Npc's.....

sir ice

By sir ice
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sir ice Pathfinder

sir ice

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What will npc's do in the sandbox mode? I almost feel that there shouldn't be any because I don't see a role for them to fufill. Do you think npc's will trade with the player and try to kill the player? Will they run away from the player? I suspect that npc's will be unreachable. Maybe some dude will be hanging off a cliff and the player tries to save him/her, ultimatley failing.

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Hotzn Pathfinder

Hotzn

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On 9.7.2016 at 0:18 PM, sir ice said:

What will npc's do in the sandbox mode? I almost feel that there shouldn't be any because I don't see a role for them to fufill. Do you think npc's will trade with the player and try to kill the player? Will they run away from the player? I suspect that npc's will be unreachable. Maybe some dude will be hanging off a cliff and the player tries to save him/her, ultimatley failing.

+1 for this idea.

I was wondering whether NPCs should be stationary, or in other words be found in certain locations, or whether they should turn up as events. I think the latter would be a lot better. Because I like it unpredictable. Meaning that they could of course turn up at certain locations, but not from the start of a game. Or maybe even from the start of a game, but randomly. The chances of meeting an NPC should be very low at the beginning of a game and then rise as time passes. So loneliness strikes you and you start yearning to meet someone. Anyone.

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Resethel Prepper

Resethel

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36 minutes ago, Hotzn said:

I was wondering whether NPCs should be stationary, or in other words be found in certain locations, or whether they should turn up as events [...]

I'm for the latter. Mostly because, I can't see how they'll benefit the game otherwise (like @sir ice said), how should they behave? 

But if they're events, that can or cannot happen, and are very limited in time, and rewarding if fulfilled (or not rewarded), it's okay. This way whatever may their behavior be, their impact will be limited in time and space so it would not affect a long term playstyle , even if they threaten your life IG (it just like a bear passing close to you).

@sir ice example is great, and here is another I like: it's like in the storymode trailer, your character spot two-three npc traveling together from a place to another (so they'll disappear after a given time, never to be seen again), they quarrel (or not maybe nothing will happen) and start to butcher one of them. And you're standing close, just out of their reach. You got the choice to ignore them or trying to act. But that's it. You won't have to deal with them for a long time, nor trading. One may get rewards of course but ultimately, one's loneliness will strike back at a point.

 

44 minutes ago, Hotzn said:

The chances of meeting an NPC should be very low at the beginning of a game and then rise as time passes. So loneliness strikes you and you start yearning to meet someone. Anyone.

Totally agree. But the encounter may not be a great one.

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sir ice Pathfinder

sir ice

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7 hours ago, Hotzn said:

+1 for this idea.

I was wondering whether NPCs should be stationary, or in other words be found in certain locations, or whether they should turn up as events. I think the latter would be a lot better. Because I like it unpredictable. Meaning that they could of course turn up at certain locations, but not from the start of a game. Or maybe even from the start of a game, but randomly. The chances of meeting an NPC should be very low at the beginning of a game and then rise as time passes. So loneliness strikes you and you start yearning to meet someone. Anyone.

I agree. I thinks events would be better.

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sir ice Pathfinder

sir ice

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6 hours ago, Resethel said:

I'm for the latter. Mostly because, I can't see how they'll benefit the game otherwise (like @sir ice said), how should they behave? 

But if they're events, that can or cannot happen, and are very limited in time, and rewarding if fulfilled (or not rewarded), it's okay. This way whatever may their behavior be, their impact will be limited in time and space so it would not affect a long term playstyle , even if they threaten your life IG (it just like a bear passing close to you).

@sir ice example is great, and here is another I like: it's like in the storymode trailer, your character spot two-three npc traveling together from a place to another (so they'll disappear after a given time, never to be seen again), they quarrel (or not maybe nothing will happen) and start to butcher one of them. And you're standing close, just out of their reach. You got the choice to ignore them or trying to act. But that's it. You won't have to deal with them for a long time, nor trading. One may get rewards of course but ultimately, one's loneliness will strike back at a point.

 

Totally agree. But the encounter may not be a great one.

That would be good. Maybe the victim could stay alive for a little while before bleeding out.

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Wastelander Pathfinder

Wastelander

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Should NPCs compete with the player over resources? Imagine going to loot a location only to find a trio of other survivors there who take all those valuable canned goods and rifle rounds... will you try to barter with them? If you do, you get out unscathed but with less loot than you hoped for. Will you try to fight them? Good luck buddy...

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Ohbal Pathfinder

Ohbal

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Nice link, @bekkar, I didn't knew about those either (there is another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x98hH4yUZmw&list=PLzp35YPWKwnk5RX-mcKNe2z8HtNPx04qx&index=3).

They show an interesting concept, and if that is the direction we are finally going, it does indeed look promising. 

I've raised a question on the roadmap topic about the progress on the NPCs as I'm really curious about things are going on that front. NPCs (or AI, to be precise) are probably one of the harderst things to do right in games. As far as my experience goes, the AI I've interacted with is either too simplistic, too linear or too random. It never feels right and it usually contributes to the "gamey" feeling. 

 

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Simhi Wolfbait

Simhi

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I find it a thin line, and difficult to balance. Personally, I totally love the feeling of being alone. And that, without killing someone first. ;) Second, it is cooperation that made humanity strive, not war, and personal interests. I hope such choices are valid. I trust in HL to pull off something interesting, though! Maybe even something really special! :)

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Wastelander Pathfinder

Wastelander

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9 hours ago, Simhi said:

I find it a thin line, and difficult to balance. Personally, I totally love the feeling of being alone. And that, without killing someone first. ;) Second, it is cooperation that made humanity strive, not war, and personal interests. I hope such choices are valid. I trust in HL to pull off something interesting, though! Maybe even something really special! :)

Haven't see you around, so welcome to the forums!

You're making a very valid point there, and I do agree that NPC-encounters shouldn't always or even mostly be hostile, however the looming threat should definitely be there - in times of chaos and disaster, humans go to tremendous efforts to protect and care for each other, but at the same time, those times bring out the worst in them - a comparatively recent and well-documented case being the Siege of Sarajevo. Granted, that was an ethnical and political conflict and not necessarily a conflict over resources, but you get the general idea. 

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sir ice Pathfinder

sir ice

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On 7/11/2016 at 4:04 PM, Simhi said:

I find it a thin line, and difficult to balance. Personally, I totally love the feeling of being alone. And that, without killing someone first. ;) Second, it is cooperation that made humanity strive, not war, and personal interests. I hope such choices are valid. I trust in HL to pull off something interesting, though! Maybe even something really special! :)

I also like the alone thing. I personally would like it better if there were no npc's. 

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Docterrok Pathfinder

Docterrok

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51 minutes ago, sir ice said:

ITS SEXIST BECAUSE THE WOMAN IS WEAK AND CAN'T FIGHT THE WOLVES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try fighting a wolf in real life and report the results. I got mauled by a coyote I let out of a trap and was put in the hospital for 3 days. Most people can't fight wolves dude.

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sir ice Pathfinder

sir ice

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On 7/14/2016 at 3:11 PM, Docterrok said:

Try fighting a wolf in real life and report the results. I got mauled by a coyote I let out of a trap and was put in the hospital for 3 days. Most people can't fight wolves dude.

PATRIARCHY!

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Resin Survivor

Resin

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NPCs...I hope they weigh their survival against yours, to decide if they would do better working with or against you. They should also have 'tells' if they are saying that they want to be friends but are actually planning to kill you when you sleep, or maybe just rob you and run off.

The clips look very promising, I just hope the situations are more complex then simply fighting an abusive NPC to get a friendly follower NPC.

Loyalty/Animosity should be dynamic rather than binary. I also like the event based approach. Maybe glimpsing people who run away, or try to strand you in an area.

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Dirmagnos Pathfinder

Dirmagnos

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14 hours ago, Resin said:

NPCs...I hope they weigh their survival against yours, to decide if they would do better working with or against you. They should also have 'tells' if they are saying that they want to be friends but are actually planning to kill you when you sleep, or maybe just rob you and run off.

Yes, tells. If he shoots you, hes probably not friendly.

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Resin Survivor

Resin

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I was thinking more of shifty eyes, maybe putting his hands in the air and saying 'I'm unarmed!' while his buddy tries to sneak behind you.

I've often thought how creepy it would be, to be looting yet another little cabin and turn around to see someone just standing there and staring at you, maybe say something along the idea of 'this is my house' or  'those are my things'.  

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