Get NPCs to work for you

[sollus]

One of the features I have always wanted to see in RPG's is a greater ability to engage NPCs to do things for you.

 

Quite often what happens in an RPG is that the player is doing the work for NPCS even if the player is driving the plot. You will go to an NPC they will either inform you that they have what you need, before or after you ask them, then proceed to get you to do any number of tasks for them before they give you what you require.

 

Due to being held within the framework of the plot and game systems you need to do them yourself, otherwise you cant progress.

 

I would like to see some more options available which make sense in the context of your characters abilities, reputation, and resourcefulness (money, people you are loyal to you etc).

 

Examples of this would be

- Getting your out-of-party companions to take up the task - risk vs reward, you may get your companion injured/kill vs gaining experience and meeting an objective, or they may do it badly, either hurting your reputation or causing you to fail.

- Hire some mercs to do the work for you.

- Blackmail - NPC is withholding something from you unless you do xyz. Instead of doing the task get dirt on NPC, find out where he lives, get someone to tail him etc.

- As you have more money bribing could be more feasible as well.

- Political leverage, if you are known for having a strong reputation with the authorities/politicians people will take you more seriously. You could for instance either help get a store relocated to a better part of the city or you could put them out of business by ruining their reputation.

 

This could either be done where you don't have enough time to do tasks yourself, due to urgency or as you progress and become more powerful/influential it makes sense to get others to do tasks similar to those which you did yourself at the start of the game.

 

I feel there is a lot of opportunity to improve on these ideas, and would like to know how others think & feel about this?

[aluminiumtrioxid]

Great ideas. Perhaps not in this one, but I'd definitely want to see them sometime.