Schedules

[Synaesthesia]

Will, or should, NPCs in Project X have schedules? I find it kind of annoying that NPCs in Ultima VI (and V, from memory) have schedules, yet most modern CRPGs seem to lack theme.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

As long as it dosnt entail having to search for someone every time you re enter town. That gets old really , really fast.

 

I tend to just imagine them doing other things when im not around. And its just a happy coinciedence that they always seem to be there when I need them.

[Darque]

Some schedualing is a good thing in my opinion, adds to the immersion.

[Darkmoon]

I also think that schedules add a lot to a game. Of course, searching for a specific NPC can be annoying, but in Ultima 7 it worked really well.

Watching NPCs walking around, working etc. is just great and adds to the feeling of being in an alive world.

There are some problems though (aside from searching for specific NPCs). For example what if I enter a town at night to sell or buy some things and the shopkeeper is at sleep? Do I have to wait until morning to be able to sell or buy items? It would add to realism.

But what about this. You could either knock at the door and the shopkeeper comes out of his bed to conduct transactions with you or there could be some kind of nightshift with someone else running the shop at night.

 

But NPC schedules are a definite bonus to every RPG!

[Synaesthesia]

But what about this. You could either knock at the door and the shopkeeper comes out of his bed to conduct transactions with you or there could be some kind of nightshift with someone else running the shop at night.

I don't think having nightshift staff in necessary. Besides, having a shopkeeper asleep would give the PC a perfect opportunity to pick up some wares '5 finger discount'.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I don't think having nightshift staff in necessary. Besides, having a shopkeeper asleep would give the PC a perfect opportunity to pick up some wares '5 finger discount'.

That reminds me of Daggerfall. Stand in the shop till the shopkeeper disapeared then rob him blind.

 

You would obviously have to eject the character prior to closing unless they were employing some sort of stealth. Even then such things are HUGELY determental to game balance.

[Synaesthesia]

I don't think having nightshift staff in necessary. Besides, having a shopkeeper asleep would give the PC a perfect opportunity to pick up some wares '5 finger discount'.

That reminds me of Daggerfall. Stand in the shop till the shopkeeper disapeared then rob him blind.

 

You would obviously have to eject the character prior to closing unless they were employing some sort of stealth. Even then such things are HUGELY determental to game balance.

Of course, I wouldn't expect a character to just be able to stand around until Mr Hooper goes to bed.

[Sammael]

Rich shopkeepers should employ night guards at any rate. Even if you get past them, there should be a chance that you are caught by the city watch and imprisoned, with all your stuff taken away along with the stolen goods.

 

But shoplifting should be an option.

[Synaesthesia]

Rich shopkeepers should employ night guards at any rate. Even if you get past them, there should be a chance that you are caught by the city watch and imprisoned, with all your stuff taken away along with the stolen goods.

 

But shoplifting should be an option.

In addition to that, I think that guards should 'do the rounds' of shops and houses as well as individuals employing guards.

[Sammael]

Yes. Although there should be a chance (depending on the city, the economics, and the type of government) to bribe the official guards and have them look the other way while you are "shopping" for goods.

[Synaesthesia]

Yes. Although there should be a chance (depending on the city, the economics, and the type of government) to bribe the official guards and have them look the other way while you are "shopping" for goods.

That would be nice too. :whyisn'tthereathumbsupsmiley:

[Hell Kitty]

I don't think having nightshift staff in necessary. Besides, having a shopkeeper asleep would give the PC a perfect opportunity to pick up some wares '5 finger discount'.

That reminds me of Daggerfall. Stand in the shop till the shopkeeper disapeared then rob him blind.

 

You would obviously have to eject the character prior to closing unless they were employing some sort of stealth. Even then such things are HUGELY determental to game balance.

I think in Arcanum, shopkeepers only went to bed if you weren't standing around in their store (possibly even if you were even too close to the store).

[roshan]

sounds great but is unlikely to happen.

[Ellester]

I like NPC

[Magnum Opus]

I'm in favour of the idea as long as it doesn't increase the system requirements beyond my means. Having a town full of characters packing up to go home at 5:00 is bound to do some funky things to the amount of CPU/GPU clock cycles available for things like combat, special effects, day-to-night effects, that sort of thing.

 

I'm not again the notion of having shops close for the night, though. Makes a fair bit of difference if you can't get into an apothecary to replenish your supply of healing potions when you're running around smiting monsters.

[Spook]

I'm in favour of the idea as long as it doesn't increase the system requirements beyond my means.   Having a town full of characters packing up to go home at 5:00 is bound to do some funky things to the amount of CPU/GPU clock cycles available for things like combat, special effects, day-to-night effects, that sort of thing.

 

I'm not again the notion of having shops close for the night, though.  Makes a fair bit of difference if you can't get into an apothecary to replenish your supply of healing potions when you're running around smiting monsters.

A thing to remember:

 

Save in case of big fights in rush houre.

[Magnum Opus]

A thing to remember:

 

Save in case of big fights in rush houre.

*nods soberly* Words to live by.

 

I know in Ultima 6, at least, they got got around it partially by just beaming the characters to their destination, if they weren't on the screen. I know this because one time I moved Nystul (Lord Britsh's in-house mage) into LB's closet, surrounded him with fire fields, closed the door, trapped it, and then magically locked it, and the guy just appeared in his laboratory five minutes later, locks, traps, and fields intact!

 

*considers* Of course, the guy was a magician, so maybe his dashing escape wasn't so miraculous. Maybe I should have tried it with the blacksmith...

 

The point is, I don't want the game grinding to a halt with all these scripts running in the background, telling people to be at location X by 5:00. It'd be great if they could include schedules, though. Getting trapped outside the city because they closed the gates at night brought a whole new dimension to games like Quest for Glory. Sneaking through the woods, down to your last hitpoint, no potions... pleasepleaseplease don't let there be a monster here... ahhh, good stuff, that. Schedules... good thing, if they can make 'em work.