Adding more static NPCs (houses, cabins, and elsewhere)

[Random_dragon]

True. Though…hmm? An error? There should be a specific topic you want them to start on. I recall re-using for my bandit mod that made bandits friendly…

    "class" : 0,
    "chat" : "TALK_SHELTER",

That should result in the generic, unpredictable NPC skill/item loadout, and the generic talk topic that starter NPCs use.

What might be better, in my opinion? NPC groups that can be referenced when spawning in a mapgen file. This would be the easiest source-code workaround to randomizing starting talk topic, class, and quest.

[Malkeus]

I’ve had no luck figuring out how to trigger a script on generation of a building. It would help if I could figure out how on_day_passed worked (this is the call made by statsthruskills mod to recalculate stats at midnight). It works for the mod, but I don’t understand how lua knows a day has passed to trigger the script.

I would like something like this to occur:
On world creation as the map is generated, I’d like some kind of hook into mapgen that would be called each time an overmap tile was generated (either from a json list or possibly a tag). Exactly like the on_day_passed function, except triggered at by a different part of the flow.
When it’s called, a diceroll could be made (defined in settings preferably, to give the player control over how many npcs they will see)
If successful, a random npc could be placed, using the method random_dragon stated above at first, but open to customization at a later date.

I could see the generation getting out of hand if the percentage was too high, or the list of tagged tiles was to broad, but thats a balancing issue and could be adjusted if we got it working. Does anyone know enough about how on_day_passed functions to nudge me in the right direction?

[Random_dragon]

Hmm. I can see that being interesting, the only problem is I’m unsure how well it might work. Also whether it can be easily restricted to being called immediately, rather than over time like in Stats Through Skills (and the example elf mod).

I’m bad enough with LUA tweaks in GMod, let alone Cataclysm. ;w;

[Malkeus]

[quote=“Random_dragon, post:9, topic:11178”]Hmm. I can see that being interesting, the only problem is I’m unsure how well it might work. Also whether it can be easily restricted to being called immediately, rather than over time like in Stats Through Skills (and the example elf mod).

I’m bad enough with LUA tweaks in GMod, let alone Cataclysm. ;w;[/quote]
I’m envisioning it being similar to how monsters are generated with the terrain in static mode, but I can’t figure out how/where to tap into that. Missions are capable of spawning an npc in a random house, but again, haven’t worked out if thats possible to hijack with lua. I’m headed out now, I’m going to bang my head on this brick wall some more later.

[Random_dragon]

Ah, have fun then. XP

And yeah, I’m still pondering other possible methods, like a JSON solution instead, but a LUA solution would be more useful if we implemented this as a mod.

[Malkeus]

Ok, so I’ve figured out how to add a hook for lua. Coolthulu pointed it out to me, it’s ridiculously easy and the only reason I couldn’t find it was githubs stupid search engine. lua_callback(“on_building_gen”); is what I plan to use. I’d like to insert a switch which will only fire the callback after certain buildings are created, but mapgen is a clusterfuck of insanity and I can’t figure out where exactly would be the proper place to catch them, especially buildings from json. A flag might be the way to go, but I’ll have to learn how to do that first and I’m still not sure where I’d want to check for the presence of the flag.

I’m going to work on the lua side of things for now.

[pisskop]

i dont mind the idea of more static npcs. but arent they just guarentted friendly fillers?

I suppose that the ‘bandits’ in the game count as static, right? they sit inside a heavily fortified cabin by a road and wait for you to torch them to death?

I suppose more fortified structures would be nice, and the (sparse) people in it would be reliably safe quest givers. But then the pc will drag monsters to it.

I guess you could also give npcs a home to spawn from, and make barebones factions while tweaking this. The npcs will mostly spawn from established fortresses and coupled with the fortress guard defend the place.

Give npcs vehicle mounted solar guns for now, make it a ‘crime’ to steal or dismantle the guns, and viola.

omg, how cool would it be for npcs to loot the surrunding area and return all their loot to a pile in said fortress!

Your stuff gets looted and you have your chance to catch it again! buy it back or murderize the annoying but more realistic forty bits.

[Malkeus]

They don’t have to be friendly. Like you said, bandits can be placed as well. It would making looting houses a bit more exciting if you had a chance to encounter a hostile npc. Npc’s being as dumb as they are, would have no qualms about firing a gun whilst a giant horde wandered past outside. I’m sure that some of them would spawn in view of the street, so they would attract zombies to break into the house. It would be chaos, with random fires from flamethrower wielding nutjobs, to poor bastards who attracted a hulk and got their house knocked down. I’m not planning to touch npc AI, but altering and adding factions is something I’d like to do. I’d like to see 3 or 4 way battles, with some people being friendly to the player, others hostile or indifferent and interactions among npcs as well.

For right now though, I’ll settle for making an NPC spawn where I want him to.

[pisskop]

Problem is all npcs are currently marked on your map as soon as they gen, and they wouldnt just be ‘hanging out’ in a simple house, would they?

So maybe survivor housed, boarded up and otherwise fortified? Still too easy to identify and torch.

[Malkeus]

I don’t understand your obsession with setting your fellow survivors on fire…Anyway, I don’t know how hard it would be to change it so they don’t show up on the map if they are hostile to you…but I’ll keep that in mind. Seems as though it wouldn’t be a difficult thing to check for, the hard part will be locating the relevant part of the code. Though that’s been much easier since I learned you can’t trust github’s search engine.

[Random_dragon]

i dont mind the idea of more static npcs. but arent they just guarentted friendly fillers?

This is another reason that NPC spawn groups could be useful. That house might gen a random survivor, a doctor, a bandit, etc.

Also, regarding visibility. It seems like static NPCs aren’t marked on the map until spotted, last I checked. Either that, or until you’re close enough to the area, dunno. >.>

[Malkeus]

I think it’s a proximity thing. I was assaulting one of Noctifer’s incredibly loot bloated Survivor Emcampments™ last night and it appeared empty until I got close. I got jumped by a couple guys on the side of the base and happened to check my map for horde icons. It listed about 6 npcs all of the sudden, none of which I’d seen or had seen me, as they were still in their individual rooms.

[Random_dragon]

That would explain it, yeah. o3o

[Miloch]

How about a somwhat randomly spawned merchant that talks to you through a grilled window?

[Random_dragon]

How about a somwhat randomly spawned merchant that talks to you through a grilled window?

Amusing, maybe. Might need to be the subject of its own mapgen addition. o3o

[Miloch]

Could add more production based NPCs too. A farm that has a farmer on it. Dunno how hard it be but would require some coding would be to say NPCs based on who they are will value what they need more.
Farmer would highly value new types of seeds, but have almost no value for crops and seeds he produces.
But he would absolutely love a bag of commercial fertilizer.

[Random_dragon]

Hmm, not sure, that might entail a lot more scripting. XP

[Miloch]

Yeah, I kinda figured. I just make suggestions and then let the developers/modders decide if they are worth adding.

[pisskop]

A farmer 5 days after Zday would likely have a gun or 6.

Im trying to imagine the kind of person who would reasonably try to wait it out at a farm and farm up. And how they would react to new people, groups, and attmepts to trade, sneak around, or loot him.

What skills does he have? Would he accept an offer at farmhanding? would he train you? would he feed you? would he let you stay a night?

How would he defend himself? Would he be ther because he likes to farm, wants to stay at his/this home, or is pretecting something, like his fams?

[Random_dragon]

Yeah, I kinda figured. I just make suggestions and then let the developers/modders decide if they are worth adding.

I do like the idea of expanding with more hints of post-apoc society, yeah.

Still, I’m trying to think of the best first steps towards adding more basic NPCs in static mode. Hmm. Easiest would be things where you don’t NEED NPC groups. Like a hunter, possibly with a fixed quest (jabberwock maybe) in cabins, or police NPCs in police stations (or maybe even jails), etc. Stuff that can be easily added in with the least source tweaking, as a start. o3o