Devlog #3 — Spawn Logic

Devlog #3 — Spawn Logic: A World That Feels Alive

In the last devlog I showed the first steps into multiplayer — hosts, clients, and synced actions across different areas. This time it’s about something different: how the world itself decides what appears, when it appears, and for whom.

To make this possible, I added an in-game clock with days, weeks, and simple times of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night). That clock drives many of the conditions for spawning and despawning. In the demonstrations below I speed up in-game time to make the effects easier to see.

Time windows

Some things only show up at night, others in the morning, or on specific days of the week. Time isn’t just visual — it shapes what you encounter.

An enemy fades in as night begins, then disappears again when morning comes.

Story gates

Certain spawns are tied to progress. Finish a task or hit a story flag, and new enemies, NPCs, or items can appear — while others stay hidden. This ensures the world reflects your journey rather than being static.

Respawn rules

Not everything comes back. Some enemies or objects only exist once, others return after a set in-game time.

Defeated today, returns at its spawnpoint after the next in-game day.

Proximity triggers

Some spawns depend on where you are. Enemies or objects can load in when you approach and unload when you move away, keeping areas focused and performance smooth.

Persistent objects

Anything that is spawned — whether an enemy, NPC, or item — remembers where it was and what state it was in. Leave a level and return later, and it will still be there as you left it (unless a rule or timer says otherwise).

Randomness

To prevent things from feeling too predictable, some spawns include small variations: position offsets or chance-based appearances. It means no two runs are exactly the same.

Why this matters

The world doesn't simply wait for you. It keeps moving forward, whether you're watching or not. Days turn, spawns follow their own rules, and progress leaves lasting marks. When you return to an area, it feels like it has been alive in your absence - continuing on its own path, not just waiting to be reloaded. That sense of persistence is what makes exploration meaningful and the world itself feel alive.