EQ2’s Avatar Spawn System Detailed
After some less-than-pleasant debate about how the Avatar Spawn System in EQ2 was changing sans discussion, EQ2 lead designer Kander has now laid the cards on the table, spelling out exactly how (and when) Avatars will spawn in Norrath. This is a continuation of the transparency we first heard about in Kander’s interview on EQ2Talk, and is much appreciated.
Sure there are a few folks out there who prefer everything be mysterious, but when you are analyzing what’s fair and what’s not, what’s broken and what’s just maddeningly rare, having some numbers goes a long way to defusing arguments and reaching clarity instead.
From Kander on the EQ2 Forums:
- Each day at a set hour (typically 3PM local time for that server), the avatar spawn system makes 1 to 3 independent random rolls to determine if 1 to 3 avatars will spawn that day on that server.
- The chance for the roll to succeed depends on how many days have passed since the last avatar has spawned (for each day no spawn of any avatar occurs on a given server the chance increases). If no avatar has spawned in the last 4 days, the chance goes to 100%.
- There can be no more than 6 avatars spawning on any given server in a 7 day period.
- A given server will most likely get 6 avatars in any 7 day period, but this is not an absolute guarantee. It will average out to 6 per 7 days over time.
- Avatars rarely spawn singly, it can happen but it’s far more likely that they will spawn in 2’s or 3’s on any given day.
- All avatars who made their roll on that day spawn simultaneously, from 0-12 hours from the time of that days check (usually 3PM local time, meaning for the most part on most servers they will spawn at a random time from 3PM to 3AM)
- Once an avatar is killed it will not spawn again for a couple of days, and its chance of spawning is lower than avatars that haven’t spawned for a while after that 2 day period.
Current Server Times [Changed as of 8/8/13]
- Valor 3pm to 3am CET (Central European Time)
- Splitpaw 3pm to 3am GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
- Sebilis 3pm to 3am JST (Japanese Standard Time)
- Butcherblock 12pm to12am PST
- Nagafen 12pm to 12am PST
- Guk 12pm to 12am PST
- Freeport 12pm to 12am PST
- Everfrost 4pm to 4am PST
- Unrest 4pm to 4am PST
- Oasis 4pm to 4am PST
- Antonia Bayle 12pm to 12am PST
- Permafrost 12pm to 12am PST
- Crushbone 4pm to 4am PST
- Storms 3pm to 3am CET (Central European Time)
- Harla Dar 3pm to 3am MSK (Moscow Standard Time)
- Barren Sky 3pm to 3am MSK (Moscow Standard Time)
Of course the moment this information was shared, a knock down drag out fight debate conversation began about the veracity and fairness of these times. Ah well, can’t win them all…
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Comments (21)
uberfuzzy
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I gotta say, thats actually neat and “fair” random system, with nice spread. Especially the last bullet, about them going to the back of the line once spawned
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Qamar
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If there can’t be more than six but it’s possible that there are less then it’s impossible to avarage out in six. Jussayin.
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Malade
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If you look at a “Specific” 7 days, there could be less than 6, but if you slide the 7 days to fit 6 you always can. is how I read that. so not impossible.
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a_shrubbery
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I’ve never been in a guild that kills the avatars, though recently we did have a go at the arena.
How do these bosses work in term of loot ? Have their loot tables been continually improved over the years?
What kind of items do they drop?
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Beyoncia
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They drop best items for many slots and classes.
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Chronusxx
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Don’t really like the new system compared to the old. Feels like there’s a lot less avatars a week than there was ever before and so far none on Splitpaw have spawned during the 7-11 GMT window that would actually make them contested if this was the entire point of the change.
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Anaogi
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LOL! Given I have my feet wet in EVE these days, the Euro/North America/Australia Time Zone raging just seems so amusing…
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Liftik
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Haven’t killed one yet (live or arena) do the arena versions drop anything or are they there solely for practice?
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Feldon
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The Arena ones definitely drop some cool stuff. And if you can get Bristlebane to spawn…
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Chronusxx
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Bristlebane drops best in slot mounts and cloaks (depending on how good/bad your mythical from PoW is). The normal ones drop best in slot legs (assuming you don’t use a Dreadcutter x4 necklace).
Some of the other normal arena loot is ok but worse than HM still. About where it should be for some of the avatars and somewhat overly rewarding for Tunare/Tallon/Rodcet.
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Silzin
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All of the Avatar’s drop the same loot (I think) witch makes killing anything but the easy ones not a point… unless you can get Bristlebane…. 😉
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Feldon
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The spawn schedule has been updated as per changes from Kander today.
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Liftik
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Not sure I wanna take on Bristlebane… any diety that can institute /cutemode3 has my respect and fear.
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Anastaise
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Spawn times for Crushbone seem really off. Euro guilds will be completely left out now with 4pm-4am pst. It would have made more sense to move it to 9am – 9pm pst since our euro guild raids 7am-1pm pst, eastern guilds raid 5pm-9pm pst and west coast guild raids 7pm-10pm pst. It should have been in the opposite direction to include the most guilds.
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Keyzfury
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Meat Beast is not the Best-in-Slot mount but still very good ;D
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Cleve
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The spawn windows are complete b.s. because on Permafrost, at least the last twelve avatars killed were spawned after 2-3am EST and even after the updated window, we had two spawn at 2am on 8/9. Avatar call list FTW, but we do waste a ton of time camping multiple zones from 6PM-12am EST everyday for no reason until 6 avatars die. Don’t even mention Bristlebane … my guild doesn’t seem to have any luck spawning the guy after the first arena avatar kill.
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Cleve
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Are the updates to the spawn windows going to be included in the official update notes or do we come to eq2wire for it all?
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Omence
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The changes to the avatar system are a joke in my opinion. It just goes to show that if enough people complain about something it will be changed for their appeasement. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely hated….hated being on a call list to wake up or log in at random times to kill an avatar just to get a scout shield or the same old loot almost every kill. But, the folks willing to put in that time and effort deserve the rewards from what is supposed to be a “Contested” kill.
Soon everything will be instanced and every good little boy and girl who weeally weeally wants the best loot but weeally weeally doesn’t want to put in the extra time and effort to get it… will get it.
Don’t try to fix something if it isn’t broken!
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Chemsin
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Less avatars = less fun for everybody. This new system is garbage. whatever they hoped to accomplish with this, its not working.
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Feldon
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They hoped to reduce the flow of avatar loot into the game. The frequency of spawns and ease of the encounters meant a lot of loot was coming into the game.
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Chemsin
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But why reduce the flow of loot? The helms and ears were still very rare. If the difficulty of the encounters was an issue they should have adjusted that. Again I just think this system is less fun for all guilds who are interested in killing contested avatars. Getting loot is fun, why not let people have it? More avatars just mean more kills and gear to go around between all the guilds. Also this new system has made it so random that you have to watch all 9 avatars, 6 of which have multiple spawn points, all week long. it has made finding the avatars more competitive and therefore less accessible to smaller guilds. So again, I just don’t see what this accomplishes other then making the game less fun for a lot of players.
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