BGTSCC Spawning System Mechanics

[mar3usmc]

This post is to just answer any future questions with regards to spawns in our PW.

BGTSCC uses a variety of spawning automated spawning systems. Currently most of our areas use a WP spawn system (script: mmorpg_spawner). I can't recall where this spawn system can be had or where the documentation can be read. However, for NPC spawns you create a list and then you place a placeable waypoint in that area with the tag referencing that list and an attached heartbeat script that calls from that calls from that list.

So basically every heartbeat the script will check to see if max monsters has been reached for the area (usually about 10) and if so no further monsters are spawned, if not one of the monsters from the list, based on a percentage, are spawned. It is very basic, and not very versatile. For instance, if there are 10 people in your party the spawn rate will not increase the slightest.

Generally Luna has to set up the spawn list and you just attach that tag to the spawner. The plus side to this system is that the spawn system is very easy to set up, and can be quickly done.

The next system we have been using for a little while now, and are slowly switching over to for a variety of areas, is the MPWC Spawn System. You can get that HERE and within you will find all the documentation you need to understand the system. Some scripting background may be needed to understand some of the documentation.

This system is far more versitile that the previous. For instance, it will scale up the rate of spawns to the total amount of players in an area, you can have groups spawn, you can have multiple types of spawn groups, the spawn list is very adjustable and can be done directly by the area builder, and where what spawns is also very adjustable. This all allows the area to adapt to the players automatically. For those of you who have braved the Netherese Ruins (AKA. Planar Maze) this is the spawn system used there.

However, the major drawback of this system is that it is not easy or quick to set up. Every spawn waypoint must be part of a numbered list and that must be entered in manually one at a time. This latter task is probably the most time consuming part of the system.

There are a few spawn systems that we use that are triggers as well. One being our custom ambush script that is very customizable with regards to level adjustment to the PC that triggered it and what is spawned. Another is the regular encounter script. This is generally only used for bosses and rarely used otherwise as it causes a great deal of predictability in an area.

That is the summary of the spawn systems currently in use in BGTSCC servers. If you have any questions feel free to post them here. I, or another will try to address them and adjust this initial post to answer such a question in the future.