Heat & Blobs
Overview
The Heat Index is a dynamic indicator shown in game UI that describes how solo-friendly or group-contested a location is. Heat is based on your current position relative to the Heat centers (Dreadfort and WIlderness Hideout).
Every non-safe zone has a Heat Index value from 0 to 100, running across a spectrum:
0 (“Remote”) → quiet, desolate, low-traffic, good for solo players
100 (“Contested”) → faction-heavy, densely populated, high-conflict
Heat is used to create regions of the map that are more GROUP-FAVORED, vs others that are more SOLO-FAVORED, to balance competition between solo players and guilds.
Remote Zones
Remote areas are farther from civilization, characterized by:
Sparse but higher-variance resource density
Fewer players, more exploration
Longer travel routes for farming and mobility
These zones cater to solo gatherers, explorers, and players avoiding major guild presence.
Contested Zones
Contested areas pulse with high activity:
Heavy guild influence, roaming squads, and raid groups
Dense clusters of T4/T5 monsters and high-value resources
Close proximity to major wilderness hubs (e.g., Dreadfort, Wilderness Hideout) wth banks
These zones tend to attract organized groups seeking PvP, GvG, or efficient high-tier farming.
Effects by Heat Index
The Heat Index influences several game subsystems dynamically.
Roaming Threats
More anti-group threats spawn (disruption, ambushers)
More anti-solo threats (assassins, elite hunters)
Loot Resolution
Reduced penalties for solo kills; harsher for zerg-looting (High Gear Savior chance)
Minimal penalty for multi-kill/zerg looting (Low Gear Savior chance)
Stress
Increased stress contagion; large groups inflict heavy stress multipliers
Massively reduced stress contagion
Reward Density
Higher variance; more dynamic node spawns; chance for sparse but high-value resources
Higher average tier, stronger value density (e.g., 0.2–0.3 productivity modifiers)
Focus Fire (Damage Reduction based on # of Attackers)
Significantly higher Damage Reduction when multiple players focus a target
Focus Fire DR is lowered or negligible (zerg-friendly)
Heat Source Calculation
Heat comes from Heat Sources placed in the world - currently there are two Heat Sources, centered on Dreadfort and the Wilderness Hideout.
Each Heat Source has a radius.
Inside that radius, Heat decreases linearly from 100 → 30 as you move outward (about 70% of the radius).
Areas outside all sources = Heat 0 (fully Remote).
If two Heat Sources overlap, the highest value wins (they don’t add together).
Special locations (e.g. Mining Dungeon) have a fixed Heat = 50 so they stay “neutral.”
Extra: Blobs (Player Density Visualization)
Blobs are a real-time visual indicator of where activity is happening.
They provide an immediate “hotspot” overlay beyond static Heat Sources.
Blob Rules
A Red Blob appears when 6 or more players are in close proximity.
The blob scales in size based on the number of players.
Blobs do not appear inside safe zones.
Blobs appear on:
The minimap
The World Map
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