I've essentially redone the first pass of the AI in C++ using this - http://dennaton.blogspot.com/2012/11...-miami-ai.html - as my AI design document.
The core AI API is very good. It takes bit of experimentation to get the hang of it but it's very solid. I wasn't sure if I could use UAITasks to break up the various states in C++... I used Actions Extension from https://www.unrealengine.com/marketp...ions-extension and I highly recommend it.
I do have a new found respect for the Behavior Tree solution in UE4 but I don't see myself using it again. I'm able to iterate much quicker with a straight C++ implementation.
Time to get a game play loop to build upon.
Example of a patrol AI investigating a sound source and then going back to its initial task. (hiding behind a wall as the AI is set to shoot on sight). Very impressed how little code you need to accomplish this. Seriously, the AI API is very good and naturally steers you towards an efficient event driven design.
