Improve NPCs - Interactions, Walking About etc.

24 Jan
Kreeftond

Yeah I believe this should be added as well. Those static NPC's are really boring. I don't think they add enough to the game to justify mentioning NPC's on the store page. I figured it would be like Conan.

28

24 Jan
Salvadier Merged

It would be nice if the NPCs didn't just stand where you summon them, but had a daily routine, for example, walking around the base, using furniture, going to sleep...

49

25 Jan
Avatar

In this game, NPCs are crafting tables so no they should not roam around or that'll get really irritating really quickly

11

25 Jan
Ginee

Yeah poor NPCs, first locked up in that capsule, and now after years they finally free but still cant move!

10

25 Jan
MeGa

Yes, currently the npcs are too static.

There is a gap between conan exiles thralls (which still are more functional than here) and Kelvin, the npc from Sons of The Forest, which can build, cut wood, and gather all kind of stuff.

We need this middle point here. In Conan Exiles they craft and have animations, and can also follow you and fight.

Yes, the NPCS here dont really count as them as a player would expect.

19

25 Jan
Ross Merged

Friendly vendor NPCs should move around the build zone and be summoned to their respective homes by a class specific device ( Blacksmith has a gong in his forge, Alchemist a wind chime hanging from their wall) these would recall them back to their home so you aren’t chasing them all over your build area. Would add a really cool vibe to see your village teeming with life.

28

25 Jan
CoolUsernameBro Admin Merged

"More Animations and daily routines for NPCS" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2024-01-24), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

11

25 Jan
CoolUsernameBro Admin

"Friendly NPCs move around your build zone" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2024-01-25), including upvotes (3) and comments (2), was merged into this suggestion.

10

26 Jan
Guiri

The craftspeople having more animations and maybe walking around would be nice, but not if the craft menu is attached to them.
What can be nice is some sort of NPC recruiting system. We would find other NPCs in our travels (also it would populate empty towns) and recruit them to our base.
It could be adapted to fit the lore, because it seems all friendly life is no longer, just the ones in the ember vaults. Or we could recruit NPCs (let's say, workspeople) in these ember vaults to work in our base and automate certain tasks.

10

26 Jan
DrReptile

They should also attach the NPCs more to the building system, so you have to give them a certain amount of comfort to unlock recipes, for example. This would encourage players to build them nice little homes and and give a rewarding feeling of progression through building.

12

27 Jan
Bradley Merged

Make the NPCs (for example blacksmith) interact with their unique buildings. Like the blacksmith could walk around the space you place him and then will sometimes have an animation that plays where he is hammering away at the forge.

To make this viable from a coding perspective, these items may have to be forced to be placed near the respective NPCs similar to Valheim's upgrade pieces.

12

27 Jan
De4dlnside Admin

"Make NPCS interact with their unique buildings" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2024-01-27), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

4

28 Jan
jeborit

i think this is a great idea, if i can hire npc to find material will be better. for example, I found some survivors（whether this conflicts with the worldview）and arrange them to do something（Kind of like pal www）

2

28 Jan
Cyris

Please play palworld and be inspired by the automation of the pals. The NPC can help with base building, gathering, wood & stone mining, farming.

4

29 Jan
Mathias Merged

Improved NPC movement and fighting so when you are standing on building where they cannot hit you they will not just stand beneath and look but either climb the stairs or pull out a pulling hook so you cant cheese the combat by just standing on building where NPCs cannot reach you

2

29 Jan
Random27 Admin

"Improved NPC movement" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2024-01-29), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.

1

29 Jan
Biff Blacksheep

Creatures, should not just stand there when you are shooting at them. When there is no Path and taking a lot of damage humanoid creatures should seek reinforcement.

1

30 Jan
Hannes

yes, and please add some archers that can defend and patrol my castle, and enemy raids to test them. Like in ConanExiles :)

1

30 Jan
dmitry

Yes, NPCs are too static, we need to make them somehow more alive, walking around the base, working at machines, eating at the table, sleeping in a bed, washing their face in the sink, sitting on a bench, etc. I like the mechanics from Medieval Dynasty. For example, we can place an NPC in a building (assign through the building list interface (buildings can be given names and a list of machines available in the building will be displayed there)), or assign an NPC a bed when you click on the bed and this NPC will live in the area next to this bed (although the first option with a list is still better). NPCs can take items from the machine and take them to the selected building (the player can call it a warehouse). NPCs can take items from the warehouse that their machines need (this is very practical and automates the base). NPCs can be sent to the well to fetch water. NPCs can plant and harvest crops. The sixth NPC is the Prospector, he can be sent to the mines for the selected ore.

30 Jan
Brokenspade

I'd like to be able to use the npcs to automate certain features.
Ie: assign a plot to the farmer and she will auto harvest and replant things inside that area.

Hunter would take from storage to craft a number of furs pelts etc based on a maintenance number players set.

Blacksmith would keep smelters running and full. Etc

Maybe since they are shops you could go out and find them apprentice flameborn to do that for you.

I play alot of archer and the twig farming gets TEDIOUS man.

2

31 Jan
Hinder863

Add NPCs in addition to the crafting NPCs that have a menu that can be programmed - this allows the adding of npcs in a "living" sort of environment without the crafting npcs needing to move around.

This would also allow players to rebuild and populate cities

31 Jan
Jabba

An easy way to go about this:
1. leave the "crafting station NPCs" as is, just add a few interactions with their close environment, so the smith roams about his forge and has some animations, but they have a set radius around where they've been summoned, so you're sure to be able to find them.
2. Like the bad guys, there must be good survivors, too. They should be able to flock to your base. With that as the plot background, you should then be able to use the summoning staff with a secondary function: Assigning roles. Like, I'd like a guard here. Or I'd like a farmer here. So you can very easily implement a "kind of" economy with NPCs. How many NPCs actually flock to your base can be limited by the size and tier of your base as well as your economy (how much food is there, how much beds are provided, how much beds are in the guards barracks).
3. Top it off with some NPC-player interactions. Some easy stuff like the guards saluting and the farmers greeting you as their "lord" or "lady"

10

31 Jan
Trojan

Have the NPCs walk around and interact with other objects in the base but move their crafting to an actual crafting table associated with them that can be placed for a stationary location so you don't have to chase a person around. A forge/anvil for the blacksmith, an alchemists table for the alchemist, etc.

1

01 Feb
Tommy

I would whole-heartedly support the option to add pets/NOCs that just roam around your base and perform different tasks to make it feel more alive.

01 Feb
Hannes

that was one of the most requested and wished for solution in CONAN EXILES as well, Jabba.
Together with Pets and interactive world, making it more interesting and interactive.

1

01 Feb
CaptainChris316

Would be great to send the NPC's out for farming. So maybe adding more NPC's for sending to farm also.

1

02 Feb
F0X

I saw this topic and remembered how when I was playing with my friends, I was trolling the farmer... why doesn’t this bastard work? Planting is a complete mess, you poke at a seedling and collect 1 at a time...
Wouldn't it be better to add the possibility of their operation as someone suggested above?
For example, a farmer will have the ability to craft a box for seedlings and a box for harvest, as well as markers, for example, a scarecrow, which already exists; all that remains is the function of choosing what to plant in a given area. And it turns out that having installed the necessary boxes next to him, he will plant where he was given (if there is soil) and collect in the same way, as long as there are seedlings or a place for the harvest in the boxes. And we ourselves will distribute what to throw into which machine.
The same can be done with other NPCs. For example, a carpenter will cut down trees (also according to a marker) and put them in his resource box.

2

02 Feb
F0X

To begin with, if they just stand and do their work, then it will be good, but if they also go to their places of work, go to bed, eat, then it will be more believable.
And at the moment, not only have I freed these loafers, but they do nothing except orders and tasks, but want to be in a shelter...

2

03 Feb
Sean

I agree with OP 80%, roaming NPCs is not fun when you NEED them for a quest or to craft something for you - so that would need to be accounted for.

04 Feb
Huggy

Make us build there work area. We click on their crafting table instead of them to get stuff done. I want the blacksmith walking around his smithy.

04 Feb
Tarbosaurus

I'd like to see improvements in these areas:

* Automation - Have NPCs contribute to gathering. For example, the hunter could be assigned to a placeable hunting camp, hunt the animals around the camp, and deposit the drops at the camp for us to collect. Or the farmer could be assigned to a farm plot and automatically plant seedlings and harvest crops.

* Combat - Let us give them equipment and take them with us as combat companions. The map doesn't seem to scale for one or multiple players and having combat companions would help solo players.

* Variety - Right now everyone gets the same 5 NPCs. I'd like to see more NPCs added and the option to pick and choose which ones appear in the base. For example, there could be multiple hunter NPCs and we could choose to use someone other than Athalan.

1

04 Feb
Wolfi

Totally true!
Especially for single players it would be great to see the NPCs moving to have a little bit of life in the base. I mean, they like it when you build them stuff but they keep standing where you put them and that's all. Let them walk to their bed, to their chair, work in their workshops etc. They could even chat with each other. (Could be funny if the huntress gets sick of the rudeness of the smith etc.)

05 Feb
Jas

The NPCs as it stands are useless. Their quests could just as easily be received from another book. They are supposed to be flameborn just like the MC, but all they do is set around. Have the farmer tend the fields, planting and harvesting as the MC directs (planting/harvesting each plant individually really sucks. At least having the Farmer tend the fields would be useful). Have the Blacksmith put that armor together. Have the Hunter hunt and forage, getting items to use in recipes. Have the alchemist brew potions, do research, etc.. Have the carpenter actually build something (may require blueprints be added to the game). Add a Miner, who goes and retrieves resources. All of them are so under used for what they are supposed to be in the story. I feel like I picked up 5 homeless people and now I have to care for them. The NPCs are an area that needs a significant amount of work.

1

06 Feb
Philip

i would love to see more npcs to put in your base in general. a tavern host you can buy premade foods from, an archeologist, a bard for playing music and so on. i feel like there is a million options and more npcs would add a lot of life to your base.

06 Feb
Ririna

i wanna see NPC Walk around my little village :D

07 Feb
D2

I'd love to see NPC'S that aren't for crafting. It would be cool if you could just populate your base with NPC's so it doesn't feel so empty. Could even have them farm/gather materials

07 Feb
Yukon Joe

Even some simple animations and/or walking around a set area (so they don’t wonder to far from where you left them due to crafting) would go a long way to making the world feel more alive.

07 Feb
Kobus

I agree with this. Just making them walk around in the base and attend to their crafting stations at first would make your place feel more alive.
Its a lovely game and I like it as it is, but seeing what NPC involvement and automation can do in other current and upcoming survival games, I think its maybe something that the devs can consider. Even if it is just a tiny bit it can increase the liveliness of once base especially playing solo.

1

07 Feb
Lee

I've thought about this, and I think a huge problem is pathfinding.

So let the player solve that problem for you.
Give us a material or invisible rug or something to put down that designates a wander area.

1

08 Feb
Yinan

As NPCs are currently basically just special crafting benches, them roaming around like they want would be a really _bad_ idea.

That being said, it would be nice if you could give them actually something to do, like tell the farmer to take care of the plants in a certain area, or designating the alchemist some chests or so and give him some recipes he can craft automatically and such.

08 Feb
Mitch

A couple of extra NPC ideas:

First of all, I want to thank everyone involved with making Enshrouded. I think the combat, exploration, and base-building mechanics are amazing and exactly what I've been waiting for in a game. I completely agree that NPCs need to feel a little more alive. Moving around, possibly interacting with each other, more animations with their stations. I don't know if there is a comment about this but I thought of a couple extra NPC ideas.

Engineer - Crossbows, bombs, traps, base defense items,
Trader/Merchant - Rotating goods. Possibly based on player lvl/areas explored.
Knight/Guard - Possible quests, combat training, a follower outside of the player's base, a helper if base raids are implemented.
Clothier - Cosmetic gear for RP
Cook - Food Recipes
Jester - Comedic value, extra quests

4

09 Feb
Mellanie_plays

i would like to see the ability to place npc's more then once at other flame alter homes. so our friends can also build their own little village and place down npc's they want. and so we can use multiple bases around the world without removing existing npc's at other places.

now if i want to build my own village on a dedicated server and place my npc's down my friend get suddely removed from their crafting menu if they were talking to the npc.

Note: yes we play it as a coop game when we adventure, but we like to have more homes then 1 at the same time!

09 Feb
Sr_Cael

Can we add a different routines on NPC life. Adapting their life as the builds grow along the time.
Not the same behaviour or routines in a small house, as the ones while living on a town o castle.

10 Feb
Tris

It would be good if the NPCs were given a little more life, given a little more movement around the base, using their tools, having a daily routine, using beds assigned to them at night...
... So that it doesn't seem so static.

But you can also awaken additional NPCs, even those without skills, simply for decoration, immersion and, if necessary, further buffs or automation (collecting branches and harvesting).
So it feels a bit strange that there are only 5, but that's exactly what you need.

1

10 Feb
Melon

i dont need the NPCs to gather resources or produce stuff necessarily, but it would be nice if they would just walk around a little and maybe interact with their respective crafting stations (just visually). also i tend to agree with them needing a bed and/or some lvl of comfort to unlock certain recipes.

10 Feb
Laerithryn

NPCs Sandboxing should be a normal thing these days. Even a game from 2011 allows its NPC's to sandbox, like using chairs sleeping in a bed and so forth.

1

10 Feb
Moreyen

I love the possibility of placing NPCs in your base. Though I'd love some people walking around and having routines, I'd guess it would be hard to do due to one's ability to place the NPC's items randomly all over your buildings.
I would love some more people to save though :)
I've seen some great ideas with more specified NPCs like, cook, gardener, tailor etc. Maybe even a specific potter for all the clay stuff and decoration items instead of having them available at the carpenter.
I would be absolutely okay with NPCs that allow for even more cute decoration stuff like plants, vases with flovers, curtains, carvings, and whatever else :P

1

11 Feb
Cassandra

Yeah, some have touched on this. You have professional crafts people, but the flame born has to go out and gather allllll resources and move items around to craft stuff? Why can't the ingenious farmer fray plant crops for you?

17 Feb
Aquilam

We need to be able to MOVE the blacksmith.

18 Feb
Toctoctoc

I'd like to see some NPCs sometimes in some house or cave, maybe with some small trading or secondary quests

Improve NPCs - Interactions, Walking About etc.

Comments: 62