Spawn point

A Spawn point is a video game expression referring to where either items such as weapons, players or NPCs are to reappear a set time after they have been killed (this is referred to as spawning).

Player-based spawn points are most often found in multiplayer first-person shooter games, such as "Half-Life 2" or "Unreal Tournament", but can also refer to checkpoints in other game genres, such as Arcade games or 2D shooter games.

One would most often find an NPC spawn point in an RPG or MMORPG, where a constant supply of NPCs is required.

In common usage, spawn points can also refer to areas or volumes. In these cases, a random point is usually selected each time a player or NPC spawns within.

Other types of spawn points

Command points

Often found in games like Team Fortress or the Battlefield series, these spawns are either assigned to a team at the start of a game and can be taken from them by standing near its flag, or they can be neutral where either team can capture them outright. When a team holds a command point in its control players may often spawn at them as a launching point to capture more.

In some instances like Team Fortress's assault maps, flags captured by the assaulting team and not be taken back by the defenders, allowing the attackers to have a fixed, unchangeable and indefinitely uncapturable spawn point. In instances like the Battlefield series, on its conquest maps, a team may start the match with one, two, all or no flags within their control with only one for them to spawn on, often a capturable spawn or an uncapturable spawn, when a point is capture by a team, they may spawn on that point as long as it remains within their control. Additionally, Battlefield increases the need to capture command points by making them subtract a number of points from the team's "death tickets" based on how many are held and how long they are held by the other team.

Player Spawn Points

Player spawns usually make a player an available spawn point for other players that are in the same squad. Points like these are often found in the Battlefield 2 and 2142, where a player/squad leader can either have his fellow squad mates spawn on him, or a placed "spawn beacon."

This also provides an alternative to a normal spawn point as it can counter spawn camping with a mobile method of spawning. Spawning on a player, however can prove difficult when the player mans a single, or three seater vehicle as all the players in the squad may not be able to spawn on the said player unless those who have spawned, exit the vehicle. It also can be a problem, if the spawn point player dies repeatedly in combat rather than remaining concealed and allowing his fellow squad mates to respawn.

Vehicle spawn points

Vehicle spawns are spawn points that are placed on certain vehicles, often a transport vehicle. These spawns can be moved and allow the player to spawn under the protection of the vehicle's armor.

Odd spawn points

Odd spawn points are points that have the player spawn in ways other than simply appearing or "phasing" into the game world. Some games, like the Battlefield series, have the player spawn with an automatically opened parachute, or via Battlefield 2142's new drop pod. Some strange spawns, on edited maps, may have the player spawn in rather awkward if not unfair ways, like spawning in an enemies spawn or dropping randomly from the sky.