Quiet you

[Llama]

This proposal is to remove the auto-messages from the useless NPCs.

By 'useless' I mean NPCs which do not have any good reason for being there, so basically NPCs which aren't cows, traders or quest NPCs.

The reasons I will give are:

They get boring
|-> They were placed in areas where people spend long times, academy library, pig pens...you get boring after a while watching the librarian look over his glassen [sic].

They spam
|-> They are in public areas where lots of people stay. So every few minutes you get a message which is totally unrelated to what's being said

They confuse newbies
|-> I don't know, but if someone talks, I think the most obvious thing to do is to try to use the NPC some way, I doubt they should be drawing Newbie's attention to them.. take Eliza for example, she either counts coins or say she sells stuff, and that way a newbie can realise she's a vendor.

What's the point of them?
They don't encourage roleplay, nor are they vaguely interesting.

Discuss.

[Elsi]

Either remove them or re-script them to answer some questions newbies might ask.

[Aerlinn]

Excuse my ignorance, but why don't you propose replacements and script them?
I mean, the npc scripting language is publicly available here on the boards.
Instead of removing something that adds life into a sterile and otherwise rather dull environment, you should look for ways to improve them and propose your changes here.

[Elsi]

Excuse my ignorance, but why don't you propose replacements and script them?
I mean, the npc scripting language is publicly available here on the boards.
Instead of removing something that adds life into a sterile and otherwise rather dull environment, you should look for ways to improve them and propose your changes here.

Maybe the purpose of this thread is to find a person who is inspired to write the improvements?

[AlexRose]

Didn't we already have this conversation?

[Aerlinn]

Excuse my obvisous blindness, but I only see the initial post speaking for removal.
Therefore I consider the propose of this thread to find enough supporters for a deletion of the mentioned parts.

In case Hadrian_Abela was not aware of the possibility for everybody to add something to the NPCs here are the needed 'tools':

The random text can be made with:

Code: Select all

cycletext "<german text>","<english text>"

And when you want the NPC to say something after being asked:

Code: Select all

"<trigger>" -> "<response>"

[Llama]

Umm my point isn't to write new scripts, but to find the nice part of the script that says random things and to have them removed. That's all.

ADDED: Illarion is a roleplaying game. The enviroment should be made by the players, if the only 'push' to roleplay is some person #me whispers with a pig #me stares at a cloud #me makes spitbubbles... then its in a very sorry state.

--

Oh and if you're goign to vote Nay, be so kind as to tell me why.

[Aerlinn]

The enviroment should be made by the players

I don't like the idea of lobotomized NPCs, that wait day and night for someone to pass by and rip them out of thier idle state with a blant "Hi".
NPCs are a important part of the enviorment, if not then its a very sorry state. They fill the gaps that player characters cannot or do not want to fill.
Having lifeless NPCs makes a game lifeless.
Thats why I think NPCs should have lives too, beside providing you with new quest hooks or taking gratefully the junk of the last dungeon crawl.

If you do not like what the NPCs currently say, have a look at my last post and propose alternatives for the things you do not like.

Especially since the NPC language is open for the community they should not ask the developers to change something they don't like, but do it themselves and submit thier results here.

Oh, and before I forget: I voted "No".

[Estralis Seborian]

There should be no useless NPCs at all.

[Juliana D'cheyne]

ADDED: Illarion is a roleplaying game. The enviroment should be made by the players, if the only 'push' to roleplay is some person #me whispers with a pig #me stares at a cloud #me makes spitbubbles... then its in a very sorry state.

I agree and again vote yes... please remove or at least make it optional for those who consider it spam. I have just completely ignored it, and can continue to, but IMO if even some would prefer it not to be there, even if the vote is not over half, why have it?

Three options that I can think of for a compromise:

1.For those that like it, make it a whisper, they can go to the NPC and listen.... RPing with it as much as they would like. For new players, it can even talk of what to do with pig parts if in the pig pen.

2. Better yet, make it an option as music is on the console. People can either elect to "hear" the NPC's or elect not to if possible to do.

3.Another possibly easier option.. script the NPC to "talk" when clicked.

[Llama]

Again you do not understand...

If you do not like what the NPCs currently say, have a look at my last post and propose alternatives for the things you do not like.

I do not want them to say ANYTHING. Zero, Zilch, Nihil

Basically I want these Npcs to have their "cycletext" ripped out of their scripts.

That's basically it.

[Aerlinn]

I am sorry, Hadrian_Abela, but I am perfectly aware of what you are aiming at, and have already adressed it:

I don't like the idea of lobotomized NPCs, that wait day and night for someone to pass by and rip them out of thier idle state with a blant "Hi".

[Pellandria]

So basicly all people around you just stare blantless into the sky and do nothing untill you approach them and say something, seriously this is stupid.

I actually like the cyceltext but the times they say it should be decreased and the cycletext should be altered, heck maybe even make them react on things happening outside like the wather or just let them mumbel something like " Ssss noone buysss my waresss, I needss to sssspek with the dwarvesss" make them more pleasent to read and less spamming, kicking all their textt is..atleast in my opinion a really big step back.

[Giovanni di Spaglia]

They don't encourage roleplay, nor are they vaguely interesting.

Oh, but they do! In two ways: particularly for newbies, they can act as role models for portraying their characters by using emotes ("pokes a finger through the hole in his trousers", "tries to stand straight in spite of the drink he had" or similar things). And, at least when there are a few people around, you can make them part of the conversation. (I love to tell Borgate to be quiet when he adds one of his useful remarks to a conversation: "I sell drinks, and drinks, and ..." - "Yes, Borgate, we know!") I think it is a nice challenge to include their banter into your RP. And I think we have to admit that not all dialogues are so deep that an NPC comment really destroys the intellectual content.

If I have the options of a town gate with a drunk, rambling guard in front of it, or a town gate with a silent person in front of it who speaks only when spoken to, or simply a town gate with no guard at all, I'd always pick the first version because it adds so much to the atmosphere. Hey, I'd even propose an NPC town gossip who spreads a selection of rumours to everyone passing by ("Did you know that Eliza was seen leaving Borgate's quarters last night?")!

[Estralis Seborian]

I agree with Pellandria .

I see reasons for removing the cycletexts, but even though the effort for this is limited, it is a waste of time to implement a state that is not better than the current one. Those who script NPCs might want to pay attention that the cycletexts are no spam but valuable informations. For the NPC I scripted, I included keywords and hints what the NPC is good for into the cycletexts.

[Korm Kormsen]

to me this seems like another crybaby thread.

mute them NPCs!
this big world is so empty and boring!
i feel so lonely, because there are so few players!
but mute them NPCs!

there is a very simple way to get out the repetivenes from NPC's cycletext: write 50 cycletexts for that NPC, than one does not hear the same thing as often.

and specially about the NPC at the pigs: stop killing pigs after the first three dozens and go away....

the best, what i read in this thread was to flesh them out with usefull information for newbies.

but it is to no awail, because hadrian allready stated at another thread, that he expects others to write NPCs, while his time is too dear for a menial task like that.

korm

ps: i've got a proposal too - players, who will not help to do something, should not be allowed more than one proposal per week.

[Juliana D'cheyne]

Some would prefer none however, is that asking too much to compromise? I have listed several ways that this can possibly be done. Others think it helps with RP and makes the game not be "dead" still others may just consider any of it "spam" and an interference with RP. I can see both sides of the issue but think there should be a way to compromise without "pushing" one particular idea on another or flaming because of someone elses beliefs.

[Pellandria]

We got like how much "useless" Ncs..I can jsut think out of two one in the libary and one near the pig Pen, I don't know why should kill all cycletexts just because of two Npc's and I guess you have to await such respons, if you simply want all texts out without giving any "compromise".

[abcfantasy]

The tavern would never be the same without Borgate's cycletexts!

[Llama]

but it is to no awail, because hadrian allready stated at another thread, that he expects others to write NPCs, while his time is too dear for a menial task like that.

To be honest I just finished writing a guide NPC for trollsbane (translated by Matron). So there

[Beldir]

But Borgate isn't a "not useful NPC" if you'd read Hadrian's definition!

[Kamilar]

They don't encourage roleplay, nor are they vaguely interesting.

Hey, I'd even propose an NPC town gossip who spreads a selection of rumours to everyone passing by ("Did you know that Eliza was seen leaving Borgate's quarters last night?")!

I LOVE this idea!

[Dantagon Marescot]

It already exists. His name is Artimer Fault.

Though maybe we need an NPC to take his place when he is not ig.

[Konrad Knox]

Lynch them!!

[Julius]

Lynch them!!

Please remove this post gms. I take offense to it just as much as you do to the sieg thing.

[Pellandria]

Lynch them!!

Please remove this post gms. I take offense to it just as much as you do to the sieg thing.

Unlike a "lanch them" we could be sued for such "nazi joke" crap thing, dumbass.

[Julius]

Lynch them!!

Please remove this post gms. I take offense to it just as much as you do to the sieg thing.

Unlike a "lanch them" we could be sued for such "nazi joke" crap thing, dumbass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching

Lynching, an enumerated felony in some states in the U.S.A.

You can get arrested for it as well.

[Konrad Knox]

i was actually thinking of lynching werewolves...
but sure, you can get arrested for killing as well. you better stop playing a fighter! and dont kill wolves or flies or deer, might get you reported to Animal Cruelty Association.

[Dantagon Marescot]

Yes, then he can get a slap on the wrist, pay a couple hundred dollars for animal cruelity and go back to killing them. Real smart.

On topic... Why are people so interested in removing the NPC's? Leave them, if anything give them more text and make it so they don't spam text as much. Leave them, they don't bother me.

[Nitram]

The community has spoken. The poll casted a absolutly clear maybe.

Thats the reason polls are USELESS. They never cast clear results.
Get this.

The NPCs stay as they are. Maybe the cycletexts are altered slightly. But they stay in the game.

Nitram