Batspawner

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-03

Overview

BatSpawner is a component that handles the lifecycle of bats associated with an entity (typically a boss like Abigail or related creatures). It spawns bats around the owner within a fan-shaped area, maintains a cap on bat count, and ensures spawned bats are automatically removed when the owner goes to sleep. The component integrates with the world map and ground creep system to avoid invalid spawn locations.

Usage example

local inst = CreateEntity()
inst:AddComponent("batspawner")
inst.components.batspawner:SetMaxBats(8)
inst.components.batspawner:SetSpawnTimes(5)
-- Spawn bats by calling spawner functions periodically or via external logic

Dependencies & tags

Components used: None identified
Tags: None identified

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
bats	table	{}	Dictionary mapping spawned bat entities to cleanup functions.
timetospawn	number	0	Internal timer; used externally for scheduling spawns.
batcap	number	6	Maximum number of bats allowed.
spawntime	number	TUNING.BIRD_SPAWN_DELAY	Delay (in seconds) between bat spawns.

Main functions

GetDebugString()

• Description: Returns a human-readable string for debugging, showing current and maximum bat count.
• Parameters: None.
• Returns: string — formatted as "Bats: X/Y".

SetSpawnTimes(times)

• Description: Updates the interval between bat spawns.
• Parameters: times (number) — new spawn delay in seconds.
• Returns: Nothing.

SetMaxBats(max)

• Description: Sets the maximum number of bats this spawner is allowed to maintain.
• Parameters: max (number) — new bat capacity limit.
• Returns: Nothing.

StartTracking(inst)

• Description: Registers a spawned bat for automatic removal when the spawner’s owner goes to sleep. Also disables persistence (inst.persists = false) on the bat.
• Parameters: inst (Entity) — the bat entity to track.
• Returns: Nothing.

GetSpawnPoint(pt)

• Description: Computes a valid spawn point for a bat within a fan-shaped region around position pt, avoiding impassable terrain and creep.
• Parameters: pt (Vector3) — center position for the spawn fan.
• Returns: Vector3? — the adjusted spawn point, or nil if no valid position found.
• Error states: May return nil if FindValidPositionByFan fails to locate a suitable location.

Events & listeners

• Listens to: entitysleep — triggers cleanup of all tracked bats via the listener registered in StartTracking.