WIP: Monster groupings from JSON, tile-specific groups

Tase · 2013-03-19T13:47:27.000Z

I’m working on the monster groupings spawn, initially moved the “frequency” attribute from the monster itself to the groupings, so we can have a group with 80% normal zombie spawning chance, and an other with 40% normal zombie spawning chance. After this I worked on putting the groups into JSON, like what GlyphGryph is going with items.

Anyway, now that’s done, im working on using those 2 changes along with the static spawning system to customize spawns depending on the tile/location, such as police stations, houses and etc. This means making groups, i.e police station groups with increased cop zombie chance.

So far I’ve targeted the police station as an increase cop frequency, houses as a more normal place (early game, very common location), with children, electronic shops with slightly increased shockers.

What do you guys think? Any suggestions for groupings, either locations, chance to spawn or composition ?

GlyphGryph · 2013-03-19T13:55:50.000Z

Throw a higher/existing chance of military zombies in for things like crashed helicopters?

Tase · 2013-03-19T15:17:13.000Z

Would zombies in general spawn at wrecks/drug deals ? According to the lore, stuff already dead doesn’t zombiefy.

GlyphGryph · 2013-03-19T15:27:35.000Z

Well, I’d imagine it being a chance - I’m sure some of the helicopter crashes occured after the infection spread. There are certainly other military dead that turned into zombies. By setting spawn chances, does that guarantee a monster will spawn there? I’m not entirely sure how that works, actually.

Tase · 2013-03-19T15:34:15.000Z

Well, from the words of kevingarnarde, “when the spawning system demands a monster, it gets a monster”.

That said, it could be possible to setup a group with a default monster of “mon_null”, (or just put a mon_null with a certain chance in the lot, but that wouldn’t make sense) and put monsters in it, and they would have a chance to appear, otherwise nothing. Not sure if the current methods that place_spawn use support “mon_null” though could easily be handled though.

So yea, implementing a “chance to appear” case wouldn’t be too hard, and I’m sure no one would complain when seeing 2-3 military zombies around a wreck occasionally. I’dd have to look into the numbers.

GlyphGryph · 2013-03-19T16:56:27.000Z

I think that might out pretty well for other situations too, so it seems like a decent thing to do. When I finally add Orlek Dens, for example, I’d basically want a chance of spawn or nothing.

The problem is, I’m not sure how the current system determines when it is supposed to spawn something through the static system?

Tase · 2013-03-19T17:11:04.000Z

From what I understood it just places the spawn once it’s done creating the building/tile. Placing the spawn creates a group and places the chosen monsters there.

Vorpal2 · 2013-03-19T19:21:16.000Z

Pharmacy - Fast zombies - drug fiends

Grocery, Restaurants - Boomers - Over eating

Liquor Stores - Spitters - Lots of volatile chemicals?

Something for skeletons, 'cause it’d be cool to see them in huge numbers. Sewage plants 'cause of the goo in the water maybe?

Gas stations - Hulks. Because I’m evil and you could just blow them up, and deny yourself the gas.

GlyphGryph · 2013-03-19T20:51:45.000Z

I’d eventually like to see skeletons traveling with necromancers, but there’s not really any code in their properly for that sort of thing right now.

Picture almost ethereal tendrils leading from the skeletons to the master… something like…

cancer_by_lordnetsua-d4phl2v.jpg600×848

But that’s probably a bit beyond the realm of spawn groups and into other stuff.

Obvious spawn adjusts, though, tase, would be labs, military locations, and the like, which could now safely have regular zombies or specials in addition to their current “local type only” zombies.

KA101 · 2013-03-24T04:42:12.000Z

I kinda like that labs are deserted…until something makes noise off in the distance…and that something is generally dangerous enough to either kill fast, flee fast, or get killed by. You almost feel safe sleeping in an underground dorm. Almost. I haven’t taken that chance yet.

(Exception is when the ants overrun a given lab. Those are just a straight-up fight.)

Bunkers probably shouldn’t have any zeds as they’re locked from the outside and lack any sort of facilities for human habitation. You could make camp in one, but you’d be bringing/making all the facilities yourself.

Sewage plant, yeah, those could have a surprise or two; thinking scientists would be the way to go (desperately trying to implement a cure?).