Need help with NPC spawning.

[Insano-Man]

I've been working on a personal mod for a while now and the latest brick wall I've run up against is getting particular NPCs to spawn ambiently. Specifically, STAG troopers and zombies. I've managed to get most of the spawn rules set - NPCs I don't want aren't spawning anymore, for example - but these two absolutely refuse to spawn on the sidewalk.

Does anyone know what I should be looking for? I'll admit that I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to working with NPC spawns, so the obvious answers may well be slipping through my fingers.

 

[Insano-Man]

I think I could've been more clear in my original post - was on my way to bed when I wrote it up - so let me offer some better information on my situation:

I'm trying to add STAG troopers and zombies to the spawn list of the Burns Hill reactor ruins. I want to recreate the area as a disaster zone, and my ability to do so hinges on being able to:
A) Clear most normal pedestrians from the Burns Hill spawn list (which I've done successfully)
B) Add in STAG or national guard soldiers (neither of which I can get spawning)
C) Throw in zombies so the player has something to shoot at (once again, complete lack of success so far)
So far, everything I've done has failed to yield success. I've primarily been working with spawn_info_categories.xtbl, spawn_info_groups.xtbl, and character.xtbl. I've tried fiddling with character flags and changing categories, but neither has done anything. The only thing I haven't done - and something I'm hesitant to - is replace an existing spawn group with what I'm after, but that could disrupt another part of the game. I want this to be limited to the reactor ruins and the reactor ruins alone.

Once more, I'm very inexperienced with this kind of work, and much of Saints Row modding in general. Something that might go without saying for regulars could easily be giving me the slip. The help of someone who's worked with this before would be greatly appreciated, as I'm practically flying blind here.

 

[Kmz2345]

we can help each other if you want i´m working on a mod like yours if need more info please PM me and i can find help

 

[shitface]

I know some stuff about NPC spawning!

B) If you want STAG or NG soldiers to spawn in those areas you'll have to do one of two things. Option one would be creating new character entries which are copies of the regular STAG/NG soldiers but on the neutral gang team, and with the "spawnable civilian" streamcategory. Add them to a spawn_info_group and to spawn_info_categories. Option two would be changing the law_spawn_group in spawn_info_categories for burns hill to spawn_law_ng and adding STAG troops to that spawn info group, and up the lawcap for the area. I haven't tried this so I have no idea if it will work or not.

C) Can't be done, right now the game does not spawn characters with the zombie flag outside of their category, and it's unlikely this will be fixed. The only way you could get what you want is to add STAG and NG troops to the spawn_arapice_zombies category and use sandbox+ to enable zombie spawning. However this will effect spawns across the city. Not ideal.

 

[Kmz2345]

This new layout looks weird and hard to use, very confuse, also tnx for the help shitoface

 

[Insano-Man]

B) If you want STAG or NG soldiers to spawn in those areas you'll have to do one of two things. Option one would be creating new character entries which are copies of the regular STAG/NG soldiers but on the neutral gang team, and with the "spawnable civilian" streamcategory.

I could probably make that work. Do you know if their spawn rank will set their team back to Police properly, or will they be stuck on the Neutral Gang team?

Add them to a spawn_info_group and to spawn_info_categories. Option two would be changing the law_spawn_group in spawn_info_categories for burns hill to spawn_law_ng and adding STAG troops to that spawn info group, and up the lawcap for the area. I haven't tried this so I have no idea if it will work or not.

Unfortunately, I tried this already, and it was one of my first attempts. It didn't work when I tried, and that's what got me digging through character entries to see why it wouldn't.

C) Can't be done, right now the game does not spawn characters with the zombie flag outside of their category, and it's unlikely this will be fixed. The only way you could get what you want is to add STAG and NG troops to the spawn_arapice_zombies category and use sandbox+ to enable zombie spawning. However this will effect spawns across the city. Not ideal.

That's a shame. I would hope that changes once the SDK's in fighting shape, but I won't get my hopes up.

Does give me some fun ideas, though. Thanks for the help!

 

[shitface]

I could probably make that work. Do you know if their spawn rank will set their team back to Police properly, or will they be stuck on the Neutral Gang team?

No, a character's spawn_info_rank and team do not work like that. Each spawn_info_rank has different equipment sets according to team, so for example a character with Law Rank 1 as their spawn_info_rank can be given two different sets of gear depending on their team, as defined in character.xtbl. This is all listed under each rank in spawn_info_ranks.xtbl. If you make a character spawn with a rank with no gear defined for their team, they will simply spawn with no weapons.

Unfortunately, I tried this already, and it was one of my first attempts. It didn't work when I tried, and that's what got me digging through character entries to see why it wouldn't.

You might also need to remove the no spawn outside category flag from the sierra point category in spawn_info_categories for this to work.