Chunk Modification Effect on NPC Spawns

While I understand the need for some way to prevent bandits and bears spawning in your bedroom, I do find it a bit disheartening that ANY kind of chunk modification might permanently prevent animals or enemies from spawning in a particular area. For example, on a multiplayer server, if someone comes through the forest and chops down a bunch of trees, breaks a bunch of rocks, or places some torches, then even if I go back through and remove those torches or replant those trees, Bambi is never going to grace that section of the forest again unless the admin comes through and forces a reset on individual chunks, which is time intensive and annoying for him, I’d imagine.

INSTEAD, could the effects on spawning happen more gradually? For example, for every building block placed in a chunk, the spawn % chance is reduced by 1%, or is weighted more heavily towards a peaceful creature instead of a dangerous one, perhaps? And maybe make environmental changes even more gradual, like 0.5% reduction for every tree removed or change to the landscape? And perhaps, the same kind of check can be done that determines if the character is “inside” to determine whether a mob can spawn in a given space as well.

Alternatively, you could introduce something like warding incense that prevents spawning within a certain area.

Anti-bandit citronella candles, perhaps.

Quote from Avanar

There are a lot of chunks and npc wander off from their spawn point. So after time they will repopulate the modified chunk

Yes, but the multiplayer server I play on has been active for several years and with the hundreds of players that have come and gone in that time, it is inevitable that most if not all of the chunks within a certain distance of the spawn will have been modified at some point. The only options are to designate “wildlife refuges” where no activity is to take place, or to explore ever further for untouched terrain. As much as I like exploration, new players may find it annoying that they can’t find any animals within a reasonable distance, and expanding the number of chunks that have been loaded will eventually make the serve save file untenably large.