NPCs survivors

[Mr Hyde 3]

Hi, i'm new to this forum so i'm not sure if something along this line has already been posted. I was following the steam forum and i found a thread that i think needs some more attention. So, since probably this is the best place for suggestions i will copy paste what i found.

 

Source: http://steamcommunity.com/app/221100/discussions/3/648816742381739368/

 

Quotations:

 

 

 

pvtnum11

 

NPC SURVIVORS

Pretty new player to the game, liking the nerve-wracking aspect that comes with being a fresh spawn with nothing but a flashlight and the insufficient clothes on my back.

Anyway, I have an idea, not sure if this was suggested already or not. Non Player/Character Survivors (you probably guessed that when you read the title to the thread, lol).

They would start out on the map in various areas and at various skill levels, and have different objectives. Some might want to loiter around the spawn areas and end up as Infected fodder, or as easy loot for actual players. Since we don't get to see who killed who, it may be difficult to tell if you killed an NPC or an actual PC. Low-level NPC's may simply run as soon as they see you. That or attempt to bash your brains in.

Others would seek to leave the spawn areas and push north, though. They would be coded to gather up a few supplies, better clothes, a weapon and the ability to use it decently, and then they would seek to go for the line of towns midway up the map. Might even make it so they can band together into small groups, and go from town to town, trying to survive the Infected (and other Players). You might see them fight one another - they might claim a building or area as "theirs" and if anyone gets near it, a fight starts to happen. This makes the prospect of entering a building a bit more dangerous for us - that intermediate NPC might be hiding out waiting to smash in our skulls with an axe or simply shoot us, if they have acquired a firearm.

Advanced skill-level NPC's would hole up in military bases, the airstrips, and other high-value areas. They also might group themselves up into small teams. They would seek out and equip themselves with the best gear available, and have the skill to use them, being able to snipe you from hundreds of meters. Basically, the type of AI you came to expect in ARMA.

Why would I want this?

Two reasons. One, to give us flesh-and-blood players more of a challenge. Can't join a low-population server, charge north and expect to never meet another Survivor anymore. No, we have to content with NPC's now, who might be really really good at killing things. Second reason, to give us human players an actual REASON to band up with other stranger human players as soon as possible. Basically, the goal of it would be to encourage teamwork with other players, even other players you don't know.

Of course, the difficulty arises in trying to tell the NPC apart from the PC.

Maybe also give you some dialog options with them (assuming that both you and them didn't immediately fight-or-flight upon seeing one another) so you could offer to trade loot, ask for directions, or share crude jokes, whatever.

Any thoughts or comments on that?

 

 

Mr Hyde

 

I support your idea, i was actually going to start my own thread. I can see this being implemented as a long term goal. For now i would suggest something easier to make, as each building having a small percentage (E.g. 5%) to spawn 1-3 armed npcs inside and willing to kill you. Becuase as of now, every single building seems like a safe house and it's not what you want in a survival game. Along this line buildings could spawn traps as well but that's a different story.

Edit: The whole thing may be balanced around number of players in a given server

Edited January 8, 2014 by Mr Hyde

[sYs 133]

Good suggestion but it  doesn't take into consideration that servers are limited to 40 players due performance issues on the quantity of objects and entities in the game. I don't think you will have problems finding another survivors in 100-200 people servers. I wouldn't mind neutral trader npcs. ( which one of course  you can kill - if npc bodyguard/s don't kill you first ) 

[Mos1ey 6301]

Rocket is highly against the idea of NPC characters as he wants DayZ to be a 100% player driven experience. I don't think you will ever see NPC characters in DayZ.

[Combine (DayZ) 247]

That's understandable, but also slightly disappointing.

 

Well, I guess if more custom servers (with mods, basically) will be allowed then one could perhaps see NPCs. I personally don't really MUST have them, but it might be nice depending on what you do with them.

[Korsbaek 1778]

 I don't think you will ever see NPC characters in DayZ.

 

Let's hope Rocket won't ever switch to the other side. The side with 1000 vehicles, self blood bags and NPC's.

[mike miller 14]

I miss NPC's as well and suggest a simple implementation without much extra features on the NPC's than in vanilla Arma. In Arma2/3 you can join NPC in your group/squad and give them various orders.

 

In DayZ it would be nice to have lets say 100 NPC's spread across the map, if you approach them you could take up to lets say 3 in your group and use the commands that already exist in the engine like follow, go there, attack etc.

 

Now you have 2 followers that can scout for you or you can setup a trap since its hard to tell who is PC or NPC...

 

I'd like to see this since its really hard to team up with PC's

 

The only thing im not shure is how to move items to your NPC in your group... i think there is a way in arma but im not shure.

 

If not NPC surviors the group/squad system could be adapted for animals and have dogs etc. follow you and given orders!

[warrenpeace 38]

No beans for you. The only NPCs that there should be are the Zeds as far as I'm concerned.

[Daemonkid 493]

There will never. NEVER be NPC's other than zombies in DayZ SA. Rocket is highly against the idea. Stop asking about it, it will never happen.

 When mod-ability is available, you will see offshoots of DayZ that will possibly have NPC survivors and stuff. 

[doublebrain 255]

Problem with NPCs: they look like humans, they are supposed to be humans, they dont act like humans.

[atmaca (DayZ) 48]

No. Never.

[angry pineapple 44]

Only NPC should be zombies IMO.

 

If there are server resources to add NPC make more zombies!!

 

I wanna see em in packs of hundreds!!

[Ilbonin 0]

I think simple NPCs would be fine, like small camps in the wilderness or NPCs camped out in a house or barn. Would make it more interesting

[BeefBacon 1185]