Because imagination does not pay for the development of said content.
Note to Developers: This is sarcasm.
On a serious note, I think this is a good idea, and should have been part of the development process. Apparently, Tanaka was too focused on getting the nuts and bolts of the game done, and didn't account for the very concept that the game was supposed to be representative of a "living and breathing world"...
Immersiveness (a word I just made up) is about the little things.
For example, in Rift, some NPCs are programmed to detect when you're close to them. So for example, you walk through a town, and two NPCs that appear to be talking to each other notice you. You are then able to hear them talking about you as you walk past.
Or Neo Steam, where NPCs who have quests for you will say, "Hey! Can you help me?" or something similar when you get near them. That would be a nice alternative to the ! cloud above quest givers heads.
One thing FFXIV does real well is ambient noise. If you have a good 5.1 surround system, turn the music off and the volume up. It's pretty sweet. It's not just the simulated wind we got in XI anymore.
Well, i would love to see patrols walking atround the terrain. All camp NPCs spweaks about founding patrolls, and honestly noone ever saw them. Ul'dah would look much livlier, if therfe would be some guards walking circles around town. And one other thhing are critters. Mouse. Cats. Dogs. not as a killable onsters, but as an element to liven settlements. Want the world to be life-like? Make NPCs gather animals somewhere around town once per few weeks, thos things were regular in medival times.also world is seriously lacking in farmfields.i suppose bread is beeing baked by killing random animals and geting wheat out of their stomachs <_<
I really like where this is going, so many good ideas.
Do NPCs at camps attack aggressive monsters that come too close of the said camp?
I don't recall seeing any NPC protect their camp... that would at least make camps a bit more secure when aggressive monsters decide to walk in?
I've seen free korean games with this feature lol.
edit: my point here is that SE really fell behind in certain aspects just in case you thought I was making a pointless jab at SE. I just wanted to point out the feasibility of such content for a big company like SE.