NPC Squads and Territory Capture

The second type of map content, besides points, is squads (spawns): groups of NPCs from a given faction that patrol a location, can engage the player or other squads in combat, and — in some cases — hold territory.

Squad structure

{
  "group": "DUTY",
  "strength": "STALKER",
  "n": 4,
  "r": 25,
  "pos": "200:150",
  "title": "Duty checkpoint",
  "description": "A patrol holds the approaches to the Bar",
  "condition": {},
  "actions": { "add": ["checkpoint_captured"] },
  "data": { "angryOnPlayer": false }
}

Field	Value
group	The squad's faction — see the faction reference
strength	The squad's strength/level: WEAK, STALKER, MIDDLE, MASTER, STRONG
n	Number of units in the squad
r	Patrol radius around the pos point
condition / actions	The same system as with points: the squad appears based on a condition, and its actions run when the territory is captured (see below)
data	Behavior flags for this specific squad (see below)

Behavior flags (data)

Flag	Effect
immortal	The squad is immortal — it can't be destroyed
untarget	The squad can't be selected as a target
angry	The squad is hostile to everyone, regardless of faction relations
angryOnPlayer	The squad is hostile specifically toward the player
ignorePlayer	The squad ignores the player (doesn't attack or react)
alwaysIgnored	The squad is always ignored by others (no one opens fire on it)
hide	The squad is hidden (not shown on the map)

These flags let you build a story-important squad with non-standard behavior — for example, an ally that's physically present on the map but will never become a combat target (immortal + ignorePlayer), or an ambush guaranteed to attack the player on encounter (angryOnPlayer).

Territory capture

A squad isn't just decoration. If all of a squad's units are destroyed (the spawn point is emptied) and the player stays near it for long enough (around 10 seconds), the point counts as captured: its actions are triggered. This is a combat-driven territory-control mechanic — for example, clearing out an enemy faction's checkpoint for a reward or to open up a new route.

"actions": { "add": ["monolith_checkpoint_cleared"], "+": ["relation_3:5"] }

In the example above, clearing the checkpoint grants a progress flag and simultaneously improves the "Freedom" faction's (id 3) relation to the player — a typical "territory ↔ relations" pairing worth building into your story's balance.

Who adds squads to the map

Like points, squads can be added by a story chapter for a specific location:

"spawns": {
  "bar": [ { "group": "BANDITS", "strength": "MIDDLE", "n": 3, "...": "..." } ]
}

Next

• Factions and Relations — how the relation scale and hostility work.
• Creating a New Map — adding the location itself.