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Spawns and Spawn rates

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Spawns and Spawn rates Empty Spawns and Spawn rates

Post by MannyJabrielle Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:06 pm

This is something I've noticed since Aenea way back switched from the default NWN style spawn triggers to sparky-spawns..... spawn rates can kind of.... suck.

I like how there is randomness to it.  however, I have found that while well used areas like the tarnesha beholder tunnels have a decent spawn rate, many areas are, and have been for a good long while, virtually dead and empty.

For example, used to be that going down into the searing sands ruins, the bonewall pyramid, you'd have to battle a horde of mummies and such.  That was way back when though.  Now.... finding just ONE mummy on that first level of the searing sands is a miracle.... seeing cinder trolls on the next level down, likewise a rare event. There are so many areas where there used to be decent numbers of enemies and not anymore, it's actually a shorter list to name areas that do have decent spawning rates.  Beholders in tarnesha, death island seems to have something to do other than walk through empty spaces, the newbie goblin caves... so-so.... they can be vritually empty except for that one massive spawn of goblins on the first level (such a huge battle really should be placed back down on the second level near the cave's end though).... ando's golems, orcs in knort scrar.

Ironically, two of those areas seem to still use the old NWN style spawn triggers.  Not much randomness/variety, but they ARE consistent, and it's more fun to actually fight stuff than be constantly running through empty areas.

And Aenea needs more of that, more stuff for PCs to fight.  I think certain areas, such as the searing sands, the dark realms, bonewall, areas that are not "roads between destinations", but actual destinations, should have their spawn rates ramped up dramatically.  It really should be a battle with mummy hordes to get through the pyramid, there should be more than just roaches, I mean fraxan demons inhabiting the dark reams (ok, there are others, but a vast majority of the DR, an epic level area, is populated by baddies which are essentially goblins with a different name).

And, I don't know if it's just a quirk of sparky spawns, or an actual bug.... but the spawns need to happen the first time a player enters the area in question.  Many of the places which are supposed to spawn stuff seem to not register that they should spawn stuff until a PC has entered, run around, found the place empty, and then left, and then spawns something after a 2nd PC runs through later on.

SO yeah..... increase spawn rates in 'hunting areas'.... big time increase.  It would be really nice if a PC entered such an area and instead of yet another big empty area, there's a big area with 20 to 50 enemies to battle.
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Post by Talvi Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:39 am

I agree, many areas that shouldn't be are (almost) devoid of enemies. In fact, whenever I want to go hunting I find myself teleporting to a certain few areas that seem to have non-random spawns.
As for the Dark Realm, I think that replacing the generic Fraxians and other weak enemies with some of medium strength would be a good idea; especially if you consider that for most PCs anything in the DR before the red portal is a walk in the park (most of the enemies don't even touch me), while after the red portal you encounter epic fiends that have a DPS of what, 300? Something in between would be nice so you have something worthwhile to kill while working your way towards those epic fiends.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:11 pm

There *are* other types of demons that spawn.... they just spawn so rarely I've literally only seen them pop up maybe 5 times since the DR's been opened up.  Rakshasas, some sorta super tall gnoll-looking demon, a creature that kind of looks like an invisible stalker, but with a fiery look to it that's really cool.  I don't know how "tough" they are though given they are a super rare random spawn
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Post by daveyeisley Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:48 pm

I think the mid to high level areas could all definitely use more spawns of tougher varieties.
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Post by The Amethyst Dragon Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:41 pm

Feedback like this helps me adjust things in the game.  Thanks.

Modifying some spawn tables, adding more spawns to some areas.  Will keep adjusting as time goes on.  Naming some specific areas like you have done helps.
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Post by The Amethyst Dragon Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:52 pm

Well, hell.  The reason the areas below the Searing sands was so empty...waaaaaay back when replacing most of the spawns with the Sparky system, I evidently removed the old style encounter triggers and just plain forgot to put in the new system in those areas.  Rolling Eyes Fixed for next module update.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:56 pm

W00t! Return of the mummies!
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Post by MannyJabrielle Sun Jul 27, 2014 9:16 pm

Just got into the sands.... and WOOHOOO! Tons of mummies!

There is a certain ecstasy that comes from being a fire-starter hunting in ruins filled with very flammable mummies Wink

And a side non-spawn request on the searing sands...  Could the traps around the coffins be tweaked?  Not their difficulty, but their placement.

I can *see* the traps, I see the red trigger, but they're placed around the "steps" of the coffin platforms, and it makes it a really difficult pixel-hunt to try and find that one right spot on the screen where the radial menu will actualy open up and allow trap-disarming/recovery/flagging.

If the trap triggers were repainted to be just a tiny bit smaller, so they're not on the "steps" of the platform, that might alleviate the issue.

I get a similar thing too with the traps in the dark-realms "gauntlet" area (which is rather empty of sparky-spawns too BTW).

Some of the traps in there are painted a bit wider than the walkable tile itself... the red trigger can be seen on non-walkable tops of the 'walls', but it's a frustrating pixel hunt trying to get the mouse to actually click on the trigger to handle the trap.
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Post by Ramana Jala Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:48 am


The Amethyst Dragon wrote:Well, hell.  The reason the areas below the Searing sands was so empty...waaaaaay back when replacing most of the spawns with the Sparky system, I evidently removed the old style encounter triggers and just plain forgot to put in the new system in those areas.  Rolling Eyes Fixed for next module update.

So this must be the reason the fire trolls completely disappeared from there a few months back, and the spawns from the coffins dropped to about 10%.

I'll be glad to see more stuff back there also. Didn't know it wasn't deliberate, otherwise I would have reported it myself.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:53 am

Some more specific areas which have been empty for a while and/or could use a spawn boost:

Calith's Well crypt.  1st level level could probably use a few more baddies... there's the occasional stirge, and I think the pop outa ground zombies are still there, but could probably make due with a few more Wink

Second level.... just went down there, and nada.  I didn't even get the super-charged divine mummy.  That area used to be a real fun smash-fest of mummies

Bonewall Pyramid.  2nd level has two or three mummies plus the massive elemental, could probably do with a few more?

Next couple levels below that, totally devoid of mummies now, used to be crawling with them.

Mindflayer enclave: The old original top level has baddies, but used to have lots more, although they were old NWN trigger-spawns.  Could probably use a boost in there.  The new lower level is great as-is, just the old top level is a little emptyish for it's size and how many actual baddies spawn in there.

Drow temple: Same as flayers...  given it's size, it's a little empty.  Probably don't want to up that area too much since it's a lower level area, but a little something more would rock, especially since it's now actually a lot easier without the 4 other drow wizards around any longer.  Would actually be great to see more warriors/trainees, AND an occasional wizard here or there for extra challenge.

Skoth Tyrant throne.... for it's size, could use some more beholders and other nasties.  And given beholder XP is not so insane now, maybe even up the spawnrate back to nearly what it was originally.  It's a very large area, and it's not easy to get to, so I see no issue with it being extremely dangerous for mid level characters to stumble into.

Harcorth's temple in the valley of the sharks.... not sure if this has been tweaked since I mentioned it to you in-game, but the valley itself, and the temple were totally empty.  That whole string of areas was actually rather empty, don't recall if I ran into even a single monster other than a few sharks in the veeery first area off the death-water beach.

Burial island in Macedone. Island itself used to have skeletons spawn (was a great place to hunt for helms I remember).  Now it's empty.

The crypt on the island... just a side note, the growing skeletons don't give XP.  The crypt could use more baddies, it's large, and sparsley populated with like 10, maybe 12 skeletons all together.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:01 am

Oh, and Nightwood forest.... This area used to have some cool "night" versions of creatures, goblins, animals, all with some swirly VFxs. Was originally made as a nice area for sun-sensitive PCs to go hunt "outside" without sun worries.... now the areas other than the drow camp are habitually empty.
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Post by The Amethyst Dragon Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:36 am

Thanks for the directed feedback.  This will definitely help in making adjustments.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:39 pm

Very Happy

And, one specific area request.... The bridge right before tradeholm used to have a troll guarding it. The "Toll Troll" It used to be rather something of a 'rite of passage' for new characters to dfefeat the troll on the darla blackrose quest.  Could that troll be placed back in?  That was always one of my low-level milestone favorites.  Heck, could even make it a special one now, with a level or two of "tolltaker" Wink
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Post by The Amethyst Dragon Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:50 pm

Crap.  What happened to Toll, the Troll?  Yeah, he needs to go back on duty.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Wed Jul 30, 2014 10:48 pm

He went on break.  Several years ago.  he must be in the union.  you know how they are with their "fifteen minute" *cough* breaks.
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Post by margolloxx Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:34 pm

Hello, everyone.
I am new on your great server and noticed something that kept me wondering. Those vampirebats that spawn from time to time give an awful lot of xp. My friend claimed, he got 400 a few levels ago.
Thats quite alot compared to the 10xp enemies spawning in those areas as well, especially because they are basically free kills since they don't fight back at all.
I am talking about the vampirebats near valondale and caves.
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Post by Elhanan Thu Jul 31, 2014 5:21 pm

Vampire bats used to attack when one moved close, and did some fairly potent damage as I recall. I found it best to try and take them at range, if possible.
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Post by MannyJabrielle Thu Jul 31, 2014 10:31 pm

Monstrous bats too give a lot of XP and don't fight back.

The vampire bats too are a little crazy.... Last night was running around with one of the new players, and we came across vampire bats just outside the vale.  I zapped one with a flame arrow level 30 wand, nailed the bat for 140+ damage... and it survived with between 26% to 50% of it's HP left.  No fire resistance, it was straight damage to the creature.

Not surre how much XP the new player got. We were grouped, and I was on as one of my level 40's, so the 20 level differential was nuking the XP, but I would imagine he got quite a bit since I got above the bar min 10 for party range penalty.
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Post by daveyeisley Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:22 pm

Rockholm: Forge Pass could use some baddies, maybe stone giants throwing boulders or something...
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Post by MannyJabrielle Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:40 pm

Yes! Giant ambush time! I loves it!
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Post by MannyJabrielle Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:19 am

I think the newbie goblin caves could use a little more tweaking....

New level 3 character, first level of the caves I consistently get goblin shamans.  Even with weapon finesse and very high dex, they are a huge pain to take down.  The first level could do with less, or even no shamans, and more regular cave goblins.

Second level.... halfway through, there is a huge spawn of goblins.  I couldn't even count how many, the screen filled up and couldn't even display all the cave goblin names with tab-highlighting.  There were a number of shamans, and at least two berserkers, as well as 30+ regular cave goblins.

That's simply way too much for level 2-4 PCs.  It's not even so much the numbers but that they are ALL clumped together in one massive group.
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Post by RustyDios Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:45 pm

Sounds like the SparkySpawn in that second level group is not set to "spread" .....
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Post by Angel of Death Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:47 pm

Sounds like your low level adventurer ran into the goblins' annual meeting for "How to cause the most stress for adventurers" meeting. Razz
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