I think the "let the AI decide what goals the NPC should fulfill first" approach sounds best, while on the other hand it uses the most CPU power. I would still prefer a higher CPU load for a more dynamic environment over a game that runs on lower machines but sacrifices its plausibility for it.
For example, when was the last time you have seen a baker baking bread 24/7? Or the old woman sweeping the streets in the medieval town, even at darkest night? ;)
NPCs have a routine / schedule.
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Quote:Original post by c-Row
For example, when was the last time you have seen a baker baking bread 24/7? Or the old woman sweeping the streets in the medieval town, even at darkest night? ;)
I think that that is one of the problems with many of these games that give shops opening times, but an imsomniac character who never sleeps. What do you do while everything is closed?
An easy answer to this, is to give the town a 'night-life' where you can still get food / healing / information but from different shops. Ie. the bakers is closed, but the panini / burger bar down the road from it is open.
That might be the easiest yet most plausible solution. I think the player should follow some simple game rules, which might include that at night, certain shops are closed. Making the player rant "Argh, that old lazy man is sleeping again, is he?!" might infact create more immersion than "Hey, it's 4AM, let's see if the blacksmith is selling those formidable full plate armours!".
Maybe you might reward the player if he sleeps during the night rather than by daylight (better refresh rate since it's easier to fall to sleep when it's dark).
Maybe you might reward the player if he sleeps during the night rather than by daylight (better refresh rate since it's easier to fall to sleep when it's dark).
To a certain extent WoW does this already with its "logging out at the Inn" for 2x XP reward.
Well to solve the store problem - install shifts - multiple vendors to a store.
other then that everything sounds pretty neat - but you could use the multiple vendors as a way to help locate the other vendor if he is necessary for a quest -
"Oh Bill? Yeah he took the day off today, said something about visiting the zoo."
or
"Today is Bill's day off - he said he's seeing the new Star Wars today, said he'll be in line all day - what a nerd. Ha ha"
What if with all those other things you guys laid out you took a note from I, Robot and gave them the ability to choose whether or not they wanted to do it.
other then that everything sounds pretty neat - but you could use the multiple vendors as a way to help locate the other vendor if he is necessary for a quest -
"Oh Bill? Yeah he took the day off today, said something about visiting the zoo."
or
"Today is Bill's day off - he said he's seeing the new Star Wars today, said he'll be in line all day - what a nerd. Ha ha"
What if with all those other things you guys laid out you took a note from I, Robot and gave them the ability to choose whether or not they wanted to do it.
Shifts is a good way to handle the missing smith, i mean if he's going off to switzerland for a week why would he leave is shop (filled with lots of really expensive hand crafted items) unattended? If the player were a theif, he could wait for the times when the shops close and the NPC's close up to sneak in and swipe stuff. Immersion wise it would be nicer to actually see him get up, turn off the lights and step out locking the door then to sit there and wait for the magic "there closed" time.
The game could even throw in random events with the Pre-set scedule, like an NPC getting sick, or being mauled by a monster on the way to the fields, or gets jumped by brigands. ;D
The game could even throw in random events with the Pre-set scedule, like an NPC getting sick, or being mauled by a monster on the way to the fields, or gets jumped by brigands. ;D
Quote:
The game could even throw in random events with the Pre-set scedule, like an NPC getting sick, or being mauled by a monster on the way to the fields, or gets jumped by brigands. ;D
This would be good to motivate the player to do side quests.
Player 1 walkes up to the smithy door and sign reads "moved to city due to dragon attacks".
Player 1: "Crap, why didn't I kill the dragon when I had a chance."
or
Player 1 walking back to major city from Timbucktoo and stumbles across a small thriving village complete with smithy.
Player 1: "Guess this is what happens when you kill all the dragons in the area"
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