Developer’s Diary: Lighthouse

In the second part of the "Diary" we'll discuss PMC spawn points on Lighthouse - a topic that has long interested the community and is regularly discussed on our social media.

First, let's set the context. Lighthouse differs from other locations in that a significant portion of it is occupied by the water treatment plant controlled by Rogues - and the fire zones of their stationary weapons cover an even larger area than the plant itself.

Furthermore, the water treatment plant is one of the main points of interest on the map. It has valuable loot spawns and a lot of tasks lead there.

We approach the placement of player spawn points with the following restrictions:

• Spawns should be evenly distributed throughout the location and approximately equal to each other at the start of the raid;
• Players should not spawn within Rogues’ line of sight;
• Players should not spawn in spots that are immediately vulnerable to other spawns.

The map’s layout also adds its own nuances:

• The terrain is quite open, with many elevation changes, often offering good sightlines and opportunity for long-range fire;
• The water treatment plant effectively divides the map into the northern train yard area and everything else.

Put together, these factors significantly limit the distribution of possible spawn points on the map. This was the reason for their placement - on opposite sides of the main road, south of the water treatment plant.

Let's look at specific examples of changes frequently suggested by the community, taking into account the described context.

• Remove spawn points along the shore. We believe they are currently necessary. It’s not possible to move every PMC spawn to chalet and cliffs side, since it would cause players to spawn too close to each other, leading to uncontrollable chaos at the start of each raid;
• Change the map’s layout. This is a reasonable suggestion, but such a rework is a lengthy process that requires the participation of many departments within the development team. Currently, our efforts are focused on optimization, QoL improvements, and upcoming events.

We’re looking to find the most optimal distribution of spawn points and have made the following changes:

• Added PMC spawns to the northern part of the map - around the train yard area and “Northern Checkpoint” extraction;
• Reworked PMC spawns in the rest of the location.

Our goal is to make the southern part of Lighthouse less congested, providing more tactical options for all players, regardless of their spawn point. Please note that these changes are experimental in nature, and your opinions on them are crucial for us.

We are closely monitoring your feedback to make adjustments if necessary.