash, and the second one is refused rather than overwriting the first. In New faction mode an ID the game or ALiVE already has, such as OPF_F or BLU_G_F, is refused too, with a warning on screen and in the log; the refused compiler still deletes its templates when Delete Templates is on, and modules synced to it use their own faction. An empty box falls back to ALIVE_CUSTOM_FACTION.
TryUse only capitals, numbers and single underscores, such as "MY_REBELS". A placement module synced to the compiler picks it up on its own, but a Military AI Commander needs it typed into Additional Factions (by name).
A readable name stored with the compiled faction. If it's left blank, the Faction ID is used instead.
An existing faction your custom one borrows config data from: static weapons, compositions and vehicle type lookups are taken from this faction. Your soldiers keep the side you placed them on, but the vehicles, crews and supply boxes a module adds for the faction take this faction's side, as does an air commander using it, so pick one on the same side. It doesn't fill in categories you gave no groups for: in New faction mode those stay empty.
AffectsIgnored in Override categories mode.
Choices: Yes / No
Deletes the template groups it captured, and the vehicles they sit in (a template drone and its crew included), once their details have been read, so they don't stay in the mission as live units. A group left out for being on another side isn't deleted, and the templates go even when the Faction ID is refused.
TrySet it to No while you're still building the faction so you can see the groups in preview.
Choices: New faction / Override categories
New faction makes your groups a new faction of their own. Override categories puts your groups in place of the matching categories of the faction named in Faction ID and leaves its other categories alone.
AffectsIf the Faction ID has no ALiVE mapping of its own, nothing complains: the categories you supplied are replaced and the rest still come from that faction's own config groups. If the ID isn't a real faction at all, those other categories have nothing to fall back on and stay empty.
ALiVE Custom Faction Group Category
1 setting
Choices: Infantry / Spec Ops / Motorized / Motorized MTP / Mechanized / Mechanized MTP / Armored / Air / Naval / Support / Artillery
The ALiVE group category every template group (or drone) synced to this helper is filed under, such as Infantry, Mechanized or Air.
AffectsOnly groups of soldiers are captured, and all of them under one compiler must be on the same side: groups on a different side from the first one captured are left out, and the log names each one with both sides.
Recent work
What's changed lately
- New faction mode refuses a faction the game already hasGiven a Faction ID such as BLU_F, New faction mode used to take that faction over, so every module asking for NATO infantry got your template group. It's now refused with a warning on screen and in the log, NATO keeps its own groups, and the templates are still deleted when Delete Templates is on. Use Override categories to change a faction that exists.
- Both modes use the groups you gave themNew faction mode built its groups but lost them on the way back to placement, so they got no patrol or garrison orders and weren't counted. Override categories mode looked for your groups under the wrong name, so the faction's stock groups answered instead. Both are fixed, so a mission you gave up on is worth another look. Watch loadouts, crews and formations.
- A changed Faction ID is loggedAnything other than letters, numbers and underscores in the Faction ID becomes an underscore, so "My Force 1" is used as My_Force_1. The log now says what the ID became, so a module that names the faction by the typed ID, such as a Military AI Commander's Additional Factions box, can be given the right name.
- Groups left out for their side are always loggedA compiled faction takes the side of the first group it captures, and a group on another side is left out. That used to show only with Debug on. It's now logged every time, naming the group and both sides.
- A made-up faction keeps its sideA faction built under a name with no faction config of its own now takes the side its mapping names. It used to read as EAST wherever ALiVE asked for its side.
Status
Where it stands
Core compile pipeline
Capturing synced template groups (units, ranks, loadouts, damage, positions) and any vehicles they use into a mission-local faction works, in both New Faction and Override Categories modes.
Template cleanup
The Delete Templates setting removes the placed template groups and their vehicles from the map once they have been compiled, so they do not sit around as extra AI.
Hookup to placement and ATO modules
The compiler can be synced to any of the five Military Placement modules or a Military Air Component Commander, and the compiled faction is recognised as a valid faction source.
Single-compiler safety check
If a placement module is accidentally synced to more than one Faction Compiler module, it logs a warning naming every conflicting module instead of silently picking one.
Refuses a clash with the game's own factions
New faction mode won't take a Faction ID the game or another compiler already has. It warns on screen and in the log, deletes the templates if asked to, and the synced modules use their own faction.
Debug visibility
A Debug setting exists for extra reporting during compiling, but a mission maker still has to check the log for confirmation that a compile succeeded; there is no in-Eden success message yet.
Testing
How you can help
Build a small test group in Eden (a leader plus a few members, optionally in a vehicle), sync one of its soldiers to a Group Category helper module, sync that helper to a Faction Compiler module, set a Faction ID and Display Name, leave Faction Override Mode on New Faction, and pick a Proxy Faction. Sync the compiler to a placement module (or a Military Air Component Commander for an air group); the synced module picks up the compiled faction by itself, so there's no ID to enter on it. Then run the mission. Watch for: the template group disappearing shortly after start if Delete Templates is on, the placement module spawning groups that match what was placed (same unit types, same vehicle, similar gear), and units spawning with the loadout that was on the original placed unit rather than a default one.
To test drones, place a UGV or UAV (it can be empty) and sync the drone itself to a Group Category helper. There should be no red warning in Eden, the template drone should go at start, and the spawned drone should be crewed by its own group. To test kit, kill the leader of a three-man compiled group, let the group despawn and spawn again, and check the survivors still carry their own weapons. Signs of trouble: a drone with no crew, the warning still firing on a drone, or stock kit on a group's second spawn. Also try Override Categories mode against a modded faction ID to confirm only the synced category changes and the faction's other categories are unaffected. Worth trying this against one of the game's own factions as well as a modded one, since that case was broken until recently: check that the category you override comes from your templates and that every category you did not override still spawns that faction's normal units. If something looks wrong, enable the Debug setting on the compiler and check the mission log for faction compiler lines. The compiler always reports a Faction ID that clashes with an existing faction, and with Debug switched on it also notes when no template groups were captured; either points at a sync mistake or a naming clash rather than a spawn problem. Also try typing BLU_F as the Faction ID in New faction mode: the compiler should refuse it with a warning on screen, and NATO groups should be unchanged.
Spotted a problem? Please report it on the ALiVE issue tracker on GitHub, with the map, rough location and what the units were doing so it can be reproduced.
Changelog
Updates to this page
- 2026-11-01In Eden Proxy Faction only shows when overriding categories into a new faction.
- 2026-11-01Drones work: sync the UGV or UAV itself to a category and it becomes a group of its own, its crew with the drone as their vehicle. The Eden warning no longer flags a synced drone.
- 2026-11-01When a man in a compiled group dies, the survivors keep their own kit next time the group spawns, instead of moving up into a dead squadmate's.
- 2026-11-01Compiled kit now goes on every time a group spawns. A group that spawned again later, like one sent to attack, came back in its class's own kit.
- 2026-10-30In Override categories mode the RPT now lists which categories were replaced and which keep the original faction's own groups and kit, so their unchanged rifles don't look like a failed compile.
- 2026-10-29A faction compiled from a mod that dresses its units by script, such as WebKnight's Zombies, no longer spawns in underwear. Those units dress first and keep their own kit in any slot the template left empty; units with a uniform in their config get their template kit as before.
- 2026-10-09A compiled faction given a name with no faction config of its own keeps the side its mapping names, rather than reading as EAST.
- 2026-09-27New faction mode now refuses a Faction ID the game already has, such as BLU_F, with a warning on screen. It used to take that faction over, so every module asking for NATO infantry got your template group. Override categories is the mode for changing a faction that exists.
- 2026-09-25Proxy Faction and Faction Override Mode now have tooltips that say what they really do.
- 2026-08-15Override Categories mode now places the groups you gave it, instead of the faction's own stock groups. Categories you haven't overridden still use the faction's groups. With the New Faction fix, both modes now place what you asked for.
- 2026-08-15New Faction mode now places its groups, and they get orders, objective membership and counting. Broken since the module arrived, so a mission that gave up on it is worth revisiting. The log now names any group that matches nothing.
- 2026-08-07Override Categories now works on factions ALiVE had no data for, including the game's own. The faction used to lose the categories you didn't override.
- 2026-08-06Page corrected: the FIA and the Gendarmerie do have a mapping, so Override Categories works on them; the larger stock factions still do not.
- 2026-08-06Page corrected: the log wording for a Faction ID clash and for no template groups being captured, and which of the two needs Debug switched on.
- 2026-08-06Page corrected: Override Categories mode applies to modded factions ALiVE has a mapping for, not to the stock Arma factions.
- 2026-07-27Page first published for this new module.