Create more statics by using savepoint density algo to find chokepoints.

[litoralis.nMd 1]

Take your backend database of player XY location snapshots saves and create a "traffic map". Actually it's a a save point density table if you don't use a GIS map.

Find the chokepoints. A bit of maths involved.

convert the savepoint density map to a graphics file and overlay it on top of the Chernarus map.

Add statics of the first survivors (prior to Day 0 of the mod) on the fly escape camps. Abandoned and destroyed vehicles, garbage piles, makeshift defenses, corpses and other such things.

Allow loot (and maybe zombies) to spawn at these abandoned camps.

More complicated:

Split the database into survivor and bandit, and do the same as above.

Anyone who stays in proximity to predefined bandit zones for set time period loses humanity(sniper roosts in hills and surrounding cherno/elektro/airfields for example). Add more of those hung man and dead soldier statics. Anyone in predefined bandit zones has FreeTarget=True

Anyone who stays in proximity to predefined survivor zones for set period of time gains humanity, though that might be bad game mechanics as bandits can exploit it.

(optionally, but not really necessary) Convert Chernarus map to a GIS compatible map. Lots of work, you don't really need the map UI, the map makes it easier to visualise. Also would make converting mod to other maps easier in the future as you would have ability to quickly find places to add more statics.

All of this work would be on the backend and offline, until you feel comfortable to add the new statics.

[litoralis.nMd 1]

To add to my thoughts,

from the DB, use the player save location n the XY coords, create a scatter plot graph with same X and Y distance ratio or scale as the chernarus map, find density and chokepoints, take the scatter plot image and overlay it on top of a chernarus map image, create more statics at those points.

Could also work if you want to create "side-missions", create AI strongpoints based on the safe zones players use, such as in the forests, on top of hills, or open fields. Spawn in both a few AI and lots of zombies and have the zombies overrun the AI non-zombies. i.e. give the AI non-zombies little or no ammo or something. Have these AI spawn with same rules as current for zombies, at the same ~100 meter radius from players, it wouldn't ovewhelm the server.

[n3uro 7]

Weird, I was also thinking how cool it would be to get some heat maps about traffic, mainly for statistics though; coupling it with an a-life backend as you suggest would be awesome squared, even though i can imagine it'd take quite a lot of work (or not, depending on how feasible it is to extract that data from the game, elaborate it and feed it back into a "director" script).

That's something i'd like to work on for sure if I had the background as a modder.

edit: come think of it, i guess that since there's already a backend with a db, adding a line to the "doSavePlayer" or whatever function that hashes the location and increments a heat map would be a joke to implement. Then it's a matter of orchestrating and implementing a "director" script that checks for heat spikes (easy as pie, findmax/gradient algorithm), classifies them, and associates a "spawner" marker not unlike those already implemented (i suppose) for towns/buildings that are intended to spawn zombies. Then add functionality to the preexistent zombie spawner and voila, artificial life.

Of course you would exclude urban areas, secluded locations that might be group stashes (not sure about that) etc.

I can imagine walking a beaten path and get ambushed by a horde, or crossing an AI bandit or something. Rad.

Damn i'd kill for it.

[MR DELICIOUS 297]

A traffic map would be really handy for balancing gameplay flow from a design POV.

It would be really helpful to know the most traveled areas and the least for the purpose of increasing map exploration incentives.