Illarion.org

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:54 pm**

I've felt for myself in game, and I've read on the boards that people see this as an issue, and I've come up with a sort of loose idea on how to address it. Basically, people feel as if they aren't living in a occupied town when visiting or going about daily business in Troll's Bane. Some GMs have stated they cannot put soldier NPCs in town, because they would mindlessly attack everyone. I propsed that soldier NPCs be made static, just scattered about town and occasionally uttering phrases at passerby. Although, I of course wouldn't know, being completely inept at any kind of coding, coding static NPCs doesn't seem to be too daunting a task for a decent coder. (Sorry if I'm underestimating, I honestly don't know.

)
As a side note, I think having a small soldier 'camp' in the town square might be intresting, although that's up to you.

Just my two cents.

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:55 pm**

In fact, I am asking Nitram this right now. Good suggestion miss Bran.

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:12 pm**

Mesha wrote:Good suggestion miss Bran.

Fancy you (of all people) mis-writing her surname

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:15 pm**

Oh my! I was in such a hurry to post.

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:05 pm**

Mesha wrote:Good suggestion miss Bran.

ALWAYS SEEMED FLAKEY LOL

But uh, mabye there's a way to script non hostile, non attackable soldiers?, could you just put the Rabbit/Deer AI in, and trigger some boolean value? and shove the soldiers in an area that would prevent a lot of wandering that would make sense to put them in like the guard towers?

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:55 am**

If you put them in a limited area and program them to go berserk when they are harmed (have lost hit points) than they could defend themselves, this is the only simple way to have a character "defend themselves" and this only works if the scripting language can be tweaked to work with this aspect. Having them differentiate between "hostiles" and "non-hostiles" is a much more difficult task where the programing has almost certainly not been created and would not be simple to create considering the scripting options that I remember seeing. What I mean is that an NPC would have to "see" that a person has a weapon out and that they have the NPC targeted, or to recognize who attacked them, or (unfortunately) all of the above depending on the circumstances. It isn't perfect, I already have four or five ideas on how to sabotage this, but I won't write them here just in case part of this idea does get implemented.

The best option for having "town guards" is probably this: Modify the scripting language to include a statement to the effect of "if [player name/player ID #] than [attack]; else [ignore]" option. Once a player becomes a known enemy of the town, either through roll play or by attacking a guard or some other means, than add them to the list of players to attack. This would have the downside of allowing a player to walk into town and kill the guards with no immediate repercussion one time (depending on how adaptable the system is in terms of immediately updating the list of "enemies", most likely it will have to be updated by a GM the next time they sign on and see the event) but will create a "friendly town guard" who only attacks "town enemies" and only requires one addition to the current scripting options as opposed to the multiple additions that would be required with any other option that I can think of.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:24 am**

unless i am mistaken there is in the programming language already the option to increase or decrease one's standing in a particular faction. in this case salkmarian. create an npc that attacks people with very low standing with salk army. at the very least you could program npc's that attack people that are in low standing when they are talked to.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:43 am**

@ David: While that would be a viable programming option - it is not supported currently by the AI of the monsters. Also if they just turn hostile when you attack them - they might attack someone else if you run away or something.

That said pharse is working on something like this - but it'll come out with the VBU (Very Big Update)
-

@ Tanistan : Yes, you're right about there being a faction value. Again - them going hostile is a bad option - but you could very easily program it so that NPC vendors don't supply certain people with goods , or something like that.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:12 am**

Lucy Bann wrote:I propsed that soldier NPCs be made static, just scattered about town and occasionally uttering phrases at passerby.

There you go:

Code: Select all

-- Generic Salk Soldier
name="Salkamerian Soldier"
position=[Somewhere in TB]
sex=male
race=human
direction=west

cycletext "Bleibt wachsam.", "Stay alert."
cycletext "#me schaut nach Links.", "#me turns his head to the left."
cycletext "#me schaut nach Rechts.", "#me turns his head to the right."
cycletext "Haltet eure Papiere bereit.", "Always have your papers in reach."
cycletext "Diese Bauern hier machen mich krank.", "These pesants here make me sick."
cycletext "Endlich bringen wir das Licht der Zivilisation in diese götterverlassene Gegend.", "Finaly we bring the light of civilisation into this godsforsaken place."

Feel free to add flavour text as much as you like, and earn your very own forum rank with these soldiers.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:51 am**

Keikan Hiru wrote:

Code: Select all

cycletext "Haltet eure Papiere bereit.", "Always have your papers in reach."
cycletext "Diese Bauern hier machen mich krank.", "These pesants here make me sick."
cycletext "Endlich bringen wir das Licht der Zivilisation in diese götterverlassene Gegend.", "Finaly we bring the light of civilisation into this godsforsaken place."

Cycling actions is fine but please don't cycle speech.

Anyone played the Morrowind Tribunal expansion?

"Mournhold! City of light! City of magic"

That got so annoying.

And it's pretty daft that a guard would just sit there repeating the same few phrases over and over.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:27 am**

AlexRose wrote:
Keikan Hiru wrote:
Code: Select all
cycletext "Haltet eure Papiere bereit.", "Always have your papers in reach."
cycletext "Diese Bauern hier machen mich krank.", "These pesants here make me sick."
cycletext "Endlich bringen wir das Licht der Zivilisation in diese götterverlassene Gegend.", "Finaly we bring the light of civilisation into this godsforsaken place."
Cycling actions is fine but please don't cycle speech.

Anyone played the Morrowind Tribunal expansion?

"Mournhold! City of light! City of magic"

That got so annoying.

And it's pretty daft that a guard would just sit there repeating the same few phrases over and over.

Remember it. Hated it.

IF there is cycle speech, please put in many phrases, so you don't hear four or five sentences again and again.

Oh, by the way. Not everyone hates it!

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:55 am**

AlexRose wrote:repeating the same few phrases over and over.

Kenneth Ladrus wrote:please put in many phrases

If the two of you would have provide at least one more sentance, the chances of hearing the same phrase again would have been reduced.

Otherwise, what I have posted was just an example on how the initial proposal could be realized in a couple of minutes, if someone is feeling creative in giving the Soldier NPCs some text. (Notice the link at the end of my post.)
I am well aware how limited these NPCs are, and that they will happily and idly watch how player character would duke it out with each other right infront of them.

The goal was to add more flavour to the town, displaying it is occupied by soldiers, this is the most easiest solution.
It's also the perfect ground to start leaving the "pure consumer" part of playing Illarion and becoming part of the "creative process".

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:11 pm**

So give them commands they reply to and cycle actions but cycle speech doesn't make sense.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:21 pm**

What in: "Make proposals!" do you not understand?

***

Me: "Yeah, this is like just an example. Tell me what to add."
You: "Like ... add text."
Me: "..."

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:27 pm**

I'm not telling you to add text, I'm asking you NOT to add text.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:26 pm**

What about the possibility of guards that actually...guarded? I remember somewhere being told when I arrived that it was illegal to have weapons armed when in Bane proper. Guards that attack anyone who actually has a weapon in their hands until it is either disarmed or they are ghosted? Problem is in differentiating between a sickle and a sword perhaps? it goes without saying that a guard will attack anyone that targets them. I think these guards should remain in some form permanently. When a citizen who is a non-combatant type, a Druid or a baker for example is attacked by some jerk of a player who think pk'ing is all the fun they could run to the guard for protection.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:27 pm**

If you target NPCs you automatically untarget them.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:29 pm**

AlexRose wrote:So give them commands they reply to and cycle actions but cycle speech doesn't make sense.

Equals

AlexRose wrote:Like ... add text.

Be specific.
Write down keywords and replies to that.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:31 pm**

I'm personally not bothered if there are NPCs in town, I'm just saying if someone else decides to make them they should use emotes, not speech.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:16 pm**

oooo suggestions for emotes for the NPC guards.

#me eyes you suspiciously for a moment then scoffs dissapointedly

#me Throws a couple of quick glances behind him as if expecting an ambush/attack from behind

#me crosses his arms over his chest while rocking back and forth on his heels and staring blankly up at the sky

#me stands at attention with one hand on the hilt of his sword, as you get closer you see his eyes following your every move

#me grumbles something about pessants and their unholy smell

#me takes out a bottle of water then takes a quick sip before spitting the water out with a disgusted look on his face

#me briefly checks his armor and finds a small speck of dirt, with a annoyed sigh he quickly rubs the dirt of with a hankerchief made of silk

the reason for so many emotes is so that they dont do the same thing over and over and over, mmmmmmkay?

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:16 pm**

Don't be afraid. The NPC guards won't talk that much. They'll throw you out of town or kill you.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:29 pm**

here:

#me takes over your town by force

#me kills you

#me (( you're doing it all wrong you can't oppose us))

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:31 pm**

Christopher..Rigden wrote:here:

#me takes over your town by force

#me kills you

#me (( you're doing it all wrong you can't oppose us))

Someone does not know how to read the English language and interpret it! Much hurt in this one, I sense.

Posted: **Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:43 pm**

I have a proposal:
Close this before a massacre arises

.

Posted: **Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:36 am**

*readies gynk fires*

Posted: **Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:53 pm**

rakust dorenstkzul wrote:
Mesha wrote:Good suggestion miss Bran.
ALWAYS SEEMED FLAKEY LOL

But uh, mabye there's a way to script non hostile, non attackable soldiers?, could you just put the Rabbit/Deer AI in, and trigger some boolean value? and shove the soldiers in an area that would prevent a lot of wandering that would make sense to put them in like the guard towers?

Great... the soldiers will be eating grass and being turned into rabbit dishes...

But yes, I like the two ideas. Because there would be patrolling or wandering guards such as these. And there would also be ones that hold their stations.

Good suggestion miss Bran.

Posted: **Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:49 pm**

NPCs can walk around.

Posted: **Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:58 am**

Tell that to the mules.

Posted: **Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:55 pm**

AlexRose wrote:NPCs can walk around.

Is there still this bug with the walking-radius of the NPCs?

Posted: **Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:23 pm**

Hmmm...in my opinion such npc's would be just good when they are actually defending someone in need. Like attacking anyone who attacks someone enlisted on the citizenlist.
Why that?

Well..imagine this...someone attacks another char, and that infront of a npc guard watching the victim to be killed and quoting the same moment "Greetings citizens! don't think of any crimes, we are always watching!" or "Have a nice day, citizen", or "#me's head turns to the left and the right, looking for possible criminals"

would be quite awkward from the point of roleplay ^.^. For my character that would mean that the guards of the town dont care for peoples being killed or robbed infront of them

A solution to this: The static guard gets an "area" of protection like the cross. Any monster walking close a cross gets repelled, so how about any character comming with weapons in their hands too close to a guard will be repelled too? or maybe even harmed? That would offer victims the possibility to run into a guards safety area...means, running into the guards protection.

From the point of RP that would be much better...since it wouldnt cause "ingame flame posts" against the nondoing guards

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