Help changing a spawn!

[Nissalee]

I started up a server with hubby and our oldest child. We are playing Ragnarok, but would like to make an adjustment. We want the Args that spawn in the snowy areas to be the new Snow Owl from extinction instead. I looked into how to just add them as a spawn, but I was hoping we could replace Arg spawns in those specific areas with the owls. I don't want Args gone entirely. If anyone knows how to do this, I'd love some help!

[Gran]

In Theory, add these to the end of the Game.ini:

ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_SnowForest_C",NPCSpawnEntries=((AnEntryName="Snowl",EntryWeight=0.300000,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Owl_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Owl_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=1.000000)))
ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_SnowPlains_C",NPCSpawnEntries=((AnEntryName="Snowl",EntryWeight=0.300000,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Owl_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Owl_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=1.000000)))

[🦊 Hermit]

Adjusting spawns like this can be a little complicated, but it's certainly doable^^ The official wiki can give you a lot of info on this.

https://ark.gamepedia.com/Server_Configuration
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Creature_IDs
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Spawn_Entries

The config settings you'll be looking for are either the NPC replacements line, or one of the ConfigSpawnEntryContainer options.

You could just use the NPC replacements line like so:

NPCReplacements=(FromClassName="Argent_Character_BP_C",ToClassName="Owl_Character_BP_C")

But that would change every single wild argie on the map, regardless of spawn area, into an owl instead. So if you want some argies still to be around, you'd be better using one of the other options.

If you just wanted to add snow owls to the snow areas as well as argies, you could use the ConfigAddSpawnEntryContrainer line. That would just add them as an extra possible spawn that the game will use depending on their spawn weights. Ragnarok uses a few different spawn entries, some from the Island and other maps, others that are unique to that map. So for example, if you wanted to add the owls to the snow forest areas, the code would be something like this:

ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_SnowForest_C",NPCSpawnEntries=((AnEntryName="OwlSnowForest",EntryWeight=1.0,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Owl_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Owl_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=1.0)))

Adjust the spawn weights and limits to taste.

On the other hand, if you want to remove argents entirely from those areas, that would be a little more difficult. You'd have to use the OverrideSpawnContainer option rather than just the Add one, and you'd have to specify all the other creatures that could spawn in that area besides the owl, just missing out the argent. It's doable, it'd just take a lot of copy/pasting of code.

One small note though - whatever config you use, remember that it will only affect new spawns, not creatures which have already appeared on the map. So once you have the config set up how you want, you'll have to use the DestroyWildDinos console command in-game in order to wipe out all current spawns and force the game to respawn creatures based on the new rules.

Hope that helps a little^^ If you have any questions feel free to ask, and I'll do the best that I can to help out.

[Gran]

@Hermit
some time ago we got the " ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer " setting to subtract stuff from a spawners. For instance the upper scenario would be:

ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_SnowForest_C",NPCSpawnEntries=((NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Argent_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Argent_Character_BP_C")))

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by Gran:

@Hermit
some time ago we got the " ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer " setting to subtract stuff from a spawners. For instance the upper scenario would be:

ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_SnowForest_C",NPCSpawnEntries=((NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Argent_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Argent_Character_BP_C")))

That's true, but as I understand it you can only use the SpawnEntryContainer in one config line at a time? If you try to use it in two the game will only take the first and ignore the second. So while the Subtract line would work to remove the argie, you'd need a second one (an Add line) in order to add the owl in it's place. And the game wouldn't enact that because it's referring to the SpawnEntry twice in the same config file.

So the only way to remove argies and add owls into the same entry would be to override the whole lot, as far as I'm aware.

[Nissalee]

Thank you guys so much! I will try this stuff out and see how it goes. We may go the easier route and just add the owls in as an option in the show areas, along with leaving the argies there too. Just to avoide too much extra work haha.

[Nissalee]

Looks like hubby wants Gachas too. I noticed that in the lines to add the owls, for the spawn containter there is a _C at the end. On the the spawn container list, I don't see that. Do I need to add _C to the end of each of the places I wish for the creature to spawn making the Gacha spawn look like this:

ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntries_Ragnarok_Jungle",NPCSpawnEntries=((AnEntryName="Gatcha",EntryWeight=0.1,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Gacha_Character_BP_C"))),NPCSpawnLimits=((NPCClassString="Gacha_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=1.000000)))

or do I need to have _C at the end of Jungle?

[🦊 Hermit]

Yes, you need to add the _C. I'm not entirely sure what that does in terms of the game code, but I do know that the game won't recognise the SpawnEntryContainer unless you have it there, in much the same way that the NPC Classes have it on the end of their entries also.

[Nissalee]

Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I've seen your posts on this stuff all over and am flattered you took the time out to help :)

[🦊 Hermit]

Glad we could assist a little^^

Personally I've struggled with these configs a lot in hosting servers for my friends, and I know how much of a pain they can be, so anything I can do to reduce the stress on other gamers and help them to have an easier time is a good thing in my book. And Gran has been a longstanding stalwart of these forums too, helping out many people with their game issues and setups.

Hope the configs work out well for ya :)

[Nissalee]

Thanks to everyone! It worked!

[Gran]

you're welcome. Have fun with your new feathered and hairy friends ;-)