The Silver Lining of NPC Delays Etc

[rabidbadger]

I can't wait to see what they come up with for the NPC's, and I do hope there will be group/survivor stories with jobs/quests that deepen the immersion of the game.

 

I'm not sure about KOS play though, it is purely a behind-the-internet safety-feature of gaming. Real life disaster and war stories demonstrate that the best survival skills are in conflict avoidance and social altruism.

Escaped soldiers, troops trapped behind enemy lines, families escaping conflict zones all show that a low profile and situational awareness are far better survival strategies than cold blooded murder.

Admittedly there are always some small groups of wanna-be hard dudes and dudesses who will act like arseheads, but in disasters, especially after the passing of some time (because they are usually killed because of their actions), they are a minority rather than the rule.

 

Perhaps integration of NPC's could have a generally high level of protective non-violoent hostility (won't shoot on sight, but have no desire to trust or help you and want you away from their group), with a handful of trusting survivors and a small group of individuals / gangs who are of the nature to kill and rob.

 

And robocop. I'd love to see a static robocop in the police station that can be activated with a generator.

'Dead or alive, you're going to be dead!'

BOOOM BOOM!

[spikeyhat09]

 

Sometimes rockets do nothing but explode (do you know kerbal space program?)

 

only too well

 

 

as for the KOS discussion, im hoping there will be a sort of invisible karma system implemented, where if you are a dick to other NPC's or animals or whatever then maybe perhaps you get KOS'd by a passerby or in your sleep

[Navarome]

 

i think npcs in this game wont last long unless they the devs put them inside locked rooms and give them a special code that makes zombies ignore them.

 

i mean i cant imagine a npc dodging hordes of zombies like a boss and surviving

Have you seen the NPCs videos?

 

The devs are delaying the NPCs because of that reason and they play better than a player sometimes.

 

 

i havent.  is there new npc videos? i cant find any on youtube. i mean recent npc development videos.

[spikeyhat09]

 

 

i think npcs in this game wont last long unless they the devs put them inside locked rooms and give them a special code that makes zombies ignore them.

 

i mean i cant imagine a npc dodging hordes of zombies like a boss and surviving

Have you seen the NPCs videos?

 

The devs are delaying the NPCs because of that reason and they play better than a player sometimes.

 

 

i havent.  is there new npc videos? i cant find any on youtube. i mean recent npc development videos.

 

the most recent ones are a year old afaik. would be nice if they released more, but maybe im just greedy

[Svarog]

as for the KOS discussion, im hoping there will be a sort of invisible karma system implemented, where if you are a dick to other NPC's or animals or whatever then maybe perhaps you get KOS'd by a passerby or in your sleep

I hate global karma systems, they make no sense, how the hell does the world know I killed this one random NPC and his pet dog in his house when nobody saw that?

I'm all for a system where NPCs can hunt you if you killed their friend/love/family/dog, ate the contents of their fridge, slept on their couch and left the door open when you left and they know it's you because they saw that, maybe spread the news around you on a small scale between them and their group but if I'll see a global karma system in PZ I'll flip out. 

Imagine killing some NPCs in a house and a month later bumping into a guy who's family was killed by a bandit, you did that, he doesn't know that, that's awesome. Now imagine if you kill some NPCs family, again, no witnesses, and the next day you have a group of armed NPC SJW outside your window who want you dead because your in-game karma value is currently -100

Thank god I think devs mentioned there won't be a global karma system.

[Adamiks]

 

as for the KOS discussion, im hoping there will be a sort of invisible karma system implemented, where if you are a dick to other NPC's or animals or whatever then maybe perhaps you get KOS'd by a passerby or in your sleep

I hate global karma systems, they make no sense, how the hell does the world know I killed this one random NPC and his pet dog in his house when nobody saw that?

I'm all for a system where NPCs can hunt you if you killed their friend/love/family/dog, ate the contents of their fridge, slept on their couch and left the door open when you left and they know it's you because they saw that, maybe spread the news around you on a small scale between them and their group but if I'll see a global karma system in PZ I'll flip out. 

Imagine killing some NPCs in a house and a month later bumping into a guy who's family was killed by a bandit, you did that, he doesn't know that, that's awesome. Now imagine if you kill some NPCs family, again, no witnesses, and the next day you have a group of armed NPC SJW outside your window who want you dead because your in-game karma value is currently -100

Thank god I think devs mentioned there won't be a global karma system.

 

 

You're right but i would like to see karma system in MP though. With karma system on MP you would know who is good guy and who is bad guy, so people wouldn't be killed so often after trying interact with someone (DayZ Standalone ((and PZ)) is boring, because there is no interactions with players at all, just deathmatch, or worse - team deathmatch).

[Svarog]

You're right but i would like to see karma system in MP though. With karma system on MP you would know who is good guy and who is bad guy, so people wouldn't be killed so often after trying interact with someone.

As an option for server admins, sure, random "bandits" could get a permanent skull attached to their username over their head and on chat so everyone knows their brain's programming is limited to being a gun nut and killing them wouldn't count as PKing so everyone could have fun hunting the assholes, other than that, I'm against any form of global karma system being enforced, is would suck on RP servers especially.

[Blasted_Taco]

 

 

as for the KOS discussion, im hoping there will be a sort of invisible karma system implemented, where if you are a dick to other NPC's or animals or whatever then maybe perhaps you get KOS'd by a passerby or in your sleep

I hate global karma systems, they make no sense, how the hell does the world know I killed this one random NPC and his pet dog in his house when nobody saw that?

I'm all for a system where NPCs can hunt you if you killed their friend/love/family/dog, ate the contents of their fridge, slept on their couch and left the door open when you left and they know it's you because they saw that, maybe spread the news around you on a small scale between them and their group but if I'll see a global karma system in PZ I'll flip out. 

Imagine killing some NPCs in a house and a month later bumping into a guy who's family was killed by a bandit, you did that, he doesn't know that, that's awesome. Now imagine if you kill some NPCs family, again, no witnesses, and the next day you have a group of armed NPC SJW outside your window who want you dead because your in-game karma value is currently -100

Thank god I think devs mentioned there won't be a global karma system.

 

 

You're right but i would like to see karma system in MP though. With karma system on MP you would know who is good guy and who is bad guy, so people wouldn't be killed so often after trying interact with someone (DayZ Standalone ((and PZ)) is boring, because there is no interactions with players at all, just deathmatch, or worse - team deathmatch).

 

 

I hate karma system overall, i dont think we need one in MP either, with karma system or not, if someone wants to kill you, they wont think twice.

[Adamiks]

Yes, but in DayZ there is karma system that changes your clothing, so you KNOW that this player is good guy and there is very small chance that he will kill you when he will saw you, on other hand look at DayZ Standalone - no karma, if you want interact with someone you have a very small chance to meet a good guy, because EVERYONE looks that same. Karma system is not for having a skull in player list but for information if you can interact with this guy or he will just kill you like a dog when he will see you.

[Blasted_Taco]

Yes, but in DayZ there is karma system that changes your clothing, so you KNOW that this player is good guy and there is very small chance that he will kill you when he will saw you, on other hand look at DayZ Standalone - no karma, if you want interact with someone you have a very small chance to meet a good guy, because EVERYONE looks that same. Karma system is not for having a skull in player list but for information if you can interact with this guy or he will just kill you like a dog when he will see you.

 

What ever happen to that PVP button then? The axe icon thingy were if someone had it, it meant that he is going to pop your ass?

 

For me that is good enough, someone has it near you, it means he is going to try to kill, otherwise playing on a PVP forced server, its fair game for everyone because you are playing a FORCED PVP.

[Adamiks]

Nah, this isn't that same thing. It's like you can shoot someone and then be PvE. Karma system would be a lot better.

[Blasted_Taco]

Nah, this isn't that same thing. It's like you can shoot someone and then be PvE. Karma system would be a lot better.

 

Maybe if you kill someone with PVP On, the PVP stays on for a while (per say 10 minutes, lets say the character is on the edge and paranoid, trigger finger and that stuff), however if he kills another person while having PVP On plus the minutes he has, it becomes 25 minutes, adding up 15 minutes, another down and you add 20 minutes and keep going like this.

 

If you kill the PVPer without having PVP on, nothing will happen to you, just the satisfaction of killing someone, like the system we have right now minus the PVP timer.

[Realmkeeper]

I think a global karma system is a terrible idea.

My reasoning is that I am yet to see it work effectively without crippling general gameplay for roleplayers, casual players, and hardcore players.

Games with a karma system have already been mentioned, like the DayZ mod (and what's that other teleporting mutant-type multiplayer game?), and well... it's just a PvP kill on sight mess. If there's something worth taking from another player, and you've also got something they may want, there's very little chance of having a reasonable discussion before they finish you, or you take them out and avoid the risk.

 

If an implementation was suggested that was more effective in reducing the KoS mindset than the current 'toggle hosility' option, and had minimal negative effects on the more dedicated PZ players (there's an awful lot of RolePlayers enjoying PZ around these forums!), then sure, I'd be open to the possibilities.

But as it stands, as currently implemented elsewhere a global karma system seems to ruin the friendly atmosphere of multiplayer rather than encourage it.

[Adamiks]

"as currently implemented elsewhere a global karma system seems to ruin the friendly atmosphere of multiplayer"

 

Oh yea, DayZ Standalone have so friendly atmosphere. PZ have so friednly atmosphere that i get killed by hacker after playing on MP for first time. So friendly atmosphere!!

 

Sorry to be kinda rude, but i don't think you guys really understand how this karma system would work. This karma system wouldn't be just a number on your screen or a skull on the player list, but a actual costume that helps a lot.

[EnigmaGrey]

So this'll change it in such a way that you simply get killed by a "good" guy then. Hackers going to hack.

[Adamiks]

Well... If i would have hacks i would kill everyone on the server not pick up hero clothing ;D

[Realmkeeper]

"as currently implemented elsewhere a global karma system seems to ruin the friendly atmosphere of multiplayer"

 

Oh yea, DayZ Standalone have so friendly atmosphere. PZ have so friednly atmosphere that i get killed by hacker after playing on MP for first time. So friendly atmosphere!!

 

Sorry to be kinda rude, but i don't think you guys really understand how this karma system would work. This karma system wouldn't be just a number on your screen or a skull on the player list, but a actual costume that helps a lot.

So then, give us some obligatory examples of a multiplayer game with an integrated karma system that cultivates a friendlier gameplay experience.

Obviously with evidence or examples of how the karma system actually makes any difference (positive or negative) to the gamer's attitudes.

 

In the context of the original quote (which you truncated), "as it stands," I am yet to see evidence to the contrary. That is, that a global karma system in any multiplayer game actually increases or encourages friendliness between participants.

 

Until then, I stand by my comment. I have never seen a global karma system nurture a more friendly environment, than that same environment without the system in place.

I didn't claim that any game (such as DayZ Standalone, or PZ), or every game, without a karma system must be a friendly game.

[Adamiks]

The answer is:

Logic.

 

If you know that this guy is hero then there is smaller chance that he will kill you. Without karma system you wouldn't know if this guy is bandit or not (or he is KOS or bandit or hero). When you would saw a bandit guy then there is no sense in talking with him.

[EnigmaGrey]

Karma discussion probably should move elsewhere at his point, guys.

[njstolte]

The thought of PZ being finished is as exciting as it is scary. Seeing what else you guys make is gonna be amazing, but Project Zomboid is so awesome, and part of that is because it's always growing, always changing. I know it's selfish to want PZ to be developed forever, but I've just really fallen in love with this game. The game's definitely going to be incredible when it finishes, and I can't wait for that. I guess I just never want to stop loving PZ.

[Connall]

The thought of PZ being finished is as exciting as it is scary. Seeing what else you guys make is gonna be amazing, but Project Zomboid is so awesome, and part of that is because it's always growing, always changing. I know it's selfish to want PZ to be developed forever, but I've just really fallen in love with this game. The game's definitely going to be incredible when it finishes, and I can't wait for that. I guess I just never want to stop loving PZ.

 

It's worth pointing out, "finished" is a very loose term. It's not like as soon as the game hits version 1.0 that the game will stopped being worked on. Taken from Steam Store Page:

 

 

What about after 1.0? 

At this point, once we feel we have fulfilled every promise we gave when the Project Zomboid site first launched (except the last one, ahem, ignore that. Absolutely no one wanted that, it turned out), as well as the extra things detailed above, and the game is sufficiently polished and bug free, we will launch the game as 1.0 and leave Early Access. 

What happens at this point depends entirely on whether the game is making money or not, but given the past solid performance of the game we see no reason why it shouldn’t be. Several developers within the team will likely start exploring our second project at this point, however we have dedicated and passionate developers who were brought into the company via the Project Zomboid modding community, emotionally invested in the game, who are already a big part of the development and communicating with the community. As long as Project Zomboid is making enough to support their continued development of the game, and they are happy to continue working on it (which seems likely), we will continue making Project Zomboid indefinitely as long as there is interest.

 

It's not like it will hit V1.0 and everything will come to a stop, I imagine PZ will continued to be developed for some time after release (e.g. Minecraft)

[Konrad Knox]

OP, I can send you guys some salmon to cheer you up. 
Don't stress it. I know how development is. Been working on a RPG for 4 years. Motivation is hard currency to come by.

[Talksintext]

I also hope we don't have a karma system, and that each NPC has a unique "mind" and awareness of the world and its history.

 

I also hope we have KoS NPCs, at least as an option. Now, of course, these sorts of bandits would have a high chance of being killed themselves as the world progresses (since they're initiating combat a lot), and such sociopathy isn't common anyway, so they should be rare, but they should still be out there. Ultimately, need and desperation can change a person, and you might expect the ratio of such sociopaths to normal NPCs to increase over time, at least among solo NPCs (but also small groups).

[Oddzball]

Hrmm, wow, when was the last time I posted here....

 

I don't know how I feel. I had adult stuff to do, so had to step away from the community, sometime before the new forums and website were built.I'm kind of glad I came back to check up the status of NPCs because honestly, thats whats been holding me back from playing the game for a long time now.

 

If I remember correctly, I must have bought Zomboid in hrmm.... 2011? And for 4 years it always felt like NPCs (Or the update from the original ones) was always just around the corner, but never appeared.

 

I really cant say I'm happy about NPCs not being done, but being uphappy about it doesn't get it done any faster I suppose. I just feel like all the focus on multiplayer pulled focus away from NPCs, which was a shame to me, since I could care less about multiplayer zombie survival games, of which they are a dime a dozen these days.

 

I dunno, I have more to say, but I'm just kind of disappointed we still aren't there yet, and that's really the sum of it. Thanks for the update though Lemmy.

[Kirrus]

For clarity, Multiplayer hasn't really had that big of an affect on how much development time NPCs have received.