npc Player/Corporation NPC's

[Vulcan#1]

I do understand you want this game to be player run but what if Corporations/Players could be in-charge of there own NPC's. Like a Robot/Drone/Clone army that could be destroyed by opposing players for resources that they hold or contain. The NPC's could only act as scripted by players and more complicated commands would need a player to tell the army or just one NPC what to do.

[Lethys]

And what would those NPCs do?

How would you acquire those NPCs?

How would that whole "idea" work in a persistend, single shard MMO?

 

Feel free to post ideas, but please do go a bit more in depth of what you mean

[Lord_Void]

I agree. Please provide more detail.

 

That said, I think including NPCs would both set the game development back and require many systems to be redesigned. 

[AlexCout]

I don't think NPCs would be a good adition because we "already" have scripting that would allow us to do pretty much the same thing and in a more efficient and cleaner way...

Also I think that performance-wise, NPC ai would be pretty heavy on the server, and they can't affroad to spend that precious power inside this sort of additions... at least for now.

 

Maybe in a few years when the game will already be pushed a bit further, why not.... but not anywhere soon, at least I don't think.

[yamamushi]

I don't think NPC's would be a good addition because it would create an incredible imbalance for new players joining the game, and would discourage people from interacting with players. 

 

I'm all for things that encourage more player interaction, and not artificially filling the world for the sake of scenery for all intents and purposes. 

 

[Lethys]

he obviously doesn't have much interest in debating this topic.

 

oh well

[xWolkx]

I think it's a good idea to an extent, I believe players should have the ability to create an npc or robot through gathering and forging together materials to create one for the use of maintaining a bank or store. Not military or security purposes though. They would only stand in one place allowing players to build a structure around them, for example a bank and they would have minimal choices to be used for other then deposit and withdraw. Then the npc can place the deposited goods into the individual's bank for them. 

[Lord_Void]

So sort of like an automated store thing?

[Omfgreenhair]

On 21-7-2017 at 7:43 AM, Lord_Void said:

So sort of like an automated store thing?

 

What? Gods, no! I want to be the shop-owner, polish my front desk and sell my wares. Don't let automation take my job, again!

[ShadowLordAlpha]

11 hours ago, Omfgreenhair said:

 

What? Gods, no! I want to be the shop-owner, polish my front desk and sell my wares. Don't let automation take my job, again!

you could still be one it would just automate your shop while you are gone but honestly they would probably be used mostly for grunt type work that no one actually wants to do in a game after a certain point or as you said in events that are hosted that would basically be like last man standing or blow that thing up

[uniqueness]

sounds like you want an army without making any friends haha

[uniqueness]

i to believe it would be of the benefit to play the part of drone better

[Vulcan#1]

Sorry lol I retake my statement. I don't really have any friends playing irl. But I will make friends. From What I have seen from the  discord the community is AWESOME ?.I will start a YouTube once the game launches. I really need to participate in the forms more. Sorry should have had a notification set up or something. Though I hope you can script at least a few small drones that will attack if you are attacked specially when carrying large amounts of cargo across the star systems.

[Muri]

Hi everone!

Limited NPCs (building drones, humanoid bots) for take simple tasks like defense operations handling guns, turrets on ships , stations, mining operations like gather resources etc., logistical like shipping, loading.
What u think?

[spaceforger]

this is single shard universe where players are supposed to do all, not a single player hire npc/drones and let them do all your things.

-you can code drones(constructs) with lua now for basic stuff

-no mining automation is planned

-devs still not sure if automated turrets will be possible for defense, they do not want that so big ships would require actual players to man turrets, but this will be in alpha3.

[Warden]

In the long run I still see no issue in having NPCs of some sort. Before anyone rams their fist on the table and yells BUT SINGLE SHARD PLAYER DRIVEN [...] (I get that, been here long enough :D), I don't necessarily mean like in Star Citizen for example, where they actively plan NPCs not just to populate the verse and as friends foes and bystanders, and I don't mean like crew you can hire for your ships including turrets, repairs, etc.

 

I rather mean some kind of decorative function perhaps or really limited tasks. Of course a lot would have to be revised and considered later once more crucial aspects of the game are no longer under construction.

 

 

 

Random thoughts:

 

- decorative

have them sit in your houses or businesses, chatter, clean, do random or specific animations

 

- vendor and more

Have them serve as shopkeepers or traders where players can buy / sell, not just from a terminal. This can make player shops more ... diverse or lively, opposed to a bunch of terminals standing there

 

- limited support functions

The most controversial or perhaps initially ruled out, fill roles on a ship, maybe not necesasrily relating to active combat but maybe repairs or managing systems. But this is for the far future, if at all.

 

- classic NPC roles from other games (PVE)

Populate the universe with certain NPCs who patrol, possibly have limited settlements somewhere as factions that can be wiped (or rebuilt?) by players or themselves and of course pirates in some areas, who attack anything. Since this is tied to a certain work effort development wise and was ruled out (afaik) due to the concept and pitch of the game, it's unlikely. But not necessarily ruled out for eternity, maybe it might change years down the line and it's simply thrown in here for the sake of completion. Just saying it might make some areas feel or be populated. We don't have to expect huge simulated growing and dying NPC factions by no means, but a few fluff trade ships or patrols around Alioth and towards the moons and planets and then maybe some pirates in fringe regions would not hurt anyone ... game concept wise I mean. Roughly think of EvE Online.

[Wilks Checkov]

17 hours ago, spaceforger said:

this is single shard universe where players are supposed to do all, not a single player hire npc/drones and let them do all your things.

-you can code drones(constructs) with lua now for basic stuff

-no mining automation is planned

-devs still not sure if automated turrets will be possible for defense, they do not want that so big ships would require actual players to man turrets, but this will be in alpha3.

Actually the ability to mine with a construct was talked about in the past, and from what I remember it will likely happen just not at the current stage, what will not be happening though is the ability to afk mine otherwise known as auto mining. That is mining where you point the drill / laser ext... and walk away and it harvests while you are away from the keyboard. It would require constant interaction... 

 

I do not fully remember if it was talked about in the interview with JC, but just in case I will link it below. 

That should clarify a few things for ya though, including NPCs.

 

[bastanold]

I understand the need to keep botting in check. EVE has shown what's possible when bots run awry. On the other hand, it's a weak argument that an MMO will have so many players it will rarely feel empty. This is an MMO of space, and just like EVE it's going to be one shard. There are some really lonely places in EVE to be sure even with tens of thousands of players. DU will definitely be an empty place for many players. Aside from large battles, I'm guessing the norm could be 1-15 people average on any occupied local grid. 

 

Having NPCs that are bound to a player's active login could be a way to limit the huge effect of botting. I can think of a few ways to market the NPC idea. Besides, players are going to want PvE at some level even if it's just picking off odd pirates. 

 

You could limit all activity to players but in a space MMO that could likely break the immersion due to lack of numbers or complexity.

 

One way to look at NPC is as personally assigned or group assigned. A person logs into DU and can activate their NPCs as crew or assistants or whatever. An org hires NPCs and they can all be active so long as one eligible org member is logged in. Maybe an org can assign a 'subsistence' crew/staff to keep a very basic operation running but make sure there are costs to having NPCs.

 

I don't want it to turn into a means of making a botting empire like some players in EVE have done, but it's a little daunting to imagine a space MMO with nothing going on if there's no player behind it. Not even EVE does that and it's very player driven. DU will be treading on new ground for sure in that respect.

 

Just ideas that aren't well thought out, but ideas.

[Sigtyr]

On 7/14/2019 at 7:03 PM, Warden said:

I rather mean some kind of decorative function perhaps or really limited tasks. Of course a lot would have to be revised and considered later once more crucial aspects of the game are no longer under construction.

 

Random thoughts:

 

- decorative

have them sit in your houses or businesses, chatter, clean, do random or specific animations

 

- vendor and more

Have them serve as shopkeepers or traders where players can buy / sell, not just from a terminal. This can make player shops more ... diverse or lively, opposed to a bunch of terminals standing there

 

I agree with this, the difference between a programmed NPC and a programmed dispenser is small. Front desk people/NPC bots, store clerks/NPC bots  and just as decorations would be nice.

 

Maybe not the most important thing, but in time. In Landmark (sorry) I saw a lot of wonderful builds that gave the wrong visual impressions as they where empty of any inhabitants.

 

 

[Andunedhel]

Frankly I would hope that some form of npc and npc crew are made available even to the individual player.  Let me explain... I've played several games with the same player driven economy, player made everything and player crewed everything concept.  From Pulsar to Interstellar Rift, Space Engineers, and Emyrion Galactic Survival, all of them to varying degrees attempted to get players to band together and form alliances, or crews or whatnot that would lead optimally to the player driven game everyone seems to want.  The problem with this concept is that it completely ignores human nature.  If you're playing a game like say Pulsar you most likely want to be the Captain, not one of the crew.  People want to be in charge of their own ship, or corp or what have you. You may get lucky and find a few people who will crew your ship, but as was seen repeatedly in Pulsar your just as likely to wind up with a jerk who gets his jollies off by sabotaging your ship, not that big a deal in pulsar where you just get a new ship, but imagine spending hours building your awesome vessel only to have some moron blow it up because you hired him as crew.  As someone who would love to command a large vessel in the game thats a major sticking point. 

[Anomaly]

I support this.  I don't need full fleshed out AIs going about their daily lives, just some routines moving here and there that look like humans and make my base appear less cold and sterile.   If some of them can use guns or man cannons, that would be great but not entirely necessary.