Chapter 5.4 NPC Personalities and Quests
NPC Dialog - Dialog Tree Basics
Players can talk to NPC if they want. Some persistent NPC, and visitor NPC will not have much dialog, usually one-line sentences that indicate that they are not interested in talking, or don't have a quest to hand out. However, many NPC will have quests and tasks to offer. In these instances NPC have dialog trees. The process map examples for these will be released in the future. Talking to the NPC will give that NPC fame towards the player, as well as questing legacy. If the NPC is connected to a claim, the claim will receive NPC favor, which aids in NPCs visiting more often.
Crafting and Combat NPC
NPC can craft and from a player's written craft of blueprints, as long as they have enough skill level in the correct category for it. They can grind easier creating materials to level up. Players can craft workstations that double as stores, that both players and NPC can purchase from. These purchases can be set to go straight to a claim tinder, or for the NPC to keep the tinder. When NPC keep tinder, they use the tinder to absorb for their needs, instead of finding a needed resource (food/drink).
NPC Quests - Working and Needs
Because we have bulletin boards for players to post monster threat quests, this gives us more flexibility with NPCs. Players can obtain quests talking to NPC as they roam, or work at their workstations. The player interacting with them will be given quests based on their current needs or current workstation needs, giving players copies of things they are working on, if given materials to make them one. NPC will be able to create beacons by default, to allow players to find them in the open world. The bulletin board will show where they are on the world map to provide distance context, and upon accepting, on the player's map.
NPC Quests - Fame Progression
With enough interactions, players can choose from an NPC's available skills/blueprints at their workstation, to make them something, without interrupting crafting speeds for their leader (player that hired them,) they will reward it to the requesting player after their current craft is complete, or queue it up the next time they craft. When it is complete, a player can pick it up at a spitbox, or by talking to the NPC (which will gain more fame with that NPC.) An uncomplete quest for a player will become a need trigger after some time if interrupted for too long.
NPC Quests - Bulletin Boards
In addition to monster threat quests posted by players, NPC will also be able to post their quests alongside at bulletin boards as well. NPC quests range from monster attacks to properties they own, as well as gathering, delivery, and crafting quests, bounty hunts, guarding, and escort quests for transporting NPC.
Bulletin Board Options - NPC Filtering
Builders of the bulletin board can set these options:
Player and/or NPC quests posts allowed
Poster Sharing Options
Only here
Only posted at this specific bulletin board
Linked
Posted at all linked bulletin boards (via active fire source)
Players need to repair fire sources if bulletin board is destroyed (but retains link as long as reconstructed in time)
Need to restore link if timed out
Claim Global
Posts quest to any bulletin in claim with claim global setting
(Building a bulletin board in unclaimed land forces gives only the Only Here and Linked options, since constructions without claims cannot set interactivity rules, and global claim settings.)
Bulletin Board Options - Hired NPC Benefit
These options allow players to determine if they want players to help with their hired NPC needs, so they can focus on their dedications and level up faster, or if players want to handle NPC care themselves. Players can also individually delete NPC quests that are posted on their boards, if they don't want an NPC's quest to be resolved for any reason. If players intend to have a lot of NPC, having a bulletin board can help them see their needs all in one spot.
Alternative NPC Care
Since NPC have fire sources as souls, you can convert tinder at your claim to fulfill their needs. NPC will automatically take tinder from your claim by default, but if you prefer to only allow them a certain amount, you can craft NPC wreathed firesources that NPC can take tinder from. You can set a % of your total tinder, or a specific amount to automatically transfer to it. This will also keep players from questing at NPC, unless you create a workshop workstation. Which doubles as a quest front and/or storefront for players. By creating wreathed firesources at workshop workstations, you can create a static NPC that has no need to stop working at a store/workstation.
NPC Scheduling
You can set NPC schedules at your hub, if you still want NPC to travel and add to a nearby economy. For example, you may have a land claim, but don't need your NPC to craft all the time. Here you can also set an allowance of how much tinder they are allowed to spend outside of your claim.
NPC Editor Software
NPC generation and limitations are all controlled by an NPC editing software that sets ecology theme criteria and asset randomization, and spawning limitations, such as traits, skills, and dialog.
Hand Written NPC - Reusing Trees and Personalities
Different hidden tags associated to the NPC in their code will give them different flavors of dialog. These will be handled by GMs and devs when they want to create different/new NPC personalities/skill combinations/quest options. For example, certain dialog trees and will be used only by NPC with the matching personality, and skill traits. All NPC dialog is hand written, or coded to be mixed and matched, and overtime, NPC creators can make more dialog trees and personality to add flavor, and lessen repetition.
Hand Written NPC - Unique Characters
The NPC creator can also create unique NPC that can generate with specific traits, dialog trees, quests, and so forth, if criteria is met to summon them, as well as limit how many can appear. It may be that only 1 of these NPC can appear, and during a specific world event.
No NPC Voices
There will not be voice acting so that more dialog can be added easily. However, emotive grunts, and emotional sounds like laughter, sadness, and anger can be triggered through the writing. These can also trigger expression changes.
Over Reliance on NPC
This doesn't mean that you need to talk to every single NPC all the time. In fact, NPC will start rejecting your greetings if you bounce around too much. Calling you too needy, or distracting, or to tell you to bother someone else.
GM Control
Non-hired NPC can be updated by GMs. They can add new branches of dialogs for specific players or for all players. GMs can also control NPC, to help progress GM created plots. GMs can also summon pre-created NPC in game, and summon them via summoning circles if a need arises. In these instances, NPC can revert back to normal while a GM is not present or disconnects.
Infamy Quests
As with all beings, some NPC may have dishonest tendencies. And some won't give you a quest if your fame is too high, and some won't even interact with you if your infamy isn't high enough. These NPC might be able to teach you how to be a better criminal, or maybe try to induct you into a cult. They will most likely lurk only at night, in the shadow of buildings, or keep to themselves at the a pubs, churches, barracks, in the wild at a camp, or just outside settlement walls.
NPC Vices
If an NPC has a vice trait, they will stop working to find a fix. It may be drugs, alcohol, a need trigger (food/prayer), or something else. This will occur regardless of if an NPC has enough tinder to use for that need. They will not use tinder to fulfill it, and will attempt seek out a place or resource. Like usual, they will come back eventually if unsuccessful with a slowdown of proficiency.
NPC Memory
NPC will remember you for as long as they persist. If your character dies or is retired. If you achieved a loyalty status with them, they will travel to try come to funerals and festivals (covered in a future chapter,) if your spirit relics are used. Festivals pause current needs. They will try to stay around or join claims that hold your relics, in the case of festivals.
NPC Spirit Relic Quests
Spirit relics will be covered in chapter 12, but briefly, players will leave behind spirit relics upon character death, or retiring a character. Loyal NPC will also go on quests to recover your relics when they sense your death, and they will ask players to help them, and post quests about it. Your relics will pause natural decay and monster digestion if an NPC is seeking them.
Relic Quest Fail - All Player Relics Are Destroyed
If they fail (all relics are destroyed), they will be mournful, and may take on vices to cope
They will add a new need to their need cycle, which will be to add legacy to your character at an applicable shrine/altar/remembrance craft (grave/statue/etc.)
Relic Quest Success - Obtain At least One Relic
NPC will leave relic quests open if more items exist outside of a claim
They will add a new need to their need cycle, which will be to add legacy to your character at an applicable shrine/altar/remembrance craft (grave/statue/etc.)
Their legacy affect is buffed and stacked per relic they obtain