Moar lore... The Last Word – Rising Panic (10/18/2012)

[Hulan]

Not that I don't agree, but they probably just decided it was more work than it was worth. It hardly seems like it, but if you sit down and count them up, there are already hundreds of NPCs in various towns, hamlets, etc. Going through and adding new dialog or reanimating them would be a horrendous undertaking. I too would love to see some actual reaction from the NPCs, but given how much work it would take, probably for the best that they focused on ARR instead.

[Jacien]

Not that I don't agree, but they probably just decided it was more work than it was worth. It hardly seems like it, but if you sit down and count them up, there are already hundreds of NPCs in various towns, hamlets, etc. Going through and adding new dialog or reanimating them would be a horrendous undertaking. I too would love to see some actual reaction from the NPCs, but given how much work it would take, probably for the best that they focused on ARR instead.

Basically this.

[Mihana]

Not that I don't agree, but they probably just decided it was more work than it was worth. It hardly seems like it, but if you sit down and count them up, there are already hundreds of NPCs in various towns, hamlets, etc. Going through and adding new dialog or reanimating them would be a horrendous undertaking. I too would love to see some actual reaction from the NPCs, but given how much work it would take, probably for the best that they focused on ARR instead.

Sorry, I should of specified. I was referring to more NPCs being stationed around the camps. I guess even if they just stood there it still might help lend to the sense of urgency. Even an NPC in a town announcing that scouts have spotted Garlean troops in a certain area could be helpful. Example:

Town Crier: "Citizens! Adventurers! Travelers alike! Scouts within the Eorzean Alliance have spotted heavy Garlean activity in the area! Are there none amongst you who would bravely fight for the realm to push back this threat?! Let us show the Empire the might of Eorzea!"

*Player asks where they have been seen*

Town Crier: "Huge armies of Imperial soldiers were spotted in the vicinity of Camp <insert name>! Their numbers were sheer with reports of an even stronger squad lingering within to test the mettle of even the bravest souls."

At campsites there could have even been NPCs which give a temporary time limit within your goal is to kill as many of the non-elite soldiers as possible. You'd be rewarded based on your performance of an EXP boost (Like the ones given out as rewards for a quest allowing it to be distributed to a crafting class instead for example.) that would scale with your level, a small sum of gil, or even just Grand Company seals. Or maybe forgo the rewards and just set it up as an endless EXP chain within a certain time limit. And it shouldn't be too hard to make NPCs a little more lively.

They might talk more about the end of the world, what about the whole "Doom Cult" deal they had going? Why not bring that back? You're still teleported to one of the areas of course, but instead of being lured in you'd go in with the sense that these cults are attempting to needlessly sacrifice citizens and it's your task to find them and free them. They wouldn't even need to make any NPCs disappear from the towns, these are non-existant generic named NPCs. "Distraught Child", "Panicked Housewife", "Grieving Elderly Man". They already have the templates and coding in place, changing a few bits of dialogue to make it fit wouldn't be hard.

Of course I'm not suggesting they do it now with only two weeks to go but these are deals they could have been doing at the start of 1.23a. Dalamud is in "You're so screwed" mode but it doesn't have that atmosphere beyond the giant moon and some little events. Spawning cactuar all over an area and saying they're irritated by Dalamud doesn't count for much. Atomos was a good idea and well executed but at this point in time there should be much more of a sense of urgency that just doesn't exist.

EDIT: Even having an NPC scripted to cry out at the sight of Atomos appearing over an aetheryte gate would be helpful. Anything to lead to the sense that the inhabitants are indeed aware that the destruction of their home is coming. I mean, if you were faced with the end of the world about to happen would you sit in a pub all day ranting about market ward prices or would you likely panic?

Let me see some of the NPCs in the Mineral Concern ranting in a drunken stupor because they've given up and use alcohol to deal with it. Put one of those same NPCs sitting in a corner talking about how he "doesn't give a shite" about what you say or think because they'll all be dead here soon enough. Let me see some NPCs frequenting the sanctuaries in Ul'dah, probably the Thamaturge's Guild primarily, praying fervently to the Twelve for salvation. Drop an NPC at a few of the Archon stones doing continual prayer emotes begging that deity to save them.