# Static NPCs vs Random NPCs

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [November 7, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799 "2014-11-07T23:15:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Teeplaysgames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Teeplaysgames](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Teeplaysgames)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/1 "2014-11-07T23:15:47Z")

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Which one do you prefer. Static, random, both or neither and why?

Also, is it static or random that spawns survivor camps and bandit camps?

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**Author:** ![eatdembeanz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/eatdembeanz/32/8603_2.png) [@eatdembeanz](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/eatdembeanz)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/2 "2014-11-07T23:34:02Z")

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You can have both options enabled, right? Static NPCs gives you NPC bases (though they’re absurdly rare), Random NPCs lets you see loads more NPCs, but none of them have any sort of personality.

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**Author:** ![StopSignal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/stopsignal/32/1923_2.png) [@StopSignal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/StopSignal)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/3 "2014-11-07T23:34:35Z")

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Both! Static because now it’s awesome and the survivor camps and bandit camps spawn with it. And i was never sure about random until i was seeing a video of a dude playing, and he got attacked by a npc in his base (a hotel) so he was running from room to room in the shooting and it was so awesome i peed a little. That is the best gameplay example of npcs i know.

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**Author:** ![John\_Candlebury](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/john_candlebury/32/6437_2.png) [@John\_Candlebury](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/John_Candlebury)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/4 "2014-11-07T23:35:26Z")

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Static spawns both bandit camps and refugee centers.

I play with both on, but take note that setting random NPCs on may result in your game ending spontaneously from a .30-06 round to the face.

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/5 "2014-11-07T23:52:53Z")

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Both. It’s nice to know that no matter how OP you get, there is always something that can take you down.

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**Author:** ![mdtexeira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mdtexeira](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/mdtexeira)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/6 "2014-11-08T02:02:30Z")

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I played with both on but I’m taking a break since the last time I saved a survivor, he ran into my base, stole my meds, and when I confronted him, shot me point blank in the face. What a jerk! Lesson learned…from now on I will hang back, watch the survivors die, and loot their stuff.

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/7 "2014-11-08T14:00:20Z")

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> [@HunterAlpha1](#):
>
> It’s nice to know that no matter how OP you get, there is always something that can take you down.

I have 80 strength and enough weaponry to destroy a small nation and I’m still afraid of tank drones and chicken walkers.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/1X/21b5d044e8473b25d0bf905d60477e25f6fbe0cf.png) [@system](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/8 "2014-11-08T21:28:00Z")

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Both. Static and random are both awesome! One of them tried to save me from a zombie hulk horde with his crossbow! (R.I.P Gale Billingsley)

[quote=“TheFlame52, post:7, topic:7799”]I have 80 strength and enough weaponry to destroy a small nation and I’m still afraid of tank drones and chicken walkers.  
[size=12pt]destroy a small nation and afraid of tank drones and chicken walkers.[/size]  
[size=14pt]afraid of tank drones and chicken walkers.[/size]  
[size=18pt]tank drones[/size][/quote]

Tank drones? I love them! They saved my life!  
[size=6pt]On the future… I’ll try to hug one of them…[/size]

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**Author:** ![Thwap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Thwap](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Thwap)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/9 "2014-11-08T21:44:22Z")

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Another vote for both! To me the chance of having another survivor come barreling down the street, guns blazing and waking up every monster for a mile around, is just another part of the world feeling alive.

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**Author:** ![Tineen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/tineen/32/364_2.png) [@Tineen](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Tineen)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/10 "2014-11-08T22:02:54Z")

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Both because I do enjoy waking up to the smell of naplam in the morning when a NPC decided I was on his lawn.

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**Author:** ![Loendal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f08c70/32.png) [@Loendal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Loendal)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/11 "2014-11-08T23:31:19Z")

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I have random NPC’s turned on, but Static is off.

The zombie-bait fellow survivors in my home town have been keeping the zombies at bay very honorable in sacrificing themselves in the ever present threat of the undead while I rob scavenge the houses around the area and eek out a harsh and meager existence with my fireplace, blankets, boarded up windows and vast personal library and food stores.

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**Author:** ![Teeplaysgames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Teeplaysgames](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Teeplaysgames)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/12 "2014-11-08T23:44:52Z")

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Does anybody know if there’s a way to vastly lower the number of NPCs that spawn on random?

I like the idea of other NPCs, but right now the world feels too… Alive. There’s too many people. Id like to run into other people maybe once a week at the most, rather than twenty times a day. I feel like this would make NPCs much more meaningful and each encounter would be more interesting. Right now, I can brush off NPCs until I find an especially tough one to invite into my camp, but Id like to have other people be extremely rare.

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/13 "2014-11-09T00:40:03Z")

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[quote=“Teeplaysgames, post:12, topic:7799”]Does anybody know if there’s a way to vastly lower the number of NPCs that spawn on random?

I like the idea of other NPCs, but right now the world feels too… Alive. There’s too many people. Id like to run into other people maybe once a week at the most, rather than twenty times a day. I feel like this would make NPCs much more meaningful and each encounter would be more interesting. Right now, I can brush off NPCs until I find an especially tough one to invite into my camp, but Id like to have other people be extremely rare.[/quote]Or how about keeping the NPC spawn rate like it is on day 1, then have it slowly decrease as time passes, imitating the increasing scarcity of other survivors, until it gets to the point where the only survivors left are in groups?

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**Author:** ![RipRoarinBoogerPenis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/riproarinboogerpenis/32/20_2.png) [@RipRoarinBoogerPenis](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/RipRoarinBoogerPenis)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/14 "2014-11-09T00:43:39Z")

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Both. I like the refugee centers. It’s also nice for the loot when npcs bullrush a horde.

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**Author:** ![Teeplaysgames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Teeplaysgames](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Teeplaysgames)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/15 "2014-11-09T01:02:31Z")

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[quote=“HunterAlpha1, post:13, topic:7799”][quote=“Teeplaysgames, post:12, topic:7799”]Does anybody know if there’s a way to vastly lower the number of NPCs that spawn on random?

I like the idea of other NPCs, but right now the world feels too… Alive. There’s too many people. Id like to run into other people maybe once a week at the most, rather than twenty times a day. I feel like this would make NPCs much more meaningful and each encounter would be more interesting. Right now, I can brush off NPCs until I find an especially tough one to invite into my camp, but Id like to have other people be extremely rare.[/quote]Or how about keeping the NPC spawn rate like it is on day 1, then have it slowly decrease as time passes, imitating the increasing scarcity of other survivors, until it gets to the point where the only survivors left are in groups?[/quote]

That would work wonders. I spend the last twenty minutes trying to find the value that determines how often NPCs spawn, but I cant find it. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![ryvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@ryvn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ryvn)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/16 "2014-11-09T01:27:04Z")

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I play with both off. I like the solitude of my one-survivor campaign against the forces of Hell.

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/17 "2014-11-09T02:19:38Z")

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[quote=“Teeplaysgames, post:15, topic:7799”][quote=“HunterAlpha1, post:13, topic:7799”][quote=“Teeplaysgames, post:12, topic:7799”]Does anybody know if there’s a way to vastly lower the number of NPCs that spawn on random?

I like the idea of other NPCs, but right now the world feels too… Alive. There’s too many people. Id like to run into other people maybe once a week at the most, rather than twenty times a day. I feel like this would make NPCs much more meaningful and each encounter would be more interesting. Right now, I can brush off NPCs until I find an especially tough one to invite into my camp, but Id like to have other people be extremely rare.[/quote]Or how about keeping the NPC spawn rate like it is on day 1, then have it slowly decrease as time passes, imitating the increasing scarcity of other survivors, until it gets to the point where the only survivors left are in groups?[/quote]

That would work wonders. I spend the last twenty minutes trying to find the value that determines how often NPCs spawn, but I cant find it. Any ideas?[/quote]This is something that should go in the suggestions thread, maybe it’ll be implemented.

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**Author:** ![Closet\_Pankin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/closet_pankin/32/376_2.png) [@Closet\_Pankin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Closet_Pankin)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/18 "2014-11-09T03:43:01Z")

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I’m using static right now, but I can’t find any NPCs whatsoever, ever since I left the evac shelter. Do survivor camps spawn in any specific area? Do they show up on the map?

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/19 "2014-11-09T04:15:09Z")

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> [@ryvn](#):
>
> I play with both off. I like the solitude of my one-survivor campaign against the forces of Hell.

As do I 🙂

> [@Closet Pankin](#):
>
> I’m using static right now, but I can’t find any NPCs whatsoever, ever since I left the evac shelter. Do survivor camps spawn in any specific area? Do they show up on the map?

Yes, survivor buildings have their own place. You just haven’t found it.

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**Author:** ![eatdembeanz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/eatdembeanz/32/8603_2.png) [@eatdembeanz](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/eatdembeanz)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/static-npcs-vs-random-npcs/7799/20 "2014-11-09T06:52:28Z")

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> [@Closet Pankin](#):
>
> I’m using static right now, but I can’t find any NPCs whatsoever, ever since I left the evac shelter. Do survivor camps spawn in any specific area? Do they show up on the map?

Refugee Centers are quite rare. Bandit forts are even rarer and have less content in them.

I don’t think there are any other inhabited areas, but I might be wrong.

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