Player Spawning

Summary: Player spawn locations are controlled by cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml (position bubbles) and init.c (starting gear). This chapter covers both files with real vanilla values from Chernarus. For the JSON-based starting-gear preset system, see Spawning Gear Configuration.

cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml Overview
File Structure
Spawn Parameters
Generator Parameters
Group Parameters
Fresh Spawn Bubbles
Hop Spawns
Map-Specific Configs
init.c -- Starting Equipment
Adding Custom Spawn Points
Common Mistakes

cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml Overview

This file lives in your mission folder (e.g., dayzOffline.chernarusplus/cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml). It has three sections, each with its own parameters and position bubbles:

<fresh> -- brand new characters (first life or after death)
<hop> -- server hoppers (player had a character on another server)
<travel> -- in-game map travel/teleport spawns

<fresh> is required. <hop> and <travel> are only used on official-style server hives, but should still be defined -- see Common Mistakes.

File Structure

Each of the three sections contains the same three sub-elements: <spawn_params> (runtime scoring), <generator_params> (candidate grid generation), and <generator_posbubbles> (the actual positions):

xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<playerspawnpoints>
    <fresh>
        <spawn_params>...</spawn_params>
        <generator_params>...</generator_params>
        <generator_posbubbles>...</generator_posbubbles>
    </fresh>
    <hop>
        <spawn_params>...</spawn_params>
        <generator_params>...</generator_params>
        <generator_posbubbles>...</generator_posbubbles>
    </hop>
    <travel>
        <spawn_params>...</spawn_params>
        <generator_params>...</generator_params>
        <generator_posbubbles>...</generator_posbubbles>
    </travel>
</playerspawnpoints>

Spawn Parameters

Vanilla fresh spawn values:

xml

<spawn_params>
    <min_dist_infected>30</min_dist_infected>
    <max_dist_infected>70</max_dist_infected>
    <min_dist_player>65</min_dist_player>
    <max_dist_player>150</max_dist_player>
    <min_dist_static>0</min_dist_static>
    <max_dist_static>2</max_dist_static>
</spawn_params>

Parameter	Value	Meaning
`min_dist_infected`	30	Player must spawn at least 30m from the nearest infected
`max_dist_infected`	70	If no position exists 30m+ away, accept up to 70m as fallback range
`min_dist_player`	65	Player must spawn at least 65m from any other player
`max_dist_player`	150	Fallback range -- accept positions up to 150m from other players
`min_dist_static`	0	Minimum distance from static objects (buildings, walls)
`max_dist_static`	2	Maximum distance from static objects -- keeps players close to structures

Scoring logic: The engine calculates a score for each candidate point rather than applying hard cutoffs. Distance 0 to min_dist scores -1 (nearly invalidated). Distance min_dist to the midpoint scores up to 1.1. Distance from the midpoint to max_dist scores down from 1.1 to 0.1. Beyond max_dist scores 0. The higher a point's total score, the more likely it is chosen. In practice this means the engine prefers positions inside the min_dist--max_dist band and falls back to more distant ones when nothing better exists.

Sakhal: The Sakhal mission also adds min_dist_trigger and max_dist_trigger parameters, which score distance to trigger zones with a 6x weight multiplier.

Generator Parameters

The generator creates a grid of candidate positions around each bubble:

xml

<generator_params>
    <grid_density>4</grid_density>
    <grid_width>200</grid_width>
    <grid_height>200</grid_height>
    <min_dist_static>0</min_dist_static>
    <max_dist_static>2</max_dist_static>
    <min_steepness>-45</min_steepness>
    <max_steepness>45</max_steepness>
</generator_params>

Parameter	Value	Meaning
`grid_density`	4	Sampling frequency (number of subdivisions) of the grid -- higher = more candidates, higher CPU cost. Spacing between points = `grid_width` / `grid_density`
`grid_width`	200	Total width of the candidate grid in meters (centered on the bubble) -- extends ~100m to each side on the X axis
`grid_height`	200	Total height of the candidate grid in meters (centered on the bubble) -- extends ~100m to each side on the Z axis
`min_steepness` / `max_steepness`	-45 / 45	Terrain slope range in degrees -- rejects cliff faces and steep hills

Each bubble gets a 200x200m grid with candidate points spaced grid_width / grid_density = 200/4 = 50m apart (on the order of ~16-25 candidates). The engine filters by steepness and static distance and discards points that overlap objects or fall in water, then applies spawn_params at spawn time.

grid_density must be at least 1. When set to 0, only the bubble's center point is used as a candidate.

`allow_in_water` Parameter (1.28+)

Starting in DayZ 1.28, a new boolean allow_in_water parameter was added to generator_params (default: false). When set to true, the spawn point generator will consider positions in water as valid spawn points:

xml

<generator_params>
    <grid_density>4</grid_density>
    <grid_width>200</grid_width>
    <grid_height>200</grid_height>
    <min_dist_static>0</min_dist_static>
    <max_dist_static>2</max_dist_static>
    <min_steepness>-45</min_steepness>
    <max_steepness>45</max_steepness>
    <allow_in_water>false</allow_in_water>
</generator_params>

By default, the engine rejects any candidate position that falls in water (ponds, rivers, ocean). Setting allow_in_water to true removes this filter. This is primarily useful for custom maps with island spawns or scenarios where coastal water spawns are intentional. For most servers, leave this at false to avoid players spawning in lakes or the ocean.

Group Parameters

xml

<group_params>
    <enablegroups>true</enablegroups>
    <groups_as_regular>true</groups_as_regular>
    <lifetime>120</lifetime>
    <counter>2</counter>
</group_params>

Parameter	Value	Meaning
`enablegroups`	true	Position bubbles are organized into named groups and rotate over time
`groups_as_regular`	true	Only relevant when `enablegroups` is `false`: treat grouped positions as regular spawn points instead of ignoring them
`lifetime`	120	Seconds a spawn group stays active before the system swaps to another group. -1 = disabled
`counter`	2	Number of logins a group stays active before being swapped (per-group). -1 = disabled

lifetime controls how long a spawn group remains the active group before the system swaps to another group; it is not a per-position lockout. Spacing between simultaneous spawns is enforced by min_dist_player.

Individual groups can override the global lifetime and counter values via attributes:

xml

<group name="Tents" lifetime="300" counter="25">
    <pos x="4212.421875" z="11038.256836" />
</group>

Without groups, positions are listed directly under <generator_posbubbles> and the engine treats them as one flat pool:

xml

<generator_posbubbles>
    <pos x="4212.421875" z="11038.256836" />
    <pos x="4712.299805" z="10595" />
    <pos x="5334.310059" z="9850.320313" />
</generator_posbubbles>

Fresh Spawn Bubbles

Vanilla Chernarus defines 11 groups along the coast for fresh spawns. Each group clusters 3-8 positions around a town:

Group	Positions	Area
WestCherno	4	West side of Chernogorsk
EastCherno	4	East side of Chernogorsk
WestElektro	5	West Elektrozavodsk
EastElektro	4	East Elektrozavodsk
Kamyshovo	5	Kamyshovo coastline
Solnechny	5	Solnechniy factory area
Orlovets	4	Between Solnechniy and Nizhnoye
Nizhnee	4	Nizhnoye coast
SouthBerezino	3	Southern Berezino
NorthBerezino	8	Northern Berezino + extended coast
Svetlojarsk	3	Svetlojarsk harbor

Real Group Examples

xml

<generator_posbubbles>
    <group name="WestCherno">
        <pos x="6063.018555" z="1931.907227" />
        <pos x="5933.964844" z="2171.072998" />
        <pos x="6199.782715" z="2241.805176" />
        <pos x="13552.5654" z="5955.893066" />
    </group>
    <group name="WestElektro">
        <pos x="8747.670898" z="2357.187012" />
        <pos x="9363.6533" z="2017.953613" />
        <pos x="9488.868164" z="1898.900269" />
        <pos x="9675.2216" z="1817.324585" />
        <pos x="9821.274414" z="2194.003662" />
    </group>
    <group name="Kamyshovo">
        <pos x="11830.744141" z="3400.428955" />
        <pos x="11930.805664" z="3484.882324" />
        <pos x="11961.211914" z="3419.867676" />
        <pos x="12222.977539" z="3454.867188" />
        <pos x="12336.774414" z="3503.847168" />
    </group>
</generator_posbubbles>

Coordinates use x (east-west) and z (north-south). The Y axis (altitude) is calculated automatically from the terrain heightmap.

Hop Spawns

Hop spawns are more lenient on player distance and use smaller grids:

xml

<!-- Hop spawn_params differences from fresh -->
<min_dist_player>25.0</min_dist_player>   <!-- fresh: 65 -->
<max_dist_player>70.0</max_dist_player>   <!-- fresh: 150 -->
<min_dist_static>0.5</min_dist_static>    <!-- fresh: 0 -->

<!-- Hop generator_params differences -->
<grid_width>150</grid_width>              <!-- fresh: 200 -->
<grid_height>150</grid_height>            <!-- fresh: 200 -->

<!-- Hop group_params differences -->
<enablegroups>false</enablegroups>        <!-- fresh: true -->
<lifetime>360</lifetime>                  <!-- fresh: 120 -->

Hop groups are spread inland: Balota (6), Cherno (5), Pusta (5), Kamyshovo (4), Solnechny (5), Nizhnee (6), Berezino (5), Olsha (4), Svetlojarsk (5), Dobroye (5). With enablegroups=false, the engine treats all 50 positions as a flat pool.

Map-Specific Configs

Each map ships its own cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml in its mission folder:

Map	Mission Folder	Notes
Chernarus	`dayzOffline.chernarusplus/`	Coastal spawns: Cherno, Elektro, Kamyshovo, Berezino, Svetlojarsk
Livonia	`dayzOffline.enoch/`	Spread across the map with different group names
Sakhal	`dayzOffline.sakhal/`	Adds `min_dist_trigger`/`max_dist_trigger` params, more detailed comments

When creating a custom map or modifying spawn locations, always work from the vanilla file for your map as a starting point and adjust positions to match the geography.

init.c -- Starting Equipment

The init.c file in your mission folder controls character creation and starting gear. Two overrides matter:

CreateCharacter -- calls GetGame().CreatePlayer(). The engine picks the position from cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml before this runs; you do not set spawn position here.
StartingEquipSetup -- runs after character creation. The player already has default clothing (shirt, jeans, sneakers). This method adds starting items.

Note: If JSON spawn gear presets are registered through cfggameplay.json, they take priority and StartingEquipSetup() is never called. See Spawning Gear Configuration.

Vanilla StartingEquipSetup (Chernarus)

override void StartingEquipSetup(PlayerBase player, bool clothesChosen)
{
    EntityAI itemClothing;
    EntityAI itemEnt;
    float rand;

    itemClothing = player.FindAttachmentBySlotName( "Body" );
    if ( itemClothing )
    {
        SetRandomHealth( itemClothing );  // 0.45 - 0.65 health

        itemEnt = itemClothing.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( "BandageDressing" );
        player.SetQuickBarEntityShortcut(itemEnt, 2);

        string chemlightArray[] = { "Chemlight_White", "Chemlight_Yellow", "Chemlight_Green", "Chemlight_Red" };
        int rndIndex = Math.RandomInt( 0, 4 );
        itemEnt = itemClothing.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( chemlightArray[rndIndex] );
        SetRandomHealth( itemEnt );
        player.SetQuickBarEntityShortcut(itemEnt, 1);

        rand = Math.RandomFloatInclusive( 0.0, 1.0 );
        if ( rand < 0.35 )
            itemEnt = player.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( "Apple" );
        else if ( rand > 0.65 )
            itemEnt = player.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( "Pear" );
        else
            itemEnt = player.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( "Plum" );
        player.SetQuickBarEntityShortcut(itemEnt, 3);
        SetRandomHealth( itemEnt );
    }

    itemClothing = player.FindAttachmentBySlotName( "Legs" );
    if ( itemClothing )
        SetRandomHealth( itemClothing );
}

What this gives each player: BandageDressing (quickbar 2), random Chemlight (quickbar 1), random fruit -- 35% Apple, 30% Plum, 35% Pear (quickbar 3). SetRandomHealth sets 45-65% condition on all items.

Adding custom starting gear

// Add after the fruit block, inside the Body slot check
itemEnt = player.GetInventory().CreateInInventory( "KitchenKnife" );
SetRandomHealth( itemEnt );

Adding Custom Spawn Points

To add a custom spawn group, edit the <fresh> section of cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml:

xml

<group name="MyCustomSpawn">
    <pos x="7500.0" z="7500.0" />
    <pos x="7550.0" z="7520.0" />
    <pos x="7480.0" z="7540.0" />
    <pos x="7520.0" z="7480.0" />
</group>

Steps:

Open your map in-game or use iZurvive to find coordinates
Pick 3-5 positions spread across 100-200m in a safe area (no cliffs, no water)
Add the <group> block inside <generator_posbubbles>
Use x for east-west and z for north-south -- the engine calculates Y (altitude) from the terrain
Restart the server -- no persistence wipe required

For balanced spawning, keep at least 4 positions per group so a single group has enough spread to keep min_dist_player satisfied when multiple players die at once.

Position format: The x and z attributes use DayZ world coordinates. x is east-west, z is north-south. The y (height) coordinate is not specified --- the engine places the point on the terrain surface. You can find coordinates using the in-game debug monitor or the DayZ Editor mod (a free community tool).

Common Mistakes

Players spawning in the ocean

You swapped z (north-south) with Y (altitude), or used coordinates outside the 0-15360 range. Coast positions have low z values (south edge). Double-check with iZurvive.

Not enough spawn points

With only 2-3 positions, the active group cannot spread players out and clustering results. Vanilla uses 49 fresh positions across 11 groups. Aim for at least 20 positions in 4+ groups.

Forgetting the hop section

An empty <hop> section means server hoppers spawn at 0,0,0 -- the ocean on Chernarus. Always define hop points, even if you copy them from <fresh>.

Spawn points on steep terrain

The generator rejects slopes beyond 45 degrees. If all custom positions are on hillsides, no valid candidates exist. Use flat ground near roads.

Players always spawning at the same spot

Groups with 1-2 positions have too few candidates for the engine to vary the chosen position. Add more positions per group.

Player Spawning ​

Table of Contents ​

cfgplayerspawnpoints.xml Overview ​

File Structure ​

Spawn Parameters ​

Generator Parameters ​

allow_in_water Parameter (1.28+) ​

Group Parameters ​

Fresh Spawn Bubbles ​

Real Group Examples ​

Hop Spawns ​

Map-Specific Configs ​

init.c -- Starting Equipment ​

Vanilla StartingEquipSetup (Chernarus) ​

Adding custom starting gear ​

Adding Custom Spawn Points ​

Common Mistakes ​

Players spawning in the ocean ​

Not enough spawn points ​

Forgetting the hop section ​

Spawn points on steep terrain ​

Players always spawning at the same spot ​