Fun In Hope

[Darkbane]

Saw something pretty cool last night. Was in Hope to do a mission, and the various NPCs that wander about there were attacking the guards outside the prison! I exit the whumpa into the middle of a full blown firefight - it was pretty wild...

Now, I don't know what caused them to start fighting, as I'm pretty sure they are all neutral, and don't normally behave that way, but it was pretty neat.

There should be more stuff like this. Scripted events, handled by the server. For example, some new guards appear at a clan oupost, and a short while later, a squad of omni soldiers appear and launch an attack... Others could include raiders attacking traders and their guards in convoy, mutants attacking an outpost, cyborgs causing havoc...

If this was just randomised server controlled scripted event without any GM intervention needed, the planet would seem much more alive than it currently does, and by having the NPCs talk, story elements could be incorporated, clues given...

Introduce new scripted events once in a while and retire old ones to keep the world seeming more dynamic. GMs could even initiate scripted events after informing some players, and have things play out with little need to interfere.

Ah, so many what ifs and imagines...

[________________Schu]

Players start it all the time. One attacks an NPC, causing them all to attack back, the guards jump on the NPCs, some of which in turn aggro the guards back, the player zones into the shop and you have full scale war on your hands.

[______________Orchid]

That was manipulation by a player not an actual event

[Darkbane]

I never said it was an event, and did rather suspect a player had caused it, but it was rather fun, and got me thinking about scripted (or semi-scripted anyway) events... hence the rest of the post...

[cold]

Neutral players can do this. Attack 1 NPC, all other NPCs will assist the first, while the guards will help the player. Mass firefight

[______________Foster]

Im pretty sure what he means is, maybe there could be events or battles going on WITHOUT player intervention. Where the battle is on already. That a player(s) could maybe join. Assist in the confrontation for some story-line end result like retrieving military documents, or food shipment, etc..

I think it would be pretty cool. All battles so far between OmniTek-Clan-Neut-DustBrigade have been player vs. player or player vs. NPC(breifly). A good battle between NPC's that players can join in would be awesome.

[Darkbane]

Ah-ha! Someone else gets it

Indeed, there could be small skirmishes happening all the time. sometimes no-one will be around to see the results, other times players will be nearby and can decide whether to help one side or the other, or call in reinforcements, or just ignore it.

Things that can happen at random, in random places without human involvement will make Rubi-Ka seem more alive and vibrant.

[________________Schu]

Apologies. I was replying to this part of your post:

Now, I don't know what caused them to start fighting, as I'm pretty sure they are all neutral, and don't normally behave that way, but it was pretty neat.

[______________Orchid]

Originally posted by Schu
Apologies. I was replying to this part of your post:

exactly why i posted.

you got defensive for people responding to your confessed ignorance.

[Kuro]

Originally posted by Darkbane
Ah-ha! Someone else gets it

Indeed, there could be small skirmishes happening all the time. sometimes no-one will be around to see the results, other times players will be nearby and can decide whether to help one side or the other, or call in reinforcements, or just ignore it.

Things that can happen at random, in random places without human involvement will make Rubi-Ka seem more alive and vibrant.

Used to happen in 4 Holes fairly often but I haven't swung by there lately so I don't know if it still does. Clan NPCs wander too close to the Omni outposts and the guards jump them.

[Monrakashi]

That's brilliant !

I've seen and started a few things like this. The best I've seen is out in the Rhino Cockpit (I'm clan), you can pull the OT soldiers that hang out by the hills over to the clan guards over at the OP. It's like a 5 on 5 skirmish; even cooler is joining in for the 'ol rebels. Scenes like this always seem to attract the attention of whoever is travelling by and I agree 100% with Darkbane.

Not being a programmer type, I don't know how difficult it would be to script in random encounters like this into the game engine. If you think about it, due to the fact that these mobs will automatically aggro each other, all that would be needed would be random, one-time only (not a respawning mob), group of guards spawn near an enemies OP/city.

Now you get a more immersive tone to the world. How often do you hear "Where is this war?", well at least this could serve to heighten the profile of this war. Not to mention the fact that 75% allows for the assisting of your side, without the PvP aspect. AND not to mention the 25% faction battles that would be sparked from something like this.

[Guild Chat]:

-A- : Head's up ! A bunch of clan/omni guards are assaulting the OP at 2h0/Mort. Request backup !

That spreads, through the leader channels, OOC channels, vicinity, whatever - both sides would gather up and... BLAMM it's a showdown. Imagine if OP/City conversion was in play

Anyhow, you got me dreamin' too I guess.

[Darkbane]

Originally posted by Emiko


exactly why i posted.

you got defensive for people responding to your confessed ignorance.

Appologies for that then

[Destractor]

It would be cool to have groups of clans / omni wondering about, so that little battles formed when they get near the other sides outposts.

I would also like to see the wildlife doing things, rather than wandering about. (Packs of mechdogs attacking brontos etc)
Don't the mutants eat each other? And way do rollerats attack people wandering past, but not the assasins and other human mobs?

[Praecautus]

I remember way back last year when I would roll a mission. Now being neut the mission would be populated with a mix of clan, neutral and OT mobs that would get into a nice firefight in the main room if you pulled them in. Used to be good fun and quite atmospheric to be sneaking through a mission to hear a firefight start up. I think funcom patched so this couldnt happen anymore around november last year heh one neutral 'advantage' of a mission clearing itself, gone.

[Bionitrous]

Star Wars: Galaxies has this in it's design document. I thought that was what AO was going to do with DynaCamps. The server determines what level of players are in proximity and decides to spawn a scenario. It could be, for example, miners being harrassed by local fauna or a group of rebels in a broken down transport being sieged by Imperials. As you get closer, the vignette is spawned and you decide your course of action. Help either side if you are factioned or simply stir some more ruckus by helping the bad guys and looting the poor victims. Perhaps you could even repair the broken transport while fending off the attackers for an even more realistic and fun ending to the scenario.

DynaSpawns were a semi-good idea gone implemented in a typically mediocre fashion. They still have some potential if they could ever learn the nuances of randomness and spawn them in locations where they can't be mapped out and timed. Add in a little ****e by providing some conflict and an objective and maybe people would care about killing the giant spider for more purpose than kill->loot.