A Potential Solution to One of Tarkov’s Biggest Problems

(Intro)

One of Tarkov’s most prevalent and reoccurring problems it still faces even after the release of 1.0 is how quickly players will run into each other off a spawn. Nothing might be worse in this game than kitting up with a ton of powerful gear, setting off to get a bunch of quests done only to run into another player that one taps you thirty seconds into the raid. It’s circumstances like those that get players to turn the game off for potentially good. Spawns have always been a point of contention across the community with lots of people coming up with potential solutions. It’s a shame that nothing, even after the release of the game, has been done to try and combat this issue. But with the release of Arc Raiders, we can now get a glimpse into one potential resolution that could actually work if BSG was willing to make some changes to how raids operate. There would definitely be some contention with choosing to change the spawns this way and would certainly piss off the community for a variety of reasons, but I still think it’s an interesting idea to at least ruminate on. So, let’s have a conversation about the potential solution of problem-solving spawn fights in Tarkov and how allowing players to spawn into already existing raids as a PMC could combat this issue.

(The issue itself)

Before we look at the potential way to fix the problem, we should look at the problem itself. We have done so a little bit in a previous video, going over how fast players can run into each other on most of the larger maps in the game. Essentially, players spawn in and immediately run to either a high traffic area, a spot where they need to quest, or a location with valuable loot. And regardless of which one you choose, because the spawns on the maps aren’t spread out enough, and because people can clear large distances even with low levels of endurance, players end up running into each other within the first minute or even less. Which should never be the case in a game like Tarkov. The most important aspect about an extraction shooter is always expecting the unexpected. But when the spawns become so repetitive that players can get a general idea of where people around them might be based off where they start a raid, that’s when it has become a problem. And while there is no singular clear solution to this problem especially considering the game sadly never got to an open world status, Arc Raiders has shown one possible solution that might work, if it was implemented correctly.

(The solution)

What’s the main reason players spawn in at the same time? To allow for the fairest playing field when it comes to acquiring loot. However, on certain maps like Shoreline where most of the loot people want is located in one spot like the resort, that idea of fairness is already compromised because of the spawns themselves. There are about three or four spawns that if you get them, you will be first to the resort no matter what. If you get the spawn next to the road to Customs, good luck getting to the resort before anyone else. So, what else can be done to combat this? One possible way to solve this problem is to allow players to spawn into raids later than just immediately at the start. This way, the stress of hitting the ground and assessing who might be close to you is largely removed. It revives the concern of not knowing where people are at all times. There could be someone running straight at you, or you might not see a player until you reach extraction. Now, some raids are already like this in the current game; it makes sense that with how the spawn system is you might run into the entire lobby of players or might not even see a single one. But by allowing players to spawn in late, you create a level of consistency with the unknown, which is something Tarkov has needed for a long time. It’s a skill you develop as you play the game.

You’ll learn; literally learn most of the spawns and where people might be. In tandem with loading into raids later, it would also make sense to raise the timer for how long raids run in the game. An hour for most of the larger maps seems like an appropriate number. And then once the timer on a raid hits thirty minutes, let’s just say for example; no more new PMCs are added to that raid. Because if you spawn into one raid at forty-five minutes, and then the following raid at thirty-eight minutes, that consistency of always knowing is now gone. Now, even in something like Arc Raiders, as cool as that mechanic can be, I’ve also had circumstances where I spawn literally right behind someone when they weren’t looking. Stella Montis, the newest map added, has this problem in spades because it’s mostly underground and long hallways. It’s certainly not perfect, and even some of their larger outdoors maps still have the issue of running into people in less than a minute. But because of the late spawns, these can become the outliers and not the norm. The expectation in Tarkov is that you will run into someone quickly. So, allowing people to spawn late removes that expectation for the most part. Again, you can’t fix this problem one hundred percent of the time, but the more infrequent you run into another player in less than a minute, the better. What also reinforces this idea is that we already do this on our scavs. The disposable character that always spawns into late raids. I’m sure most people can attest that if it can work on a random character, it would work on the main one. Because if it didn’t, why would using the scav still be such a popular way of playing the game.

(The potential issues)

With this new idea laid out, the next important part is to look at any potential issues it might run into. The biggest one being the unfair nature that would now exist because people can’t get to the high loot areas. And while that is a very valid concern, I suppose my rebuttal to that would be how many times has your spawn location been the sole reason you don’t get the good loot? I’m sure the answer isn’t zero; again, there are some rough spawns in this game that simply prevent you from being competitive for any of the high loot spots across most of the maps. I mean on Lighthouse, if you get the southern road spawn, you have to just forfeit the desire to chase down any loot and just play for your life. But it isn’t always the singular answer you didn’t get to where you wanted to. You might fight people before that, the boss might be there and if you aren’t properly equipped, it might just be a death sentence going there. There is a myriad of other potential reasons you don’t get to loot somewhere. Many of which are outside of your direct control because that’s the nature of not only Tarkov but extraction shooters in general. It’s about adapting to the circumstances thrown at you and finding success regardless of what happens. So, a concern to the sure, but you also have to remember that the map isn’t going to be picked clean of loot every single time.

Players are dynamic; they might not need or even want to loot. You’ve probably experienced it before on the aforementioned scav run. Entire areas that haven’t even been touched, so you reap the benefits of people being either blind to the loot right in front of them or just wanting to do something else in that raid. There are things to do in Tarkov that are just as important as looting. Another major issue is like in Arc Raiders spawning in and having someone randomly within touching distance. It happens; sadly, this kind of dynamic late raid spawn system wouldn’t be perfect, and we already experienced it with the transit points for over a year. But again, it would be about tweaking the system, so this happens as little as possible, obviously. You can’t prevent it, but the fewer times it occurs to the player base, the better.

(Outro)

Do I think a system like this could work in the Tarkov environment? I do. The spawn system itself is so archaic and figured out that any shake up to the system would be a good one for the game. Again, it’s about always being on edge; not knowing where someone or something might pop up. Some raids might be quiet, where you can just walk around with relative safety and get your quests done. And other raids might be popping because there is a prolonged fight going on at the dorms on Customs, so you go investigate. Imagine being in a raid with fifteen minutes left and you stumble across just a sea of dead PMCs all fighting for either boss loot or a quest door and now you get to pillage what’s left. Very similar to what a scav would do except now you have your secure container and the safety of knowing that there won’t be any further PMC spawns so you can take your time and maximize the loot. I do believe a system like this can work inside Tarkov. And I wish it had been tested before 1.0 because now the odds of something as game changing being added are much lower. Granted, it isn’t zero; there is always a chance in a future update BSG would want to just completely overhaul the entire spawning system. But it would need to be done with a level of tact and grace, I don’t think BSG has post 1.0. I’d like to be wrong, but the chances even happening are low at best, and nonexistent at worst. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know down in the comment section below your thoughts on the idea of allowing PMCs to spawn late into raids, whether or not it could feasibly work in Tarkov and be sure to subscribe for more videos about the potential of interesting mechanics being added because another game did it better than you. I hope to see you in future ones.