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Just for you people who believe there are no NPCs around... there is a new one somewhere, as far as I know (I'm pretty new to this game, but I know this NPC is also new).

But I have to say, I do think it's the player's own problem if they play several different characters, and leave their buildings, especially the tavern, unattended; it also serves for some interesting RP events (I recently proposed in-char to get the tavern running, and then Tialdin returned to the tavern with a big bang, serving free beer to attract new customers - BUT the tavern is unattended again, if I go check now ).

Empty, unattended buildings lead to squatters and other "scum" to occupy the buildings; just some food for thought. I don't know why we should squelch in-game space for good RP conflicts like that.

But I don't think it should be solved with NPCs, to be quite frank, I'm sometimes rather annoyed with the automatic comments emitted by Sam and Eliza, although like Kas mentioned up there, I sometimes put some RP to them, too. And that's exactly what I'm trying to get to - I RP with NPCs briefly, because this game is one in which I consider the RP to be quite good. However, RPing with automated NPCs is not really that fun, there are limits to it.

For example, how many times has a PC passed by your char without greeting or showing any sign of perception whatsoever? Isn't that considered to be rude, by certain people? I think this also serves for certain situations in RP, and NPCs would only take this element away.

I remember an in-game dialogue with one of Val's chars and mine, where he stated he wanted to rob that "artifact" from the NPC Theon. Well, that's not really possible, because Theon is an NPC. Get my idea?

There should be at least a good reason why suddenly NPCs are all around town, and to be quite frank, I don't like the idea of having lots of NPCs everywhere. Like someone said up there, Troll's Bane is a bit of a ghost town at times, and I really have no problem with that. After all, this all takes place on an island, and I think the NPCs would only make things look crammed up - besides, they'd be spamming up your log-file with their senseless actions (does Sam have lice, or why is he always scratching his head? And where does Eliza get the fish, if she doesn't buy any, yet never leaves the shop?).

Sure, NPCs might bring more life into the town, but I'm not sure if it's the type of life most of you would be interested in having in-game; it would be more like the "life" in the town of the game Diablo, which would, to be quite blunt, suck (we'd just have a bunch of shallow RPing linked to some NPCs who do nothing else but walk circles all day long, like Darlok mentioned up there). If you could at least speak to the NPCs, and pick up current forum rumors from them, that would be something else, but just having more NPCs for different trades would really hurt the economy system, I believe.

If anything, there should NPCs at remote locations, like Theon is one, so a character has a reason to venture out of town occasionally. For example, there could be one in the monastery, who "sells information", or simply tells secrets of craftmanship for money, or simply buys food supplies. Or an orc near the desert selling weapons and armor. Or an NPC troll who buys fish.

I agree with Darlok, it is character interaction which makes the game interesting, if the players wished to goto the Tavern then they would, i dount an NPC will change this much. How hard is it to roleplay drinking a beer.
If the NPC was implemented it would kill many a roleplay oppertunity, a mulititude of my characters have been thrown from the Tavern by the barstaff, would a NPC be able to do this. If an NPC was implemented, would people bother to Roleplay the part of a Barman at all, as he would feel he was not needed, the only reason someone would play this part would to be to sell cheaper beer than our Friendly NPC, and this action is stupid in itself.

In short the role of the Barman has created many roleplay situations in the pasy, lets not lose it.

Whats the difference between us Drunks and Alcholics?

Us Drunks dont goto the stupid meetings

Heres my thoughts on the matter (some may have been posted)

I 100% agree with Belegi on the Hot spots. People hang around the shop because theres a depot and a shopkeep who buys. Depots are a very important part, the Farmers union land is allways abandoned, why because with huge fields you need a depot, where the nearest one? the workshop. Now let me ask you this, What kind of farmer plants a field 100 miles from his storehouses? None! so buildings like the Shi long monastry, the other monastary, there allways empty.

Your arguments of time seem pointless, if the GMs take all this time to build citys and buildings that are deserted, well I think they could stop doing that and add some NPC's.

Ever noticed that the EGH land is almost allways empty, as with Silverbrand (this is probably the 2nd most used place aside from Trolls bane)? No one goes to the EGH land because no one is there and theres no one to sell to, I would actually live there, but I have to come to town so frequently.

I feel that Eliza should be removed or placed else where. I think in silverbrand there is a dwarf who buys perhaps armor or such things for cheap, and sells hammers and shovels and such. In Greenbriar perhaps some one who sells seeds and cakes and ales, and buys cabbage. Near the dock should be someone who buys fish and sells poles (I really hate that fishing was killed with Eliza not buying it) The store in town would be more of a gerneral store, he sells tools and other things.

The real message is that different areas should be more specific for different trades.

Thre also should be more depots, I could put someone who sells seeds or buys fish or what, but if I have to go from a mile away carrying all of the goods well im not going to.

My opinion to that. I have offered to set up a NPC in the tavern. I have made a script for him, but Tialdin wants to set up the pricelist. I asked another GM to clear the thinks up with the pricelist. After that i never got that list. I can set up a new NPC in, say we 5 minutes. If i have to change the script with new prices, say we 20 minutes.

Did I get that right, if you get a price list from Tialdin, there could be a NPC in the tavern within short time?

Arr, where is a king when you need him, Belegi wants her beer.

By the way, if there is no such price list, I´d suggest SMACC+2 or SMACC+3 prices.

Sorry for adding my word so bluntly, but...

I think only food potions should be sold there.

Why?
Because druids will suffer if the rest is sold.
Hungry? Go pick herbs or eat fish or bake bread.

Potions, in my humble view, are druid's priviledge.

Beer is also poison. Poison is druid's secret weapon.
If everyone has access to it - poison party will ensue chaos.

What would be cool is if bartender sold something like beer mugs, milk, herbs like strawberry, or just some new implemented drinks, that carry not much functionality. Not same drinks that druids make and sell.

Druids are not often ingame - well, there is your motivation to seek them, pay them well, and even become a druid yourself and lean away from offensive magic.

well I am a druid, pretty good i might add, but very few people would buy my potions (when I had them that is, long story) when I siad the NPC should be added i meant the should sell wine and food potions and milk and such.

btw, I still think there is some cheatcode combination of keys to talk Theon into giving away the artifact

Oops! *shuts up*

If you knew Tialdins prizes you wouldn't worry about selling your potions...

I also think no one would buy tons of potions at the tavern. But I agree, things like strong healing potions, mana potions and the like shouldn´t be available. More drinks like wine, beer (maybe finally REAL beer) and milk. Useless stuff.

People buying tons of potions in the tavern? I seriously doubt that, Firstly as with all NPC's prices are FAR higher than a player druid. I never buy bottles from Sam unless it is truley desperate (IE I haven't time to wait around for a player selling bottles) his prices are far to high, somone wishing to buy mass amounts of poison (which are very few) will A) buy from a Druid, or B) make it themselves because they most likly knew that poison would be a serious weapon for them, so they created there character able to make it themselves.

If you put the NPC price at, like, 20 gold, it would set the limit for druids to sell things at 20 gold.
This will prevent a natural economy event.

Potions should be rare outside of druidry. They should be available only through druids. So that a druid can charge, whatever, a 50 gold per potion.

Like fireswords, icebirds, wands - only mage-crafters can make those items, and they are free to set the price depending on the need.

This is how real economy works. Market depends on production and consumer need. Let the producer decide on the price and naturally adjust to customer's buying abilities.

The only things available at NPCs should be tools, and basic clothes and weapons.

In tavern - useless "food" type of drinks. Tavern drinks should be strictly for RPing, not for PGing or battle.

Also, I propose being able to make a mortar out of wood or something, using carpentery. Mortars are breakable, but not creatable.

Konstantin K wrote: Also, I propose being able to make a mortar out of wood or something, using carpentery. Mortars are breakable, but not creatable.

Buying things from Sam is the only way to get money from the players. I think Sam having a monopoly on some things is a good idea to help regulate inflation. The less money there is the more valuable it is.

When i origionally proposed a npc in tavern i ment, that he should just sell things like wine and milk, that any player can easily make on there own with little effort. Potions are still for the druids. That way no one goes out of business, and the prices stay reasonable.

We can't have a realistic economy in the game, if there is not a realistic amount of people in the game. Demand has to do a lot with rarity. Correct. But if there are only thirty active players, five items that are considered "rare" are actually not really that rare out of thirty people.