Dynamic Spawn Zone System for War Thunder’s Ground Battles
Introduction
Spawn camping has been a significant point of frustration in War Thunder’s ground battles. Fixed spawn points often lead to predictable spawns that enemy players can exploit, particularly on larger maps where teams often struggle to break through a camped zone. To counter this, I propose a dynamic Player-Controlled Spawn Zone System that would give players more control over where they spawn, thereby reducing the occurrence of spawn camping while improving overall gameplay flow.
This system would be especially effective for large maps but could also be scaled for smaller maps as well. The proposal includes technical considerations for game developers to ensure smooth implementation.
1. Player Benefits of the Dynamic Spawn System
The proposed spawn system offers several key benefits to players, significantly enhancing the gameplay experience:
-
Increased Strategic Control: Players would be able to choose their specific spawn location within a defined zone, enabling greater flexibility based on the current battle situation.
also shown in the first picture but will also be shown in later pictures -
Reduced Spawn Camping: By removing fixed spawn points and allowing players to spawn anywhere within the blue zone, it becomes much harder for enemy players to predict where a vehicle will spawn, reducing opportunities for spawn camping.
Here it show’s a FIX - show the Eneamy team Gang Champing.
And Here is a Dynamic Spwan, how it can look like! - green line is line of sight
- More Immersive Gameplay: This system gives players the feeling of controlling their own fate, allowing them to spawn near flanks, objectives, or safer areas depending on their desired strategy.
All the Eneamy is on the left site, and all the BLUE spawn to a Fast C.
- Better Map Utilization: Players will be able to take advantage of more diverse terrain features and spawn closer to objectives or cover, making each match less predictable and more tactical.
2. Game-Changing Aspects
Better Gameplay Flow
Currently, fixed spawn points often lead to repetitive gameplay, with players respawning in the same areas repeatedly. With dynamic spawning, players can spawn at different points within the designated blue zones every time, allowing for more fluid gameplay. This opens up opportunities to counterattack flanks or defend objectives more effectively.
Spawn Camping Prevention
Spawn camping becomes much more difficult because players will no longer appear in fixed, predictable locations. By allowing them to click within a zone, they can actively avoid spawn campers or counter them by spawning at a safe distance. This adds an element of surprise, making it harder for opposing teams to lock down the game early.
Dynamic Mid-Battle Adjustments
Players who want to push a particular flank or reinforce a collapsing defense can choose to spawn in the most advantageous position for that strategy. The result is better mid-game adaptations and the opportunity to recover from setbacks more effectively.
3. Why This System is Needed
The current spawn mechanics in War Thunder ground battles are becoming outdated, particularly on larger maps where spawn camping is more prevalent. By introducing dynamic spawn zones, War Thunder can better align with modern tactical shooters, which provide players with more control over their respawns.
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More Engaging and Less Frustrating Matches: Fewer matches will be dominated by one-sided spawn traps. Players will feel more in control of their gameplay experience, leading to longer and more exciting battles.
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Greater Map Flexibility: Developers can design more diverse and complex maps without the need for multiple fixed spawn points. The dynamic spawn system will adapt naturally to each map’s unique terrain and layout.
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Improved Competitive Balance: Allowing players to spawn where they need to, not where they’re forced to, improves the competitive nature of the game by making each team’s strategy more adaptive.
4. Development Considerations
Zonal Mapping and Player-Controlled Spawning
In this system, each map will be divided into designated spawn zones (e.g., blue zones for friendly spawns). These zones will be visually marked on the map interface, allowing players to click anywhere within the blue zone to spawn their vehicle. This player-controlled system gives a tactical advantage and prevents predictable respawns, which often lead to spawn camping.
Player Clicked Spawn Implementation:
Here’s an in-depth code example to showcase how this system could be implemented in a game like War Thunder, with a focus on ground vehicle spawning.
Code C++ - maybe a little spaghetti code long time ago i have code’t
an example
For non coder Read // lines to get a roughly understanding what it does
// Define the friendly blue spawn zone boundaries (could be rectangular or polygonal)
std::vector<Vector3> blueZoneBoundary = {
Vector3(100.0f, 0.0f, 100.0f), // Bottom left corner
Vector3(300.0f, 0.0f, 100.0f), // Bottom right corner
Vector3(300.0f, 0.0f, 300.0f), // Top right corner
Vector3(100.0f, 0.0f, 300.0f) // Top left corner
};
// Function to check if a player's click is inside the blue zone
bool IsInsideBlueZone(const Vector3& clickPosition)
{
return IsPointInPolygon(clickPosition, blueZoneBoundary);
}
// Main function to handle the player's spawn click
void OnPlayerClickSpawn(const Vector3& clickPosition)
{
// Step 1: Check if the click is inside the blue zone
if (IsInsideBlueZone(clickPosition))
{
// Step 2: Check if the selected point is free of obstacles (buildings, trees, etc.)
if (IsValidSpawnLocation(clickPosition))
{
// Step 3: Spawn the player's vehicle at the selected point
SpawnPlayerVehicleAt(clickPosition);
ShowSuccessMessage("You have successfully spawned!");
}
else
{
// Invalid location due to an obstacle
ShowErrorMessage("Invalid spawn location. Please choose another point.");
}
}
else
{
// Click is outside the allowed blue zone
ShowErrorMessage("You cannot spawn outside the blue zone!");
}
}
// Function to check if the spawn location is valid (free from obstacles)
bool IsValidSpawnLocation(const Vector3& position)
{
// Check for collision with objects such as buildings, walls, trees, etc.
std::vector<Collider*> hitColliders = Physics::OverlapSphere(position, spawnCollisionRadius);
for (Collider* col : hitColliders)
{
if (col->CompareTag("Obstacle"))
{
return false; // Invalid location due to obstacle
}
}
return true; // No obstacles, location is valid
}
// Function to spawn the player's vehicle at the chosen position
void SpawnPlayerVehicleAt(const Vector3& spawnPoint)
{
Instantiate(playerVehiclePrefab, spawnPoint, Quaternion::Identity);
}
// Utility function to check if a point is inside a polygon (blue zone boundary)
bool IsPointInPolygon(const Vector3& point, const std::vector<Vector3>& polygon)
{
int n = polygon.size();
bool inside = false;
for (int i = 0, j = n - 1; i < n; j = i++)
{
if (((polygon[i].z > point.z) != (polygon[j].z > point.z)) &&
(point.x < (polygon[j].x - polygon[i].x) * (point.z - polygon[i].z) / (polygon[j].z - polygon[i].z) + polygon[i].x))
{
inside = !inside;
}
}
return inside;
}
Picture show what it can look like
Developer Benefits
- Reduced Spawn Camping Complaints: Giving players the ability to choose where they spawn makes it less likely that they will face frustrating, repeated deaths due to spawn camping, reducing the volume of complaints regarding unfair spawns.
- Simplified Map Design: Developers will no longer need to place individual spawn points for each team, reducing the workload for map balancing and allowing for more intricate map designs.
- Dynamic Map Integration: This spawn system can be easily adapted to existing maps by defining flexible spawn zones. The system itself will prevent invalid spawn locations (e.g., inside obstacles) automatically, ensuring that development focus can be directed toward other areas.
- Improved Gameplay Metrics: By tracking where players frequently choose to spawn, the development team can collect data to make more informed decisions about future map designs, balance adjustments, or even new gameplay modes.
5. Testing and Phased Rollout
5.1 Initial Testing on Larger Maps
The initial testing of this system should focus on larger maps, such as Fulda Gap or Maginot Line, where spawn camping is more common due to long travel distances and fewer spawn points. These maps will provide ample room to test the system’s impact on battle flow and spawn camping.
Data Collection: During testing, developers can collect data on spawn point usage, spawn camping incidents, and player movement across the map. Heatmaps showing where players are spawning and engaging will help in fine-tuning spawn zone sizes and locations.
5.2 Testing on Smaller Maps
Once the system has been tested on larger maps, it can be gradually introduced on smaller maps, such as Poland or Tunisia. These maps will provide a more compact environment, challenging the system to maintain balance while avoiding spawn congestion.
6. Final Benefits for Development and the Player Base
6.1 Enhanced Player Experience
- Reduced Frustration: Players will no longer be locked into vulnerable, fixed spawn points that are easily camped by enemies.
- Increased Tactical Flexibility: Players will have more control over where they spawn, allowing for more diverse strategies and personal playstyles.
- Longer, More Engaging Matches: With spawn camping reduced, matches are likely to last longer and feel more balanced.
6.2 Easier Map Balancing for Developers
- Improved Map Design Flexibility: Developers will be able to design maps without worrying as much about spawn camping bottlenecks, as the dynamic spawn system will alleviate some of the challenges inherent in fixed spawn points.
- Reduced Need for Hotfixes: The system should drastically reduce complaints about specific spawn camping incidents, allowing developers to focus on larger content updates and balance patches.
Polls for Community Feedback
To gather insights and opinions from the community, here are the proposed polls:
- Yes!
- No!
- Large Maps!
- Small Maps!
- All Maps!
- No - Dont test!
- Yes!
- No!