There are probably hundreds of npc related threads out there, so I want to combine all of them here for easy access when you have a question. This is mainly going to be a master list, however it is welcome to suggestions, thoughts and any other on topic discissions. If you had a idea that corresponds to this list, pm me or leave a comment and I'll update it First things First, what is an NPC? Non-player character What do we want to see them do and what roles should they play? https://empyriononline.com/threads/how-can-the-emptiness-be-fixed.13650/ Hiring and Employing Npcs https://empyriononline.com/threads/npcs-that-will-work-for-you.20017/page-2 Vital NPC features to support immersive gameplay Factions and Diplomacy Late Game Material Supply Lines Npc Ship Crews Enemy Npcs and Escalation of Force Npc movement in Combat Diversity Adjustible Enemy Settings Npc Communication Interface Creative Instant Action Mode With Spawnable Enemies Ways to Discover New Civilizations NPC Fleets Lore and Customization Promoting Competition What if pirating was more than just preying on a npc or another player? It would be nice if NPC missions were geared towards pitting players against each other on some missons where one player would be the smuggler, and the other would be the law enforcer. One would be the pirate and one the cargo hauler. This could extend into alliances with opposing npc factions also. Npc with Routines Taming/Breeding Aliens/Animals Singleplayer Campaign and Co-op Personal Drone Upgrades Gaining Neutral Status and earning Rapport Npcs capture inactive player bases Quick link for Upcoming Features list http://empyriononline.com/threads/results-of-survey.7525/ http://empyriononline.com/threads/gamescom-2016-recap-and-upcoming-features.7250/
Bosses Structure A system similar to Mount and Blade: Warband's would be great! I suggest instead of limited "timed" contracts is morale and salary based content. If you have a ship crew, they have to eat, drink, and receive a pay check. Ultimately you would have a few different types of NPCs; Story-based (Hired), Story Based (Not for Hire), Basic NPC (Hired), Basic NPC (Not for Hire) and Enemies. The way it would work is that Story Based NPCs would be recognizable by a name (Bob, Sandra, Larry, etc.) and the basic ones would be named Farmer, Soldier, miner, Engineer, etc. Basic NPCs will be hired to perform a specific task and will be named differently than the basic NPCs not for Hire. They would be named villager, civilian, official, officer, etc. So with the Story Based NPCs you will have more dialogue choices and be able to receive missions and build rapport. They would rank up or raise basic stats with experience and would have a leveling system with a skill tree and attributes. Morale will affect the way your party reacts to you or if your soldiers desert you. You risk desertion if you run low on food supplies or credits Alien Invasions Other References: https://empyriononline.com/threads/reason-to-explore.4253/#post-35785 https://empyriononline.com/threads/features-to-enhance-sp-games.6015/ http://empyriononline.com/threads/rfc-an-idea-to-revise-the-poi-and-enemy-spawn-respawn-system.7405/ http://empyriononline.com/threads/we-need-the-aliens-to-mount-more-attacks.8497/ http://empyriononline.com/threads/alien-invasion.5929/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/the-future-of-npc-factions.11007/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/suggestion-day-night-cycle-for-npcs.10864/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/a-couple-of-thoughts-about-exploration-and-npcs.8866/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/bosses.10092/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/quality-of-life-ai-gameplay-wishlist.9817/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/trading-with-npc.8766/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/aliens-are-not-coming.8719/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/recovery-and-repair-drones-bots.8661/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/...-inventory-blueprints-xp-system-altern.21528/ https://empyriononline.com/threads/npc-traders-let-us-sell-not-just-buy.22133/
I would like if there were a MOD API to control an NPC in basic ways. That would allow others to start adding these things in part.
Wow, this is a toughy. I'll have to think about it some. I was just thinking about Scenarios last night and how presently they seem ripe for creating alternative starts to the game. For that, it would be nice to be able to adjust Player-to-Faction relationship settings in a Playfield configuration. Along with it would have to be a seting for if the player's relationship with a faction is allowed to change, and if so how fast and to what point. Then you get into which actions can change a relationship with a faction, and that list could need all sorts of mechanics. But you could start small with just "kill an X, lose faction with X." At that point, it becomes possible to make a planet full of hostile native spear dudes. You could perhaps then add some missions to improve a relationship with a faction, harm a relationship with a faction, or both. Would faction figure into escalation by NPCs, communication with NPCs, hiring NPCs? Perhaps. If so, then perhaps a faction system is the prerequisite for many of the others. I dunno. I'll have to think about it more.
That's a tough one (and as seen there several equal)... I have voted for 2) Npc scripting and pathfinding .. for me that's the most important point. Without that, NPC Crew, Factions, Fleets nothing will (inter)act... 1) Hiring and Employing Npcs (Ship Crews) .. The most useful point to increase immersion, beliefability and vitality - but not an easy or simple task The third I don't know what to take..., there are many good points in the list; I took finally 8) Npc Fleets, Commanding multiple ships from Flagship .. as this will help get some players from the X-universe ;-)
I voted npc scripting and pathfinding, as that's the closest i can see to buffing the ai of the npcs. I'd like it if they 'behaved' more like players in respects to things like combat and making use of terrain/not getting caught on stairs or dead bodies, etc. The rest i'd still like to see though, it's just the one i'd like to see first since combat is a thing. Except for taming and breeding. That can go die in a fire.
Just representing everyone fairly, I went back through 51 pages to find these links and it took quite a bit of time to read it all. I'm sure if it doesn't make the cut, it will be supported with a mod at some point
I will have to say Npc Fleets, Commanding multiple ships from Flagship. They have this samething in Starmade and it is extremely fun. You get to connect all of the ships you have built to one flag ship and you have them travel with you and defend you. Two players can have a massive fleet battle by themselves .
I started playing Starmade on my old steam account and need to buy it again for this one. That is a great game and isn't as popular as you would think it would be.
I think the only reason why it's not as popular as it should be is because some people are turned off by the minecraft look it has and won't give it chance. but I agree it is a great game. I love the fact they have moving blocks and their moving blocks systems is wayyyyyyyyyyy better than space engineers rotor pistons system. I kind of wished Elon would copy Starmades moving blocks system and fleet command system and put it in this game. You add that to what Empyrion already has and you have the best building space survival game ever made in my opinion.
Would faction figure into escalation by NPCs, communication with NPCs, hiring NPCs? They are all tied together in some ways, and I feel like they would all be implented together in the same update or one after the other. Those 3 are dependant on the other to work. I didnt go and break up the comments to fit their own sections, so there might be a few that could fit in multiple categories. I just tried the emphazize on the OP's main point when categorizing them.
Basically content that adds us more things to do in the game first, so in this order i suggest: 1. Taming and Breeding Animals 2. Npc Factions, building Rapport and Diplomacy 3. Lore & Mission set You can't have missions before factions so... And animal breeding should be simplest to make.
I agree partially with the owning and raising of lizard mules for farming, but not in the way that it would try to be Ark like @Sofianinho said. I would rather it take more along the lines of Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley in which it provides a resource which you can sell at a market.
Hmmm. I had never asked me that question before. Lets see: Hiring and Employing Npcs (Ship Crews) Troglodytes as crewmen? I doubt that being helpful. Npc scripting and pathfinding If i dont have to do the scripting myself, ok. Lore & Mission set Lets get the existing missions sorted out first. There are tons of bugs there since 7.0 Role playing and adding conversations Fun at first, then boring and later on annoying. I cannot count the times i cried "shut up!" in the Elder Scrolls games - to no avail, of course. Clearly: NO!!! Npc Factions, building Rapport and Diplomacy No, please, no diplomacy - apart from the gunpowder variant. I have never seen a game yet with an AI, that is able to do diplomacy in a sensible way. Escalation of Force for Enemy Npcs, Alien Invasions Yeah, this would be sensible. If i begin to murder them, they will try to get rid of me. But invasions?? Hey that might be fun in MP - in SP its far beyond fun. Creative - Instant Action Combat Mode No idea what this means. Npc Fleets, Commanding multiple ships from Flagship No, not interested. Could be fun, if made well - but its another game, in another ballpark. Boss Size Npcs Why do all people constantly cry for more, heavier enemies? You got used to the existing ones, know their weaknesses and exploit them - because you can. Introducing bosses will alleviate the resulting boredom only so long, then the whining begins again - while all the freshmen quit playing in despair. So: in my opinion this is ad BAD idea. Dont like this at all. Taming and Breeding Animals Yes, this fits very well into the survival aspect of the game. I am in with this. But my bottom line is: i would not mind if the NPCs would be eliminated from the game alltogether...
I just want basic, straightforward combat AI. Computer-controlled soldiers have been able to run, flank, duck, utilize cover and coordinate movement in FPS games since 1998. Computer-controlled aircraft have been able to avoid terrain, dogfight, shoot and crash since 1991. As far as I'm concerned nothing is worth doing with the AI until we have that basic stuff implemented, because right now it's either a placeholder or a joke. Further, I'm baffled at the mechanics surrounding "ghost ships" and the constant problems I've been hearing about the Patrol CV. What is the reasoning behind having all this special stuff instead of just having the AI spawn predetermined HV, SV and CV blueprints and following a patrol/attack algorithm?
