# Micromanaging npc inventory

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/micromanaging-npc-inventory/15895>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [July 14, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/micromanaging-npc-inventory/15895 "2018-07-14T04:38:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/micromanaging-npc-inventory/15895/9 "2018-07-15T01:06:09Z")

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> [@Needful things part 2](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/needful-things-part-2/14885/145):
>
> Each of your scenarios should be handled by making NPCs smart enough to either voluntarily exchange the items in question because they understand they aren’t ideal, or by making the NPCs responsible enough to handle them without causing problems. Papering over this kind of thing by requiring players to micromanage NPC gear leads to the problem never being addressed.

I added the micromanage functionality because the NPCs were in a sorry state where they were dumb AND refused player’s help.  
It didn’t lead to problem not being addressed. It lead to problem being more visible because players actually bother with NPCs instead of treating them as pure obstacles and food sources.

There is some NPC item selection functionality, but it’s currently poor and gets outdated quickly. Especially armor selection, which can’t be done well - percentage coverage + part coverage mean that it’s very improbable that anyone will ever design a non-bad automatic armor selection functionality.

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