The ambient roaming population is being tuned to feel less predictable. Most wanderers remain part of the atmosphere, but a minority now present a real combat threat.
Runners remain aggressive close-range threats, while selected brute and stalker variants can carry firearms. The goal is not to turn the map into nonstop gunfire; it is to make encounters uncertain enough that players pay attention.
The system is being live-tested before launch, including weapon behavior, drops, and interactions with other server NPCs.