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NPC's...wheres the personality :(?

Category: Default Game: Default Posted on May 27, 2008 5:56 am

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NPC's..
In so many MMORPG's..they are completely generic,
In flyff.. (sorry, but flyff is the best example at the moment)
as an example.. there are clones in here, everywhere..
Twins, Triplets..

      
[Stroking my beard all day keeps me entertained]                  [Really? Me also brother #8]




Where are the personalities??..
I want to be able to go on a quest for the weapons dealer,
because I care..
Take a love letter quest, delivering a letter to >insert name here<,
because He/She is to shy to talk to She/He, and actually
care about there relationship, and what happens.
And for my quest, to actually make a difference..
Come back and to the quest starter, and here how they are
getting on now (hopefully the quest works out well, lol)...
Not just click "next" 4 times and run across to this other
NPC to receive the exp/reward.

This may just be me? I won't know till you reply ;)
But, I don't want 3 equip dealers that all look the same,
'oh but there twins'..
Does the 2 of them in that other city make them quadruplets?
At least have some visible difference..
Brothers are okay, if they have different animations, etc..
They went in the same business together, good for them.
But twins that do the exact same movement?...

Mabinogi, another MMORPG, actually has a system with NPC's,
where you can become friends with them.
I haven't explored it to deeply, but that is certainly a step
in the right direction no matter how they did it.


Don't get me wrong, sure a twin or 2 here and there
(1 or 2 in the entire game..) is alright,
and for some games..it's a get away, BUT..
~
I want to be in a 'world', and feel like I'm there,
not just go about seeing the same NPC everywhere.
Different NPC's also heads towards a better storyline..
If there is a great story in an MMORPG, I don't want
to the go to town and see 10 NPC's that look
like 'brothers/sisters'.


So..the question..
Do you care?
Do you want to remember the Mayors name, tell a friend
that you just got 'so and so' together, and your friend
no who you are talking about, even if they haven't done
the quest.
Or do you just want 'I buy shields from the guy that
looks like this, the one on the right because the weapon
guy looks the same'??

Share your opinion




~ shadowN ^(@.@)^ ~
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Tags: MMORPG    NPC    personality    generic    clones   

Ariticle url: http://my.mmosite.com/blog/ceb556d4542e8144d81096c1f5d26e10/blog/item/c4c27bd9f27362b30449413d4c6a22fc.html

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comments ( 15 )

shadowNshade
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Post Time : May 31,2008 3:57 pm
*watches this months download usage shrivel to a pulp*, lol...
I'm already downloading Rohan, lol...
Ill find some more space on my hardrive to install this..somewhere, xD.

WoW...That sounds fantastic, A huge step in the right direction.
And knowing that the technology is there, to be able to have different
NPC's for each character, thats just really cool.
The possibilities are great, because that means you would easily
be able to have NPC's change there dialogue after a quest you
have completed for them, if all the NPC's were able to be
separated for each character. And possibly some not separated.
And a system like that, would enable great character/NPC interaction,
becoming friends with them, seperated animations..
Just simple things like them turning to you when you talk to them
would be really nice.

I certainly have that game on the list to test now, lol..
I still have florensia to play to (got the code in my email for CB3 >:D).
Certainly going to be a busy month, ^^.
Can't wait to see it all in action.
I love keeping up to date with the things happening in MMORPG's ^^,
so knowing something like that is on that game, I appreciate
it very much :)..

(P.S..I will probably thank you, but I don't think my parents
will when they see '80% data used' on the 3rd of the month, XD
Ill have to be careful to download everything on off peak so
it doesn't count, lol)
shadowNshade replied at 4:31 pm May 31,2008
EDIT:..ish, lol

I was just thinking aswell with that, it's almost
generated randomly, So you could even have different
quests for the NPC's,
(would give fansites a slap in the face though, trying
to make quest guides, lol).
But theres just so much you could do :O


EDIT2:..
dammmm..
It costs X_X, lol.
Kind of funny considering Rohan is free, lol.
Well, at least I know that the technology is there,
which means there are the possibilities :D..
So, thanks for telling us that information ^^.
neramaar
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Post Time : May 31,2008 3:48 am

I just started playing Pirates of the Burning Sea (OMG this game is rad) and I noticed that the NPC's in this game, apart from singing randomly while drunk in the pub or sweeping their front doorsteps (They really are impressive) are actually completely different for every single player. One NPC for example may be my cousin for a quest, whilst the same NPC may be a simple rum-loving husband for another, or a crime lord for another. It's a massive step in the right direction, as every time you make a new character, you really are playing another game all togther.

Just though I;d better add that given the nature of the topic...of...and if you haven't played Pirates yet....go now, you'll thank me later.
shadowNshade
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Post Time : May 29,2008 1:09 am
WOW..that sounds really inventive, and quite brilliant.
It would be interesting to see things like that in an MMORPG.
At the least, NPC's interacting with each other is an interesting aspect.

I wouldn't want someone coming to my house with an axe...lol

I can see that all being very cool, in an RPG game..
but, it would be very interesting/worrying to see that in an MMORPG..
for example, I don't want to go to town to get some food,
and find out that the baker has gone out to buy flour..lol.
Though, it is certainly something to think about.


~ shadowN ^(@.@)^ ~
Invasion
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Post Time : May 28,2008 11:36 pm
The realism of the NPCs in Oblivion are to such an extent that they can interact with each other, carry out routines and change their daily schedules, develop feelings and relationships with the people around them. For example, the NPC which you attacked as a rouge a few days ago, turns up at your house brandishing an axe. Or ogres (yes, they are monsters in the game) that resort to stealing from each other just to do an activity of interest. Also, the NPCs themselves do shopping or farming for food because they need daily necessities to live.
shadowNshade
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Post Time : May 28,2008 6:05 pm
Activity up there keeps the cobwebs out I reakon ^^.. lol.
(and as i don't like cobwebs, or what comes with them, theres many
advantages, xD.)

Yeah, WoW really does hit the spot with immersion..
One of my more..embarrassing moments during playing that, was I was
Up on a hill over near a lighthouse (been awhile so I've forgotten
the name of the location)..and I wanted to go away, so I turn about
and look down a hill..and I think the atmosphere hit me, because as I fell..
I felt quite dizzy and had a sudden urge to pull back.
That experience..was, well, overwhelming quite a bit, lol.

I'm glad you like that idea, certainly would be a step in the right direction ^^.


~ shadowN ^(@.@)^ ~
neramaar
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Post Time : May 28,2008 5:22 pm
You've definitely got some good ideas rolling around upstairs lol, I agree with you 100%. I have never felt immersed in a game like I have walking through Ashenvale Forest for the first time. Nothing comes even close, and that's one of many that WoW has too offer. (Northrend for example is going to change the damn world....)

As for updating NPC's that change as you complete quests...rad. That would make such a huge difference in a game, the next big step in NPC evolution.
shadowNshade
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Post Time : May 28,2008 3:54 pm
thanks for your replies ^^


@lozen
haha, interesting idea, players disguising themselves as NPC's almost, lol.
I don't think companies could really afford any money to pay them to become NPC's...
But it would certainly be individual, XD.
I would almost creeped out if I talked to what I believed was an NPC and started having
conversations, lol.
There are alot of things that can be done with NPC's.
It will be interesting to see a company grasp NPC individuality,
and be able to feel a part of the world they create.

@Invasion
I haven't had the chance to play that game yet, which is a pitty..but, nothing
much I can do ^^;
I have certainly heard about it though


What I would really like to see (though, I don't know the exact extents as to what
Programmers can do), is for NPC's to actually develop.
By that I mean, Some quests I have done in games, for example, finding someones child.
I go about, find the child, complete the quest...
Then I'm walking through town and see the NPC's speech bubble
"where is my child, can you please find it"..
Kind of..puts me off, lol.
It then doesn't really feel like you achieved anything, or changed the world,
and pulls you out of it abit.
If a programmer was able to create 'NPC states', so that after completing a quest,
to your character, the NPC is all happy again about getting there child back.
That would be really cool.
Or even the child coming back, and there be a quest from him/her.
That would truly make you feel a part of that world, and you
would feel the achievement of interaction with NPC's.


~ shadowN ^(@.@)^
Invasion
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Post Time : May 28,2008 8:52 am
ShadowN, I believe you will find your answer in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
lozen
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Post Time : May 28,2008 3:06 am

lol...you might aswell ask real life ppl to control the NPC

it will be a new line of work....be an NPC for approximately 6 hours a day (assuming there is a 3 shift system) for about 30-50 bucks a day depending on how cheap the company is

there will be alot more individuality in their speech(there will be actual conversation...you could also ask those ppl being the NPC to be able to customise the character and cheorograph their own actions aswell

YEAH! ALOT OF INDIVIDUALITY THERE!
airvinsanity
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Post Time : May 28,2008 2:33 am
funny point it reminds  me how good the old days rpg is :P
lean
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Post Time : May 28,2008 12:17 am
Good point, it will add flowers to the brocade for the game
shadowNshade
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Post Time : May 27,2008 9:38 pm
@neramaar
Glad you liked the article ^^;
I'm a very big fan of immersion, it's always nice when you feel a part of a world, not just an observer.
I always enjoy feeling a part of the world, and basking in atmosphere.
I know its a 'yeah yeah, another WoW reference', but during my time in WoW..
The immersion you feel, at least for me, is fantastic. Yes there are a few tads here and there,
but when you walk around the world, everything just.. fits.
It makes you feel alot better when playing, and probably one of the subconscious reasons
many people continue to play that.

@TobiasMasters
I completely see where your coming from,
My hate for duplicate NPC's, probably developed from my hate for duplicate looking characters, lol.
Games definitely need to give characters a better chance to feel like they are in the world,
not like they are just another character created to walk about.
Things like better armor selections, customization (like the die system that a few have implemented)
work towards that.
Character creation is one of the more important parts that developers need to spend time on,
but if they work to create all this customization for characters, and you go into town and see
3 NPC's with 'different color hair', it will almost destroy the effort they put in,
and feel like they rushed the rest of the world, instead of aiming to fully immerse
you into the environment.

@Babeface



~ shadowN ^(@.@)^ ~
Babeface
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Post Time : May 27,2008 7:27 pm
lol
TobiasMasters
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Post Time : May 27,2008 5:34 pm

Hmm, I partially disagree. It would be nice to see NPC's become more unique. However, I think it's far more important that developers focus on giving the players their individuality first. Too many games I've seen where I look exactly the same as twenty other people in town because there are only three faces to choose from and one set of armor for my current level.

Having every NPC looking different is a good idea, but it can be considered a waste of time when other, more important issues exist. Besides, it gave us something to talk about, didn't it?
-Tob
neramaar
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Post Time : May 27,2008 6:46 am

I really couldn't agree more. Many of the readers here would have heard me speak of Immersion and it's effect in the MMO Industry, and this is a massive part. It's hard to feel immersed in a game that has generic cloned NPC's everywhere becasue it is nothing like real life, it's not familiar.

Keeping town's full of life and atmosphere and filled with loveable and memorable NPC's creates massive immersion, and thus helps you feel like you are 'really there'. Naturally, people stay playing these games for much longer. :)

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