Reusing npc-player characters

[Dabblez]

To run a story based adventures in AO you will often need to create one or more characters to be used as NPCs. This is time consuming as you may need to level up this NPC character so that he can get to right location for the adventure. The trouble is , once the adventure is over, it is often impossible to reuse the same NPC for your next adventure. Players who met "Peppermint" the sassy waitress in one adventure might be understandably confused (and amused) to meet "Peppermint" the underworld boss in next.

Ideally we should be able to rename our characters, but failing that this is what I am thinking. Maybe we could establish an informal naming convention for NPCs, something neutral like "Genericman01" "Genericatrox04". That way the same "toon" can be used between adventures without the players assuming it was meant to represent the same character each time. I am also thinking if enough people are interested, maybe we could come to some sort to of arrangement whereby we create a pool of generic NPCs for each other's adventures on a "I'll run an NPC in your adventure and you run one in mine basis". Just a thought.

Regards,

Savoy
South Rubi-Ka Society
http://rubika.no-ip.org/srs/srs.htm

[PereatMundus]

Hi,
I think this is a very good Idea since although my low lvl NPC´s still are very timeconsuming to make(I could only imagine what time your´s take to build up). And just to get them high lvl enough to go outside the walls of Omni1 are a real waste of my time when I can´t use them again..
I think there should be an online registry over NPC´s maby a new part of RP-central.
http://rubikagrid.no-ip.com/rpcentral/
Where you can post your NPC´s with a short background and some info. That way the RolePlayers of Rubi-Ka can work togethere yeat another step.
About the Generic name option sure this is one option, but I like to think that people working together can do more than this, It´s a too fast a sollution for me.
In the other option the NPC character get´s another life and with RolePlayers working together in this way It just make´s this game shine more brightly.
I think you should take this into consideration sure it would requier alot of time for it to become reality but why the heck not why shouldn´t we do It one can make a differance.

Why don´t you speak of this at the net RolePlayers convention on Rubi-Ka?
And Tappert If you read this would it be possible? You have done so many things for this great game and the community It would be real low to ask you to help out with this aswell but I think this would make the RP-Central complete in some way.

"You must be the change you wish to see"

//Arion
------------
Areania - Appointed chief and General of SpecialForces O.S.I.D
Kelei - Unit member and trusted servant O.S.I.D
Omni-Tek Special Interest Department

[RandaZ]

That's a good idea Savoy. I'm tired of my level 1 NPCs running about.

As for the website idea, how about we get one of those bots instead and...

/tell rpbot whois GenericMan01
[rpbot]: whois result: GenericMan01 a.k.a John Doe [link]

clicking on the link brings up one of those knowledge reference windows.

John Doe
Born in 29445, Mr. Doe has performed in many Broadway classics such as "Leets" and "A Transport Named Behemoth". Mr. Doe later established himself on Rubi-Ka as the worlds premiere authority on "polymorph theatrics".


It'd be better than having to alt-tab out of AO and onto a website. And I can forgo the cumbersome registration thingy as GenericMan01 can update and change his info at any time in-game without my intervention. Any thoughts?


Tap

[Dabblez]

I like to think small, and if it works, build up from there.

This is how I see it. We start off creating generic toons, a set of NPCs that can be used to play any kind of role in any type of scenario. We build a guild for our generic toons. Call it something like "The Extras" or the "NPCs" or even the "Actors' Guild". By setting this up as a guild we can then use the FunCom database as the player registry with all the information regarding professions, level, character portraits available and use the /org info to store a list of contact names. And all this for no extra work. No extra work is a good thing. Never underestimate the power of no extra work.

This generic NPC service would only be available to other guild members. This means that in order to have one of our generic NPC appear in someone's adventure, that someone must provide the guild a generic NPC of his own. No free lunches.

If by some miracle this initiative proved successful then, and only then, I'd risk investing time into a few proper NPCs with individual personalities traits and backgrounds. By then, based on our experience with generic toons, we should have a pretty good idea of which sort of roles were in demand and a bit more experience organising this sort of thing.

And yes, I agree this is just the sort of thing to talk about at the next rp conference, but I think it would look better if by then something where already in place.

Regards,

Savoy
South Rubi-Ka Society
http://rubika.no-ip.org/srs/srs.htm

[________________n3ss]

I'm not sure to have understand, but if you mean create a char. to play some RP events, well.... why not using your main char ?? every role players use their main char, to serve quest of other guilds... you see ? Tell me if i'm wrong, but for me, its a better solution.... And further more, the NPC could so be very powerfull
and constitute real BOSS.... nop ?? well, i'd really like to take part in this experience, so remember me when you will create this site. I may help you to create the database as well

[Szentasha]

Okay .. here is a silly idea that is related to the NCP issue. One other feature that would make hosting roleplaying events easier would be to have a special storyteller avatar. Some sort of unobtrusive symbol, like a floating glowing ball. This would allow someone to play a storyteller and make it easier for those involved to understand her role.

For example: A storyteller may be present in a room and when someone comes close to him, could say: "You see a leather bound book on the table." Then if the players says "/me reads the book." The storyteller could say "The book tells the tale of ..."

Get the idea?

- Szentasha / Unity of the Rose.
http://www.darksphere.com/uor

[Dabblez]

N3ss - I'm not sure I know why myself, but I would not be happy to use my "main" to represent any other character than herself, it would be too confusing. If someone, for some bizarre reason, wanted to included Savoy in a scenario in a way that was consistent with her background (say in her role as Navy officer or as president of the South Rubi-Ka Society), that would be fine. Casting Savoy in a scenario as a sadistic dentist or used cars salesperson however is something I would not be comfortable doing. But maybe that 's just me. In any event thank you for your support. I'll keep you posted on any developments.

Szentasha - that is actually an important point. I've never seen any narration in player scenarios. I can see why in a medium which is so visual it might seem odd, but without narration you do miss out stuff. Often enough the "GM" is not even near the site of the events as they unfold.

But before we peg our hopes on FC making code changes for us, let's consider what tools in game could be used? Maybe narrator is just another character with a good cloaking device to give the illusion that he narrator is not really there?

Regards,

Savoy
South Rubi-Ka Society
http://rubika.no-ip.org/srs/srs.htm

[Dabblez]

Seems to me we've pretty much exhausted the discussion over player-controlled, "generic" NPCs. The time has come to either translate this idea into action put it to rest.

So if you are interested in creating a psuedo-guild exclusively dedicated to sharing player controlled NPCs as described above give Savoy a tell in game or drop me a line at gsoylent@hotmail.com over the next week.

If not, I'll just file this idea away in "Savoy's Little Book of Misconceived Ideas for AO", part one of the classic trilogy that includes "More of Savoy's AO Follies" and the epic "What Were You Thinking, Woman?").