Making NPCs more real

[Anonymous Coward]

Before I begin, just about anyone I've introduced to Arm (and myself earlier in my career), was amazed at how the NPCs blend in with the PCs. However, after getting a little more experienced, I noticed certain differences that allow me to tell if I'm dealing with a PC or NPC.

What do ppl think of makin the NPCs even more PC-like... ideas...

1) Have more NPCs without an ldesc set beside standing, sitting, resting, sleeping, etc.

2) Have more NPCs with random amounts of equipment, instead of the minimum to cover them.

3) Have more NPCs walking patterns better mimic PCs. I.e. have them walk into shops, bars, taverns, enter tents, leave buildings, etc.

Feel free to add your own...

Oh, and this is not a criticism. I have always been very impressed with how deep the NPCs in the world are. However, I believe that if the NPCs were even harder to distinguish from PCs, it might encourage players to treat them more as "real". Whatcha think?

[EvilRoeSlade]

At the end of the day, they'd still be NPCs.

[Agent_137]

Yea, i like to know OOCly what is and what isn't an npc.

That way, I don't have to make up IC excuses for them when they don't answer my questions.

I say make them more realistic, but leave some notable feature like an "a" in their sdesc so I know what is what.

[Agent_137]

Oh: Idea:

more movement scripts, and more emotes for them.

All those NPCs that are ALWAYS in the bar shouldn't always be in the bar . . .  I want to see them move about their daily life sometimes, or at least go take a piss...

[Hicksville Hoochie]

I'm personally fine with how they are now.

Much like with VNPCs, it's just one of those things that we have to work with ourselves on to bring them to life. There's always the option of including them in your emotes to doing something to bring them life as well.

[Seethe]

One thing that comes to mind is the fact that all the NPCs in the city have been there for years. How long has that mul hauled obsidian slag? How tattered are that humanoid's wings? These poor people!
One MUD I played on had a simple way of distributing NPCs a bit - all the NPCs for an area started in a special room with one way exits to various points in the city. One or two of the exits from the room led to traps - inescapable rooms that would seal in an NPC unlucky enough to wander into them. For that reboot, you'd be sans that particular NPC, but the others would be sprinkled liberally through the city to wander gleefully.

[JollyGreenGiant]

I demand that the NPC AI be upgraded to the point where it can pass the Turing test.

[Anonymous]

And thus becoming self aware, the NPC population will overthrow staff and players alike in a violent, bloody uprising! Alright!

[jstorrie]

I demand a consistent and complex simulation system which writes new NPCs with new backgrounds based on the genetic composition of AI-selected NPC parents, assigns proper affiliations and phases out old PCs at relevant age times, all while managing virtual conflict between various NPC factions.

[Marauder Moe]

Neat idea.  If I were on the staff I'd jump this right away.  (not because I think its of vital importance to the game, but I think it'd be fun to code)

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh yeah, more cloaked figures in the major cities too. Would be sweet if when there's bad weather the code tests to see if a NPC raises its hood.

As it is, I'm sure many virtual citizens are walking around covered, but PCs stand out like sore thumbs if they have a hood up.

[Intrepid]

I'd like to see more elves in all the taverns that allow the race.  Few
things are more frustrating than having to explain icly to another pc
that the horde of elven npcs in the corner has been there, he/she/it
just hasn't been noticing the room desc or even has forgotten about
it because the elven npcs never emote/move.

[Anonymous]

And thus becoming self aware, the NPC population will overthrow staff and players alike in a violent, bloody uprising! Alright!

HA! Just like the matrix. The templars can be 'Agents.' The loaded players can be the representation of freed humans. Of course..... whom would we be trying to liberate?

[Agent_137]

VNPCs, of course.

[Anonymous]

If you die in-game, you die in RL.

[Runo]

I agree with what most of you said about NPCs, they are fine now. I also think that they should at least enter/leave biuldings, possibly emote or at least have some kind of triggers to react with us PCs and make RPing with them a lot easier and more fun.

[Koala]

I also think that they should at least enter/leave biuldings, possibly emote or at least have some kind of triggers to react with us PCs and make RPing with them a lot easier and more fun.

To some extent they already do the things that you mentioned.. You just need to spent some more time with them

[Cenghiz]

Hey they're good... A newbie I recruited just today confessed that he tried to interact with a NPC for about 10 minutes, because the NPC was emoting.  :lol:

And thus becoming self aware, the NPC population will overthrow staff and players alike in a violent, bloody uprising! Alright!

They won't kill me cause I will join their side.

[cyberpatrol_735]

Hey they're good... A newbie I recruited just today confessed that he tried to interact with a NPC for about 10 minutes, because the NPC was emoting.  :lol:

Heh, some are like that, you just have to get lucky. Others? No so lucky.

I've been here a few months and I know for a fact if someone is an NPC or PC.

[Adhira]

Those of you wanting to add another dimension to the NPCs of zalanthas should check out the current projects blog - Help wanted!

[My 2 sids]

I posted in the Code section, but I'll add it here too.  I think more Talk commands for NPCs could be very helpful for making the NPC more realistic and fun for PCs.  For the merchant NPCs in the raw material shops some Talk commands on what people might do with some of the raw materials.  

I think for some of the more shady NPCs the Buy command should work so they in fact sell their information.  These could be rumors or information not usually available on rumor boards.

[Koala]

I think for some of the more shady NPCs the Buy command should work so they in fact sell their information.  These could be rumors or information not usually available on rumor boards.

I really liked this idea but I think this may reduce the player to player interaction, which is very important in this case.

[Rhyden]

Ya, I don't like the fact that if an npc dies, they come back at a spawn point, this really irritates me. I don't have a solution, so this post was kind of pointless, oh well!

-Rhyden