@DEVS: Please explain the values of the new encounter system

[Strayed]

@Devs

I like that you guys have come up with the Horde system manager to free up server resources, but the explanation pop up and also the patch notes just don't explain what the values mean.

To copy paste the patch notes:

New settings for Hordes and encounter manager:
scum.MaxAllowedCharacters=-1
-Maximum number of characters allowed to be present in the world (including players)
scum.EncounterBaseCharacterAmountMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the base amount of character spawned in a given encounter.
scum.EncounterExtraCharacterPerPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of extra character added to the base amount (per player)
scum.EncounterExtraCharacterPlayerCapMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of players relevant to the encounter where no more extra character are added.
scum.EncounterTotalCharactersSpawnedMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the total amount of character spawned in a given encounter.
scum.EncounterCharacterRespawnTimeMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the encounter character respawn time.
scum.EncounterCharacterRespawnBatchSizeMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the encounter character respawn batch size.
scum.EncounterCharacterAggressiveSpawnChanceOverride=-1.000000
-Override for encounter characters to spawn as already knowing the player's position (for all encounter types).
scum.EncounterCharacterAINoiseResponseRadiusMultiplier=1.000000
-Radius at which AI characters may hear another AI character's noise (e.g. puppet scream).
scum.EncounterHordeGroupBaseCharacterAmountMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the base amount of horde group characters spawned in a given encounter.
scum.EncounterHordeGroupExtraCharacterPerPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of extra horde group characters added to the base amount, per player.
scum.EncounterHordeGroupExtraCharacterPlayerCapMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of players relevant to the horde encounter group where no more extra characters are added.
scum.EncounterHordeBaseCharacterAmountMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the base amount of horde characters spawned in a given encounter.
scum.EncounterHordeExtraCharacterPerPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of extra horde characters added to the base amount, per player.
scum.EncounterHordeExtraCharacterPlayerCapMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of players relevant to the horde encounter where no more extra characters are added.
scum.EncounterHordeActivationChanceMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the chance to activate the horde in a horde encounter.
scum.EncounterHordeNoiseCheckCooldownMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the horde activation noise check cooldown time.
scum.EncounterHordeSpawnDistanceMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the distance at which horde characters are spawned.
scum.EncounterHordeGroupRefillTimeMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the time to refill horde group.
scum.EncounterCanRemoveLowPriorityCharacters=1
-If enabled it will remove any inactive puppets or puppets further away from the player in order to spawn in new ones. (only if the limit is being reached)
scum.EncounterCanClampCharacterNumWhenOutOfResources=1
-Can clamp encounter character base amount to min value after going over the limit.
scum.PuppetsCanOpenDoors=1
-puppets can open or close doors
scum.PuppetsCanVaultWindows=1
-puppets can vault through windows

I am short on time to sit for hours to play around with settings to find a fun balance for my players on my server

Can you please give some better details and clarification of what the values mean

For example,
scum.MaxAllowedCharacters=-1
-Maximum number of characters allowed to be present in the world (including players)
I apologise for my frustration, but clearly this is for NPC shooters however please explain what -1 means. Does -1 mean it's off -regardless of how many players are on the server; or does it mean that its persistent regardless of players on the server?

Next up
scum.EncounterExtraCharacterPerPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the amount of extra character added to the base amount (per player)
Is this if there's a number of players in a group? or is this for a server population?

scum.EncounterHordeBaseCharacterAmountMultiplier=1.000000
-Multiplier for the base amount of horde characters spawned in a given encounter.
How many Puppets spawn in an encounter!? what does 1 mean? is it one puppet? or is it 5?

I ask because this:
I have left the settings at default

I used the weapons factory in Z1 to test the horde manager. I spotted a couple of sentry puppets, so I killed two that were outside the walls but let the one inside the wall alive (I entered the compound via the Southern Gate near the ship loading dock.

The sentry puppet had not observed me at this time; I then alerted it. I sat on a crate and watched the manager do its thing. It eventually spawned in about 20 (possibly including the sentry) which these 'response' puppets magically dropped in at about a 20 to 30m range and could see me despite being in prone position (which I'm fine with them spotting me because that information would've been relayed via the sentry puppet)

Edit: additional
What's frustrating is that there's no information similar to the old external, internal spawner to show how many will spawn around a zone. Sure, in the patch notes it mentions three types of zones: high, medium and low but it doesn't specify what weight is placed on these zones. For example, the weapons factory had 5 sentries when I approached from the south -two near the guard box, one under the power line and two inside the wall which one was near the building to the left of the area and the other was in the building nearest the ship dock.... but there's no setting that tells me how many puppets will be populated at the weapons factory.... and then of course there's the confusing mess of the horde manager.......

I'm really worried about the bunkers now... because in the old server settings with max population and a 5 minute puppet respawn they were quite challenging and often puppets would clip through doors

[Toxicrufus]

Standard ♥♥♥♥ show, "Made it adjustable" but do not provide detail on what the adjustments actually do, just its a "multiplier"

[Strayed]

The problem is mostly just the explanation in the patch notes (and the mouse overs)

Clearly a spawn value of 1, seemingly may be one puppet but the multipliers get conditional and so the one puppet turns into 20.... the spawn range is '1', which means default and that distance seems to be 20 to 30m.... so if 1 gets changed to say 2 or 10.. what does that mean?

Clearly the Dev's have internal notes on their internal build that explains to them what it means but to us on the outside on the public build its interpretive dance in Egyptian hieroglyphs

[CrankyOldMan]

Yes devs you did not learn a thing from all the confusion when you created the abandon bunkers spawns system and your horrific attempt at explaining how those worked!

[MeanStreak]

Originally posted by Strayed:

The problem is mostly just the explanation in the patch notes (and the mouse overs)

Clearly a spawn value of 1, seemingly may be one puppet but the multipliers get conditional and so the one puppet turns into 20.... the spawn range is '1', which means default and that distance seems to be 20 to 30m.... so if 1 gets changed to say 2 or 10.. what does that mean?

Clearly the Dev's have internal notes on their internal build that explains to them what it means but to us on the outside on the public build its interpretive dance in Egyptian hieroglyphs

+1 I'd like to know as well

[Valkyrie]

The developers really need to give us the default values they are using instead of giving us the "-1" is their default.. And also tell us the variable range of these things.

Are they a float 0.0-1.0 like weather?

Are they whole integers 0-100? 1000? 100000000?

Can the variables go into the negative values?

What EXACTLY is -1 set to? (I know it represents your default but what is that.)
Why don;t you devs ever provide us with the BASE VALUES you use to represent -1
We went through this already with the abandon bunkers FFS. We need to know these values and how they affect our servers.

[bishop08]

I'd definitely appreciate some tips on lowering the sensitivity of the new horde. As a single player, I'm finding puppets come running out of the blue because I walked into a town. I appreciate the constant improvements to the game, but I would like to tone down the horde reaction. It's a bit tough for a new player trying to recover from the server wipe.

[KammiBeGaming]

Yes, please. It's so confusing. The tooltips aren't any help.

[FeDx_]

+1... what's the point in giving us the ability to customise the settings, without the knowledge to do so...

[-M*A*S*H-]

Originally posted by FeDx_:

+1... what's the point in giving us the ability to customise the settings, without the knowledge to do so...

[Carvalho]

+1 for all of that.

[pieman47]

+ 1

[Pooroldman]

+1

[Six]

Originally posted by MeanStreak:

Originally posted by Strayed:

The problem is mostly just the explanation in the patch notes (and the mouse overs)

Clearly a spawn value of 1, seemingly may be one puppet but the multipliers get conditional and so the one puppet turns into 20.... the spawn range is '1', which means default and that distance seems to be 20 to 30m.... so if 1 gets changed to say 2 or 10.. what does that mean?

Clearly the Dev's have internal notes on their internal build that explains to them what it means but to us on the outside on the public build its interpretive dance in Egyptian hieroglyphs

+1 I'd like to know as well

x100

[Six]

Originally posted by FeDx_:

+1... what's the point in giving us the ability to customise the settings, without the knowledge to do so...

x100

[TriGGrPuLLa]

Cave drawings give more details than the Devs do......Jus sayin.