# A question on how the game deals with spawns

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [August 10, 2020, 6:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403 "2020-08-10T06:55:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Cahoon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/brian_cahoon/32/6070_2.png) [@Brian\_Cahoon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Brian_Cahoon)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 6:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403/1 "2020-08-10T06:55:05Z")

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So I was using the same game world for like a real life week. Everytime a character would die (all the time grrrr), I would make a new character but in the same world. It seemed like even tho the start date went all the way back to day 1 of the cataclysm, the monster spawns got worse. Like I started running into tough stuff, not just regular zombies.  
So then I chose the same world, but chose the reset world option. Right away I ran into some thing with power armor or something that insta-owned me right near the start shelter. Made a new guy, same world. Started in a new shelter somewhere else. Ran right down the road and as I get to the outskirts of the first town, I run into some devourer thing that has a bunch of human bodies all fused together. Am I just getting unlucky in what I run into? How does the game handle spawns and mutating mobs over time? Does making a new character change the spawns? What about reset option?

EDIT:Oh yea I forgot I had a second, non-related question. I somehow messed up and hit some debug thing and it started showing info on metabolic rates and whatnot. But when I went to sleep I kept getting a message saying that I “didnt have any dreams”. Whats up with this dream stuff? Is thing something in game, or something being worked on?

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**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403/2 "2020-08-10T10:23:08Z")

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> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> Am I just getting unlucky in what I run into?

Yes.

> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> How does the game handle spawns and mutating mobs over time?

It depends heavily on your game settings, namely `Monster evolution scaling factor` and `Spawn rate scaling factor`.  
This answer from an other topic explains it well:

> [@Is monster evolution scaling bugged/backwards?](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-monster-evolution-scaling-bugged-backwards/23684/5):
>
> every zombie is assigned a ‘half-life’ value in days (i think standard zombies is 28). this value is the point at which half of the population of that type of zombie is expected to be evolved into the next type. some will do it earlier, some later, but that number is the mid-point or ‘half-life’ for that population to be upgraded. The evolution scaling factor is a multiplier for that half-life value. so at default 4.0 evolution the standard zombie has a half-life of 112 days (4x28)…again some WI…

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> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> Does making a new character change the spawns?

Since you’re playing in the same world, you can run into the same (already evolved) monsters or monsters with it’s timer getting close to evolving. If you go into newly generated terrain, I’m not sure, but I think it uses the (newly) generated evolution timer of your current character.

> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> What about [world] reset option?

To my understanding it wipes your world completely and just keeps the mod list. That should reset the timer for sure.

> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> Whats up with this dream stuff?

Dreams are mutation related. See the wiki pages on [mutations](http://cddawiki.chezzo.com/cdda_wiki/index.php?title=Mutation) and [dreams](http://cddawiki.chezzo.com/cdda_wiki/index.php?title=Dreams) (spoilers).  
Or for short (taken from said wiki page): Once you are sufficiently mutated, you will begin receiving dreams, relating to how strongly mutated you are toward your highest category.

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Cahoon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/brian_cahoon/32/6070_2.png) [@Brian\_Cahoon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Brian_Cahoon)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403/3 "2020-08-10T17:24:31Z")

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Wow thank you very much for your reply. So it sounds like more or less I just hit a bad luck streak in what I ran into. To be honest, Ive been playing this game off and on for at least a year and I’ve never run into any of those things before. But then, I’ve also never even survived a whole in game month yet lol. Or encountered anything to do with mutations, or those cbm things (found my first one the other day in that previous run), or even done ANYTHING with vehicles yet. I suck at this game hahaha.

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**Author:** ![Mega\_Glub](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mega_glub/32/5063_2.png) [@Mega\_Glub](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mega_Glub)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/a-question-on-how-the-game-deals-with-spawns/24403/4 "2020-08-10T23:24:49Z")

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> [@Brian\_Cahoon](#):
>
> I suck at this game hahaha.

Don’t worry, it comes with time. Have fun with your world!