ai_network

This entity is not in the FGD by default.
It should not be put directly in a map because it is handled automatically by the game. Adding another will do nothing.

ai_network is a point entity available in all Source games except Left 4 Dead series.

Class hierarchy
CAI_NetworkManager ↳CPointEntity ↳CBaseEntity
ai_networkmanager.cpp

It is a vital entity to all NPC and AI functions that is created every map load. If you were to Kill it in the game, NPCs would freeze up entirely - no speech other than what is handled by choreographed scenes, no animations except for facial animations, no movement. Killing would also render all ai_ console commands unusable. A functional ai_network can be created after removal by creating a save then loading such save.

It is referred to as BigNet by the engine. Valve at one point intended to expand on this entity by making multiple of these work together in maps.

Important:This is a preserved entity in .
If the game has round restart mechanics this entity may not behave as expected:

• On a new round entities with this classname will intentionally not reset. You can use logic_auto to emulate resetting it.
• Killing it removes it forever, as it is not respawned on a new round.
• It cannot be spawned with a point_template.
• Parenting this with non-preserved entities may have undesirable effects.

ai_network has no way of resetting itself outside of the standard CBaseEntity/CPointEntity capabilities.

See Also

• ai_hint
• ai_network_build_helper