Spawn Points...

[MEAT]

Anyone familar on how they work?
Is there a random order or sequence when respawning?
The reason why I ask is that I just played a map twice and each time
I stood/hid in a different spot and I noticed that one spot had more
respawning bots in that general area then the other.
It just might have been a hot spot or something but it was weird.

[Fuzz_Ball]

Congratulations, MEAT.
You are now well on your way to become a master of the Loop of Poop!

[*POTS*]

I think the bigger is the size of the spawnpoint trigger, the higher is the chance you are spawned in that particular spot. Same size should mean same probabilty for all spawnpoints.

Now theoretically speaking, two players can't spawn in the same zone. What is a "zone"? Well I don't know about custom maps, but all default UT maps are made up of different zones; a zone is usually a room or a set of corridors and rooms. For example start a practice session on DM-Tempest and start using your voice taunts or the chatbox, you should be able to see a tag between parenthesis which indicates the zone (location) you're currently into.

The truth: it's not rare to be spawned right in front of another player and spawnkilled, it might be a flaw in the Unreal Engine or something else, anyhow it isn't fun.

[Hook]

Yeah, it is pretty much random unless the playerstart is set to a team color.
And yes, you can spawn in the same zone!
There is no rule against it in UT.
I am pretty sure that you can do some sort of "tweaking" to a playerstart to alter how spawning takes place, etc., but I would have to go back in a take a look again.
I have never needed to alter a playerstart other than for team color such as in CTF maps.
You can also set which direction a player will face when they spawn.

If you sit on a playerstart (aka spawnpoint), you will soon befall the same fate as being telefragged when a bot or another player spawns there.

btw: a Zone is an area in a map that is sealed off from all other areas or zones of the map.
It can be named - that is where you get the "where someone is" message.
Most zones are separated by an invisible "sheet" placed in the smallest space(s) between the zone and other zones.
Zones must be sealed "air tight" in order to be a zone! NO leaking!
The placing of say a sheet to seal off and separate 2 zones is best done like in a narrow hallway between to rooms, etc.
It does not help to create zones with these sheets in large areas - just makes things even worse for lagging!
When a map is properly zoned, the game engine can much more efficiently render the graphics of the map.
Zoning a map can make the difference between a laggy map and a map that plays smoothly!

Does that info help?

[MEAT]

How about this question: is the game of UT programmed so as to not spawn
players/bots near other players who are already in the game?
So for example if I kill you does the game know not to respawn you in that
general area again because I am still in that area and I'll kill you again?
Obviously this would not be the case for smaller/spray type maps.

[Hook]

How about this question: is the game of UT programmed so as to not spawn
players/bots near other players who are already in the game?
So for example if I kill you does the game know not to respawn you in that
general area again because I am still in that area and I'll kill you again?
Obviously this would not be the case for smaller/spray type maps.

I can't say for sure but that is how I see it.
It seems that in some maps you respawn away from any players but not TOO far as in larger maps.
You still respawn in the general area of other players but not right in the same area.
Just near the action.
But I could be wrong.

[*POTS*]

Thanks for the technical explanation about map zones Hook!
You know I'm not a mapper so I just try to guess how things work and try to explain it with my own words.

Anyway spawnpoints are still a mystery to me.

[Hook]

*POTS* - you should try mapping.

[*POTS*]

I think mapping is not for me, due to my lack of creativity, UnrealEd knowledge and patience.

[Hermskii]

Diddo that POTS!

[Hook]

Just let me know IF either of you (or anybody) wants to give it a simple try.

[Hermskii]

I will want to give it a simple try but I won't have time to for a few months. I'm thinking about moving and there is still lots to do with my Mother's Estate now that she has passed on.

[*POTS*]

Well since even HellFire has started mapping, I think I should give it a try, the problem is we have totally different time zones.

[Hook]

Read my posts in UT Development (here)
They give you a start.
Start with: (1) BEFORE You Start Mapping! ... Tips! ... a sticky.
Then go on from there. (you will have to search through this forum, UT Development, to find the rest.
I also have some very good tutorials. (just ask)

Main thing to remember...
You START with a Solid chunk called the "World".
You then First subtract from that solid world - then you will probably add some things to the subtracted area(s).
Well - just read for now.
I believe that I posted about 13 or so small tutorials in that forum.

[-HellFire-]

Well since even HellFire has started mapping, I think I should give it a try, the problem is we have totally different time zones.

You got to map!
When you've done it one time and you know how some things work you'll love it