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NPC Party

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:04 pm
by Percival
Well ok this is MMORPG, so ppl are suppose to interact with other ppl, but i always wondered why there are no NPC mercenaries in such games like in single player RPG's are, i mean creating mercenary guild where you could hire a mercenery for a high per day wage that would walk with you maybe even gain experience etc. This could help if you have problems with finding group of ppl to interact or when some don't share your idea of exploring dungeon.

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:47 pm
by martin
We have a small (technical) problem with that:
Our server programer implemented such a good artificial intelligence for NPCs that they would probably surpass the intelligence of most players by far. Holding in mind that NPCs act about 1000 times faster (they are played with clients directly running on the server and therefore experience no lag at all!) and adding the given AI, they would take over Illarion in about 5 hours (we tried it multiple times on our testserver, it depends on things like monster strength etc.).
To prevent this, we decided not to activate this feature on the real server.

Martin, speaking for the development staff

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:03 pm
by Nanuk
martin wrote:Martin, speaking for the development staff
Hey, I didn't agree on that. ;)

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:02 pm
by Hermie
Would we be allowed to buy an NPC to put in a shop? We load him with items for sale and he takes 5-10% of the prophit?

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:16 pm
by martin
Hermie wrote:Would we be allowed to buy an NPC to put in a shop? We load him with items for sale and he takes 5-10% of the prophit?
Obviously, this is technically not possible now.

Martin

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:46 pm
by Percival
But generally it is considered? I don't mind it be smarter then i am:P i know already my computer is :shock:

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:57 am
by Drolagas
martin wrote:
Hermie wrote:Would we be allowed to buy an NPC to put in a shop? We load him with items for sale and he takes 5-10% of the prophit?
Obviously, this is technically not possible now.

Martin
if it was so obvious, why would he ask :?:

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:16 am
by Hermie
It wasn't that obvious, a while ago one of the GM's was saying how they would be working towards removing all the NPC's to improve player - player interaction. It was probably a lie, can't trust these GM types :P

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:33 am
by Arkadia Misella
If people could hire npcs to sell their items...EVeryone would have one..and it would get old really quick

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:43 am
by Hermie
Well they'd have to have a high initial cost and the same rules to houses would proably apply. Or you would need a house for it to go in etc.

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:50 am
by Arkadia Misella
so then what....only a handful of people who already have a billion ingots would get an npc. Lets not help the rich anymore, shall we.

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:22 pm
by Misjbar
Hey, that is reality I suppose. Do you think we should make villa's cheaper, because we must not help the rich more

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:27 pm
by Percival
Lets not disadvange the rich one just becaouse they are rich thats the first thing, second thing if price is high then why not? problem is creating good system for it, the best would be taking economy from our world, that means high solarys, lets say you have hired a shopkeeper to stand in your shop from morning to evening (if there are day and night in game dunno yet) and the solary per hour would be high then the you would have to be sure you will earn on that etc. paying NPC should be like everyday not just one time payment, then rich ones could hire a swardsman etc. and about NPC characters doing to many things at once cuz they're computer characters, theres surely a possibility to slow their AI like trying to make new action every 5 seconds

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:32 pm
by Neonfire
Okay, let's do it the other way ...

This is a roleplay game. It is considered as (massive) multiplayer. That means interaction of players. Wouldn't it be easier to ask a player to sell your goods, or to company you in a dungeon? I mean, sure, not everytime you are ingame players want to join you. But, isn't it just a matter of the payment?

This is (once more) not Diablo or Warcraft Online. This game lives from the activity of the players (and it always was supposed that way).

But nonetheless, I promise, we are working on several ways of implementing artificial intelligence. But this is future. It is okay to propose ideas, but always keep in mind to stick to the game's basic ideas please.

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:19 pm
by Percival
yeah well i'm sure that game is great but there are two problems, first is that usually theres around 7-8 players online usually and second find a player that can stand in your shop for 3-4 hours waiting for customers... possible but still...

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:04 pm
by Alakdal Oakenshade
Why pay someone for standing around when you could just sell the items yourself and save yourself some money? Anyway Percival, are you even in the game yet? The board rules say you have to be in game in order to post. It's not that your proposals are bad, I myself was wondering about the NPC's a bit, but well.... rules are rules.

Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:18 am
by Percival
Alakdal Oakenshade wrote: Anyway Percival, are you even in the game yet?
I was accepted and wait for activation but if rules says i shouldn't post then i shall be silent from now on...

Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 4:56 am
by Kratos
Yea lol a game that i alpha test well actully pre alpha they have npc ai so you have to actully talk to them by typing and the annoying thing is that they horibbel with responses. they do think about putting in a mercenary hiring system and stuff but i doubt they would i mean theve been on pre alpha for like a year