Any plans for improved NPC control?

Like being able to customize your guards/civilians with equipment, patrol routes, homes, assigned bedding, ect?

The randomly generated NPC villages seem to do a decent job of it already, but it's hard when you want to make your own corporate empire and the NPCs just don't stay where they're spawned, and usually get themselves killed by the weakest of all monsters.

 

As I recall, NPC behaviors are on the list of things to improve upon. Can't say I've heard anything about customization though.

 

I would love being able to give orders (aka some simple sort of programming/scripting) your npc minions.

 

I definitely agree with the sentiment of this post. I have to take Terraria-esque measures to ensure NPC safety, such as literally wire-locking every single door that could possibly lead out of the base I made and into the wilderness where the wild monsters roam. I don't even dare make an open-air room just because a bird might get in there with them when my back's turned, and the doofs never run fast enough to get away.

 

Juice Box has no doubt in the modding community.

 

If not addressed by the devs (which I think it eventually will be) then:

This.

I have to say, though, wandering aimlessly isn't my biggest issue with AI. Nope. They do something far more disconcerting:

"Oh, you're taking all my possessions? Cool. Ah, that one was an heirloom that's been in my family for generations, but you go ahead and take it. Ooh, and now you are pinching the blocks from my house, eh? Oh, that is such fun!"

It's almost as if one can do no wrong. It's creepy.

Although... Am I right in remembering that stealing will actually trigger hostility eventually? Or am I imagining things?

Also re: equipping NPCs, I would love to see them intelligently arm themselves from a town chest (or something similar) that the player could donate to.

 

My NPC's tend to stay within a set distance of where they spawned lest I travel far away.

You are correct. An ownership mechanic is planned as well as being able to find items being sold in nearby storage containers. (For thieves and pirates)

 

Ooh, thanks for that. Good to see I am not going complete loopy, haha.

By finding items sold in nearby storage containers, do you mean that a shop inventory is based off containers and, if the player is sneaky enough, can get away with stealing all the things? Because that would be awesome.

 

Pretty much, just like Elderscrolls where the shop owners inventory can be found on him or his containers. Not sure about the specifics of it though, if you can steal with stealth or if it's a black and white decision.

 

...If they do that, I kinda want to see a mechanic where you can put a bucket over a shopkeep's head and rob them blind with them none the wiser unless there are other NPCs nearby to witness the act.

 

This should be added.

Ive always want to create a planet-wide corporate oppressive capitalist empire. (oppressive and capitalist in teh same sentance, what am I a communist or just tired?)

 

Nah, oppressive and capitalist aren't mutually exclusive terms considering the class system that comes with the latter. The typos might be from you being tired though.

On the flip side, that does make me think of that colony mod for Starbound and how you could actually delegate work to NPCs if you gave them the right orders, tools, ect.. If we're going to go so far as to call them in, build places they can call home, and potentially give them orders later, perhaps there could be a system in place where we can get a pixel or item-based rent from our tenants? Might give us a way to obtain pixels at a steady trickle that doesn't require us to beat up monsters and hope the RNG smiles on us, or to refine precious metals that early and mid-tier players might still need. As for why that's fair, assuming one didn't just take over a location that was previously built and occupied and made a structure of one's own, you took the time to mine/purchase/craft/steal the materials needed to make the place and put it together yourself. If things like villagers are going to live in that space, shouldn't they be useful in some form?

 

Oh man, I'd love to have some managing aspect to the game. It would add such an interesting new dynamic, and would also go some way to making the game less grindy if people so wished. More of a cave explorer? No problem, have your loyal followers do the farming. Do big bad caves make you scared? Have your loyal followers do all the mining while you tend to the land and build cool stuff.

Now imagine taking it one step further... How you manage your colony would affect your reputation. Sure, you could be a slave driver and have things gathered more quickly. But this may result in your precious colony turning all rebellious and hostile towards you.

... That's if you could have persuaded people to join your colony in the first place.

Ooh, thinking of all the possibilities if that sort of thing were to be implemented just makes me go all tingly.

 

Smarter NPCs would be cool, the more they act like a human player the more they'll add to immersion, but it would also make them pretty complex.

Could go as far as making them gather/craft their own stuff, like bandages to heal themselves and such.

 

I believe that stuff (NPC assignment, better NPC AI, giving/taking gear) is planned to be added AFTER the 1.0 patch currently being worked. likely a patch or two down the road

 

While we're at that, I hope we can get a little party togethor to go out fighting and mining, would be fun and interesting to be able to point out a vein of Iron to some guy and go "Hey mine that."

 

Ah, shoot, almost forgot. While we're at it, I hope there's something in the works to let you not murder your own NPCs by accident. If you're going to work with them and a monster attacks, it'd be nice to not accidentally crush, slash, stab, vaporize, ect., the humanoids you're working with, right?

 

Yeah not killing them would be preferrable.

 

Nothing like the cliff divers in action... Right now they are lemmings. So any form of intelligence or close there of; in the very least AI pathing a little more intuitive.

I would definitely like what the OP is talking about as that adds a bit to customization and that is something I enjoy in certain games. It is to make the game all your own after a certain point. Which I think is the case in this one. Could be wrong, but doesn't hurt to have more options appended to the list of what already is getting down. Sure they are thinking of something, but at least it is an idea to work off of as a possibility.

 

i think its good to program NPCs to do any of following like.. defending your home from monsters and harvest farm for food when you are going out exploring but there is should be upkeep system in place.. like you pay pixels for NPCs and they randomly reward you with various stuff and keep your food stockpiled in storage containers.. so you can pick some up and beam out to ship.. and of course.. should add like doctor NPC to sell services for meds to boost any of effects, gun/melee merchant that random the list that based on threat level.. it might sell legendary or lower rarity depends on randomization RNG by the same as borderlands.. a NPC to like.. boost your pet with some food and grow love by feeding it.. also sells like tomes or something to grant your pet monster with special attacks on energy.. or allow it to fly along with you.. any more ideas.. i can add