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Thread: the life of NPCs

  1. #1
    Marios's Mustache Wax Reputation: 10

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    Default the life of NPCs

    Three questions:
    1. Do you care how life like (in action/reaction) NPCs are?
    2. In your opinion, what actions/reactions do you expect and/or appreciate from an NPC?
    3. What games have the most evolved NPC system?


    For me,

    1. Its annoying to see the same NPC in the same place doing the same thing all the time.

    2. When you walk into a room, the bartender (for example) should look at you (make eye contact ) have some kind of emotional reaction (annoyed, pleased, indifferent), a change in facial expression and some form of memory if they've seen you before. NPCs should have a schedule and make progress and changes in their life. Have all 5 senses would be nice. Reacting to sounds and sights and even smells. If you just crawled through a sewer, it would be nice if the npcs noticed your stench.

    3. I like some of the feature in Oblivion for scheduling sleep and work. And reactions if you hit them and if they see another guard lying dead when they are on patrol. They even treat you differently if you look sick. Games like HalfLife are making progress with squad formations/taking cover/calling for backup.

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    In Mabinogi you interact with the NPC's directly by doing part time jobs for most of them and get their the relationship to you higher by giving them gifts and talking to them and stuff. When they talk, their facial expressions change and they look directly at your char regardless of height. Some of the NPC's travel from city to city and dungeon to dungeon selling things. The NPC's also seem to have intimate knowledge of each other and their surroundings, and they seem to know the difference between you, them, the monsters, their world, and this world.

    Pretty damn cool I'd say.

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    This is called balance.
    If you want good gameplay, they will focus more on gameplay/storyline and not the NPCs because thats the last thing players will look at.

    "Hey, I heard about this new game, its 10gb.. is it good?"
    "OH THAT GAME IS AWESOME! THE NPC INTERACTS AS IF THEY ARE PLAYERS!!"
    "Wait, what can you do in that game again?"
    "YOU WONT BELIEVE IT! YOU GET TO CHAT, TRADE, RUN, TALK TO NPCs.."
    "uhhh wtf?"
    "YEAH, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE ARMORS LOOK THE SAME, IT DOESNT MATTER, THE NPCs ARE LIKE REAL PLAYERS OMG OMG OMG"
    "ok..."

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    personally i like when npcs actually aknowlegde they are NPCs

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    i like npc's you can kill (morrowind) lol but then the guards chase after you

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    Quote Originally Posted by darknight55 View Post
    This is called balance.
    If you want good gameplay, they will focus more on gameplay/storyline and not the NPCs because thats the last thing players will look at.

    "Hey, I heard about this new game, its 10gb.. is it good?"
    "OH THAT GAME IS AWESOME! THE NPC INTERACTS AS IF THEY ARE PLAYERS!!"
    "Wait, what can you do in that game again?"
    "YOU WONT BELIEVE IT! YOU GET TO CHAT, TRADE, RUN, TALK TO NPCs.."
    "uhhh wtf?"
    "YEAH, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE ARMORS LOOK THE SAME, IT DOESNT MATTER, THE NPCs ARE LIKE REAL PLAYERS OMG OMG OMG"
    "ok..."
    dats funny as hell but so true lmao

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    NPCS in Oblivion almost have lives... Almost.

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    i like how the npc's are now though, they arent players and i dont look forward to be hanging out with one of them

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    Quote Originally Posted by QuakeStriker View Post
    i like how the npc's are now though, they arent players and i dont look forward to be hanging out with one of them
    i've always wanted a robo-friend

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    Quote Originally Posted by Q_switch_css View Post
    i've always wanted a robo-friend
    then Japan is the place for you ! :3

    but on topic: i dont see a really bright future for them in mmorpg's, but they are improving in single player games though

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    Quote Originally Posted by QuakeStriker View Post
    then Japan is the place for you ! :3

    but on topic: i dont see a really bright future for them in mmorpg's, but they are improving in single player games though
    They could be used as fillers when you can't find enough real players.

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    yea like in GW, but for some reason they arent implementing it

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by darknight55 View Post
    This is called balance.
    If you want good gameplay, they will focus more on gameplay/storyline and not the NPCs because thats the last thing players will look at.

    "Hey, I heard about this new game, its 10gb.. is it good?"
    "OH THAT GAME IS AWESOME! THE NPC INTERACTS AS IF THEY ARE PLAYERS!!"
    "Wait, what can you do in that game again?"
    "YOU WONT BELIEVE IT! YOU GET TO CHAT, TRADE, RUN, TALK TO NPCs.."
    "uhhh wtf?"
    "YEAH, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE ARMORS LOOK THE SAME, IT DOESNT MATTER, THE NPCs ARE LIKE REAL PLAYERS OMG OMG OMG"
    "ok..."
    that made me lol, thank you.:3

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    If you expect realistic NPCs.
    You'd better expect a damn huge file.

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    I think it would get annoying actually, i dont play mmos to watch the NPCs have lives...

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    In FFXI the npc's are a bit more life-ish

    Some walk around some cook or do stuff at home.. ect.

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    no i dont want any of that, it's too much work for something that people will just forget about i would rather them spend that time and money on gameplay and storyline

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    Quote Originally Posted by cloud775 View Post
    no i dont want any of that, it's too much work for something that people will just forget about i would rather them spend that time and money on gameplay and storyline
    I dunno, I thought it was a pretty big factor in the immersion effect of mmorpgs. What good is a storyline if all of the characters are lifeless?

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    In FFXI the npcs are stationary, or move in a certain predicted location.
    But if I had to pick npc games.. Mabinogi. Wow, just Wow, The NPCs there were planned out epicly, I wonder if it'll last in Mabinogi 2.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MerkaMerka View Post
    In FFXI the npcs are stationary, or move in a certain predicted location.
    But if I had to pick npc games.. Mabinogi. Wow, just Wow, The NPCs there were planned out epicly, I wonder if it'll last in Mabinogi 2.
    Yea it should, Mabi wouldn't be Mabi without a sarcastic Fleta, a newb smith Ferghus, and everybody's lovable gravity defying Nao.

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    Mabinogi , has this to a pretty great extent , the games straight up amazing , im surprised more people dont play despite the P2P thing.

    I coudnt play for long because of the terible Point and click , if it had a battle system like metin (More advanced of course) Like you could place those atacks on your keyboard and use them at will rather then having to click , if you know what I mean. If that becomes party of Mabi 2 , ITS MY GAME , Il drop everything and play , but untill then ;-\

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    Quote Originally Posted by necrosword View Post
    dats funny as hell but so true lmao
    How is that funny? I see no punch line.

    Best npcs are in GTA.

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