Installation & Setup

Installation & Setup

This guide covers installing Smart Trainers on your server and understanding the datapack structure for AI configurations.

Requirements

Dependency	Version
Minecraft	1.21.1
Fabric Loader or NeoForge	Latest stable
Cobblemon	1.6.0+

Mod Installation

1. Download the Smart Trainers mod JAR for your platform (Fabric or NeoForge)
2. Place the JAR file in your server’s mods/ folder
3. Start the server — Smart Trainers will load its built-in presets automatically

No additional configuration files are generated on first launch. Smart Trainers is entirely datapack-driven — all customization happens through datapacks, not config files.

Built-in Presets

Smart Trainers ships with ready-to-use AI presets (random, easy, medium, hard, expert, champion, vgc_master, gen4_cynthia) and battle bag presets. You can start using these immediately without creating any datapack files.

Datapack Structure

Smart Trainers loads three types of resources from datapacks. All files are JSON and follow standard Minecraft datapack conventions.

data/
└── <namespace>/
    ├── battle_ai/
    │   ├── my_trainer.json
    │   ├── fire_gym.json
    │   └── elite_four_dragon.json
    ├── battle_bags/
    │   ├── gym_leader.json
    │   └── elite.json
    └── move_categories/
        └── custom_heal.json

AI Configs — data/\{namespace\}/battle_ai/

The core behavior files. Each JSON file defines how a trainer fights — skill level, move preferences, switch logic, gimmick activation, personality traits, and more.

The file path determines the resource ID:

File Path	Resource ID
data/mypack/battle_ai/fire_gym.json	mypack:fire_gym
data/smart_trainers/battle_ai/expert.json	smart_trainers:expert
data/mypack/battle_ai/trainers/route1.json	mypack:trainers/route1

You assign this resource ID to an NPC to control its battle behavior.

Battle Bags — data/\{namespace\}/battle_bags/

Define which items a trainer can use during battle and the rules for when to use them. Potions, Full Restores, Revives, X items — all configurable with Molang conditions.

File Path	Resource ID
data/mypack/battle_bags/gym_leader.json	mypack:gym_leader
data/smart_trainers/battle_bags/elite.json	smart_trainers:elite

Move Categories — data/\{namespace\}/move_categories/

Map move names to strategic categories that the AI uses for filtering. Smart Trainers includes built-in categories (damage, heal, buff, hazard, pivot, etc.), and you can extend or override them with your own files.

Category	Description	Example Moves
damage	Direct damage-dealing	Most attacking moves
heal	HP recovery	recover, roost, softboiled
buff	Self/ally stat boosting	swordsdance, calmmind
hazard	Entry hazards	stealthrock, spikes
hazard_control	Hazard removal	rapidspin, defog
pivot	Damage + switch	uturn, voltswitch
priority	Increased priority	quickattack, extremespeed
status	Status-inflicting	thunderwave, willowisp
protection	Protect/Detect family	protect, detect
weather	Weather-setting	raindance, sunnyday
terrain	Terrain-setting	electricterrain, grassyterrain
speed_control	Speed manipulation	tailwind, trickroom

Backwards Compatibility

Deprecated Path

For backwards compatibility, AI configs are also loaded from the legacy path data/\{namespace\}/battle_ai_configs/\{name\}.json. This path works but produces a warning in the server log. If a config exists at both the new path (battle_ai/) and the old path (battle_ai_configs/), the new path takes priority. Move your configs to battle_ai/ to silence the warning.

Hot Reloading

All Smart Trainers resources reload when you run the standard Minecraft /reload command. You do not need to restart the server to apply changes.

This makes iteration fast:

1. Edit a JSON config file in your datapack
2. Run /reload in-game
3. Start a new battle to test the updated behavior

Note

Changes only take effect for new battles. A battle already in progress will continue using the config that was loaded when it started.

Verifying Installation

After installing, you can verify Smart Trainers is loaded correctly:

1. Start your server and check the log for Smart Trainers initialization messages
2. Confirm the built-in presets are available by assigning smart_trainers:medium to an NPC
3. Battle the NPC — it should demonstrate type-aware play, STAB preference, and occasional switching

Next Steps

With Smart Trainers installed, you are ready to create your first custom AI config:

• Quick Start — Create a custom trainer AI in five minutes
• Introduction — Understand how the AI decision system works