NPC behavior changes

[ecchi_squid]

I’m sure many of these have been implemented or are being worked on already, but I’m going to go ahead and brainstorm possible changes, practicality, etc.

1. Recognizing player property: this is a difficult one. One might suggest anything you’ve constructed or built is yours. But, like myself, I’m sure there are plenty of people that run around repairing vehicles to level mechanics, or leave a trail of old vehicles they used to use, or old bases. Now, there are a few things that go into this, such as homes, vehicles and property. Then we have to decide on whether those things are unwanted or wanted by the player based on such things as frequency of use, whether the items are in a base or player owned vehicle.
2. Why don’t you get a job?: Nobody wants a layabout NPC. Food is a fairly easy thing to have NPCs gather. Having them scavenge the forest for edibles is a great way to increase their usefulness. Possibly creating a designated drop off item would help with this. Also teaching NPCs to place same items in the same location. Such as putting a strawberry in the fridge with the other strawberries. Or allowing them to mend clothing in their down time, and Disassemble those rags I’ve been hoarding for thread.
3. MEDIC!: Recently I found NPCs don’t Cauterize their own wounds. Asking the player if he can help and receive a NO should cause the NPC to check if pain>=50, if not, he can Cauterize the wound. To make it safe in combat situations and prevent him from being out of the battle. Also, if the NPC has only 1 bar of health in a body part, a notification would be great.
4. Equipment damage: An alert should be given if the NPCs equipment is getting dangerously low, such as “my gear needs mending”.
5. Solo Looting: now, I’m not sure if this is possible, especially seeing as time practically stops a couple tiles away. But it would be cool to give an NPC a basic command such as go look for Guns and Ammo and have them run off into the sunset. A person can dream, though.

Anyways, that’s all I have for now. Let me know if any of this helped or not. Thanks for reading.

[mlangsdorf]

I have plans to add a PLAYER_OWNED tag to vehicles (and possibly furniture if I can do that). Non-hostile NPCs would avoid taking stuff from PLAYER_OWNED places as long as the PC or his allies are in the NPC’s line of sight.

Basically, there’s no logical way to prevent NPCs from stealing your stuff when you’re not around, but it should be possible to warn them off. See https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/19439 for the discussion.

NPCs already warn you when they’re hurt. and I have code in the queue to let them install CBMs on you if they’re more skilled that you are.

[ecchi_squid]

Nice, I appreciate the work you’re putting into it. How would the player tags work? Would it be possible for a player to just run up to every vehicle and just spam Mine Mine Mine?

[mlangsdorf]

Since my proposal would require you either spend 30 minutes with a spraycan or magic marker tagging the vehicle, or install a security system, then no, you couldn’t just spam Mine Mine Mine. And NPCs are under no obligation to respect your claim of Mine Mine Mine unless you or an ally can see them. You can tag a vehicle, walk around the corner, and the NPC can still break your window and steal all your stuff, just like the NPC could for any other abandoned vehicle.

[ecchi_squid]

Yeah, I was kinda thinking that some kind of limited item would be best for limiting ownership of properties. A spray can spawns fairly infrequently, but the charges allow for a good amount of use. Maybe the number of markings could create an ownership rating. With maybe 10 markings needed on a home and 5 on a vehicle for 100% ownership. Just a thought.

[mlangsdorf]

That really seems complicated for little benefit. The tag doesn’t do anything unless you’re around to enforce it, so its inherently limited.

[ecchi_squid]

Makes sense. I suppose I was thinking about how much I enjoy having multiple forward operating bases. By the way, they need to fix the alerts on the phone. I got alerted about the 20 word limit, and it kept getting in the way when I was trying to edit it. -_-

[TheZoneWizard]

So spray painting a vehicle won’t be sufficient enough of a warning for game purposes? If I seen some dude with a rifle roll up in a death mobile that says “touch it and die!”. I’m pretty certain I’d not mess with his ride unless I could safely snipe him…assuming I wanted too.

I probably would leavem alone either way. In case he has friends.

edit:

Ya know…we could just add door locks lol
Then if they try the door and cannot enter. Instead of breaking inside, they have the option of moving along or breaking in. Then if they try to break in, the background tag is triggered and sets the NPC as an enemy of the player so we don’t take a morale loss.

Car gets spray painted = back ground tag stating player owned–> NPC tries doors and cannot get in–>Moves along as neutral or attacks door to get in and triggers the flag of NPC = enemy

[mlangsdorf]

Did you read the issue where all those ideas were already hashed out?

Door locks and vehicle tags are the plan.

[TheZoneWizard]

No and YAY! xD

Sorry, am doing 4 things at once.

[redxlaser15]

Wait, are you saying you can play CDDA on the phone? How would that be realistically possible?

[ecchi_squid]

No, lol. I use my phone because I don’t have internet on my PC. I also only have a phone plan that gives me like 3mb every ten minutes. But I was able to download cataclysm and transfer it over to my PC lol

[TheZoneWizard]

7 inch android phone can play it just fine without tiles. Assuming you have a keyboard attach.