The Lives of NPCs in A Realm Reborn

Minor detail. Given the time constraints I rather them focus on game play mechanics and fun quests. If they have time to make the world more living and breathing, great, but its like the 187th most important detail. I just hope if they do it, its not at the expense of other, higher priority, things.

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Originally Posted by Keith_Dragoon

So the prostitutes of uldah live to see another era! Ontop of that they learned new tricks! I'm pumped now!

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Ok ... this made me laugh.

Hopefully we will get a quest with them and the reward is to learn different /dance or /sit (like being able to cross your legs ect) ^_^

So, does this mean we can look forward to dynamic mobs too again?

I really do miss how in the original version of the game, not all mobs behaved the same. Some wouldn't even attack you right away, merely become alert giving you a chance to quickly back away.

And then you had stuff like attacking a billy goat would only piss the goat off, but if you attacked a nanny the whole herd would come at you... I also recall an example of the opposite involving antelopes I think. Not sure if that ever made it in but I recall Tanaka saying something way back about engaging a member of the herd would scare away the others.


Basically, somewhat more realistic monsters to differentiate the game from every other MMO and make things more interesting - especially since we're moving away from grinding mobs for EXP and more towards quest based EXP.

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Originally Posted by Antanias

Will we be seeing Miqo'te out and about playing with balls of yarn? :3

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50 weaver > I always have my yarn.. =^,^= lol

That sounds awesome thank you!!!

More lively NPC's will be great, and I think will add a lot to the feeling of being immersed in another realm!! I'm looking forward to these changes!

What a handful of us are most curious about is the lapse of time between the old and new realm (inquired about on THIS THREAD). Do you think we can we expect to see an aged Meara hobbling around with a cane perhaps as she offers to repair your damaged equipment? Or Deaustie as an elderly woman still running the Sunsilks? Or Baderon shouting at the younglings to get off his lawn? :D

In any case this is wonderful news and I'm really looking forward to the NPC improvements!! Thank you!

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Originally Posted by Ianeira

Do you think we can we expect to see an aged Meara hobbling around with a cane perhaps as she offers to repair your damaged equipment? Or Deaustie as an elderly woman still running the Sunsilks? Or Baderon shouting at the younglings to get off his lawn? :D

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This... I want to see this. Especially the last one. :D

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Originally Posted by Rau

Do you know where I can find any sailors?

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Limsa Lominsa

Dont know if its been said or not, but GW2, they're doing it right. XIV team, take notice.

Kids chasing pets through the streets, NPCs talking to each other (with sarcastic remarks that I find amusing actually, I know voice acting is something exclusive to storyline cutscenes, but dialouge bubbles can still pop up when you're within 'hearing' range)

Big grissly looking guys roaring with laughter in the streets near peddlers.

All of these things, within just a few short seconds of the first city for the humans.

Its good stuff.

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Originally Posted by Skies

As long as I don't have to chase down one of those mobile NPCs for whatever reason (be it a quest or they are part of a store) i'm all for it. ...

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I understand but I don't think it'll be that extreme. NPCs probably would move about like mobs do, sticking to their own territory. I don't think anyone has a problem hunting down monsters because they can be anywhere, jump out from nowhere and attack you, maybe chase you and kill you! Then you could be cursing the twelve and asking them WTF!?? XD

Mobile-NPCs could be a good idea to discourage RMT-bots 1st of all, I wonder if it plays out well.

One thing I miss is the guards actually helping me if I get into trouble. Like, if I run into a camp with a monster that is about to kill me I want the guards to come and help me out. Having them stand there just for show makes it feel less alive than even them not being there at all would. Of course I would get little to no exp nor loot, but at least I wouldn't die and the NPCs would feel like real allies instead of prop.

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Originally Posted by Rukkirii

With the changes we'll be making to the maps in A Realm Reborn we will also be changing the location of NPCs. Additionally, we will be adding more liveliness to NPCs in the field similar to NPCs in guilds who are cooking and training.

After A Realm Reborn launches we will also look into adding even more aspects to NPCs to make the game feel alive.

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it will be nice if the NPC, can talk , some small sentences like " HI " or " WELCOME" :o

Following up on our first post, we're planning to add an even more life-like feel to NPCs. In the Alpha Test we added various gestures and conversations between NPCs (bubbles appearing over their heads as you approach), but in the Beta Test we will be taking it a step (literally) further and adding NPCs that take it upon themselves to wander around a bit.

During the Beta Test be sure to explore and find these NPCs. :)

While we were running the Alpha Test phase, Sound Director Knee-Soken made a comment about further expanding the state of liveliness of Eorzea:

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Originally Posted by Masayoshi_Soken

I feel that things need to also sound more lively in the areas where NPCs hang around, but due to various hardware constraints this would be a very difficult task.
However, we're still going to push to get this implemented! No matter what it takes, there's going to be more hustle and bustle in the city!

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We hope you're all looking forward to a livelier Eorzea!

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Originally Posted by Okipuit

During the Beta Test be sure to explore and find these NPCs. :)

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In other words, "Tell us if they are working correctly"

This is wonderful news. Making the world much more active and lively begs players to delve further into the game and it's offerings.

Love for Soken! Sound is important, walking through Uldahs markets and all I hear is...

..?

Oh there we go the BGM just looped.

Try have sound of day the sounds :D (birds, crickets, markets, kids, neighbor shouting, wolves they all have a time of day they roll around)

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hardware constraints this would be a very difficult task.

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Even with the new coding and engine they have issue adding simple things? Or it's something else that i'm not understanding?

Now we just need the verification that Enemies are getting Behaviors back instead of just standing around doing nothing.

Wandering NPC's is awesome news. Also can't wait to hear more bustling cities than the constant platter of my own foot steps. Reminds me of Majora's Mask and hearing all the commotion and seeing all the life going about in Clock Town.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Even with the new coding and engine they have issue adding simple things? Or it's something else that i'm not understanding?

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They mean end-user hardware.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Even with the new coding and engine they have issue adding simple things? Or it's something else that i'm not understanding?

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Crowd noise is not a simple thing.

I don't know about you, but I would very much hate for them to just add a continuous loop of inaudible chatter in the background. Other games have tried that and it is incredibly annoying.

They need to find a way to implement a lot of random little individual noises so it doesn't just sound like a constant dull roar.

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Originally Posted by Shadowedge

They mean end-user hardware.

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Ahh that make sense i guess they mean PS3 issue and low end PC that people may use. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Even with the new coding and engine they have issue adding simple things? Or it's something else that i'm not understanding?

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He's talking about each NPC having it's own soundset... He wants the sound of the city to match what is actually happening and I cannot for the life of me call that easy, specially in an MMO that has to handle that happening all the friggen time

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Originally Posted by Kiote

Crowd noise is not a simple thing.

I don't know about you, but I would very much hate for them to just add a continuous loop of inaudible chatter in the background. Other games have tried that and it is incredibly annoying.

They need to find a way to implement a lot of random little individual noises so it doesn't just sound like a constant dull roar.

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They could just make a lot of sound bit and reuse some their old ff13 sound bits that aren't ff13 exclusive and play about 5 of them at the same time and have the bits play at random so you'll occasionally hear the same bit but it will be not as noticeable. They could also just have all the npc sound bits in a city play at the same time and have the bits become louder as you get closer to npc saying them and lower as you walk further away. The problem might be high cpu usages so some lag...

It would be so awesome if you could hear npc's clapping for a street performer or laughing at other NPC's while passing by. However, I'd be just fine with ambient background chatter in a busy place like the markets. The problem with individual NPC sounds that are unique and audible are that if you're camping next to one for any length of time while crafting or being afk or waiting for a group, it can get annoying on a loop. In busy places the noises can also be confusing.

Love this feature but I am 100% sure people will bitch about NPCs going to bed, leaving them unable to start/complete quests.

I'd love to see roaming patrols of NPC guards that beat up Mobs that get too close to a major road. (Well-traveled roads are supposed to be safe after all.)

It'd also be cool to see actual caravans taking these roads between cities with guards escorting them. The NPC caravan could just keep pacing back and forth along the roads between Grid, Uldah and the Ferry dock at Limsa (or other sensible termination point for an overland trade route) and actually go through multiple zones. Maybe you could make it in to a wandering NPC vendor?

I suppose you could make it in to a FATE too...though I'd prefer not since we already have Caravan escorts and I'd like to just see a caravan make it from point A to point B without worrying about personally leading the defense.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Even with the new coding and engine they have issue adding simple things? Or it's something else that i'm not understanding?

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It's not a "simple thing" to implement. But odds are they want to design it so that it isn't something that requires stronger hardware.

Just because something sounds "simple" to you, doesn't mean it actually is.

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Originally Posted by Kiote

Crowd noise is not a simple thing.

I don't know about you, but I would very much hate for them to just add a continuous loop of inaudible chatter in the background. Other games have tried that and it is incredibly annoying.

They need to find a way to implement a lot of random little individual noises so it doesn't just sound like a constant dull roar.

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There was a Oblivion mod and Skyrim mod that added chatter in the background (hammers, talking, neighbors yelling at each other to go to sleep or shut their dog up, a funny joke to Dane Cook was a neighbor telling him to shut his key up while he was trying to get in the house.. lol), certain circumstances would raise or lower the sound - like distance, time, moving or not moving, other priority sounds playing (audible npcs vs inaudible).


GW2 npc screaming the same-thing everday is bad - so they should definitely take a peak into what it would be like 2 hours non stop.


Also somethings should be a dull roar like if you are by a giant mist engine- if you dont like the roar get away from the mist engine silly lol.

@this is really easy to do (not you Kiote): Adding ambient sounds with no 3d point isnt too bad, but as you add all of the ifs, buts, wheres, and whens its definitely more than a 2 hour trip to the grindstone.

Woohooo! Can't wait to see NPCs wondering around and messing with stuff. Get's old only seeing PC characters running around...

hmm maybe if we get passed very difficult places like an area filled with lvl 99 monsters we will run into an npc who will give us a rare item?

It really feels like SE and Yoshi-P's team is going all out for ARR. I can not hide my excitement!!

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Originally Posted by Holy_Dragoon

It really feels like SE and Yoshi-P's team is going all out for ARR. I can not hide my excitement!!

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After looking at the alpha video again, now I can't either... beta come soon! T_T

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Originally Posted by Lady

In other words, "Tell us if they are working correctly"

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Can we /follow them?

Pretty awesome news. I wonder if now that we'll get moving NPCs they could do what someone was suggesting regarding shopkeepers having shifts. That'd be a pretty neat detail.

Honestly this is awesome, I've been wasting my time waiting for ARR playing SWTOR, and the NPCs in that game are lame sauce! I'd love to see random NPCs walking around, but not the same path over and over like they're stuck in some time loop. It'd be neat if they could just change the NPC that was doing one certain thing, for example one day a Elezen was cooking soup in the Culinarian's guild but the next day it was a Hyur.

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Originally Posted by Virtuso

Wandering NPC's is awesome news. Also can't wait to hear more bustling cities than the constant platter of my own foot steps. Reminds me of Majora's Mask and hearing all the commotion and seeing all the life going about in Clock Town.

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XD hehe imagine this: one fine day you are hanging out by a lovely beach with a special someone. and then hildebrand (wandering NPC) come and spy on you :p

hehe jk. but yea love wandering npc and anything that makes it livlier tan just stationary npc and mobs that does nothing :p

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Originally Posted by Klefth

Pretty awesome news. I wonder if now that we'll get moving NPCs they could do what someone was suggesting regarding shopkeepers having shifts. That'd be a pretty neat detail.

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Yes.

Instead of going on epic quests or gaining levels I will follow NPCs around to see what their lives are like, find out if they have family at home, what sort of job they do etc etc

I really like this idea. The one thing I thought 1.0 was missing was a distict day and night atmosphere. I look forward to seeing this and other changes both in Beta, and when the games releases. Exciting time ahead for sure.

Interactive NPCs... thanks for the wicked reminder guys. I always loved this idea and I think its been suggested quite a few times somewhere on the forums.

Personally, its the oddities like being able to race Raubhan to Ul'Dah on my chocobo that I really like. Or joining a queue of players to test their marksmanship against Admiral Merlwyb or actually haggling a price of something with a merchant NPC in the Gridanian marketplace.

Best of all... challenging Hildebrant to a duel in the arena; knowing fully well he already possesses a certain rare weapon.

Priceless.