NPCs, what can they do?

[nameless_survivor]

I was thinking of building stationary defense turret “vehicles” around my base as well, rather than using the turrets from the Salvaged Robots mod. Was thinking 3x4, with twin lascannon or turbolaser mounted on it at the center, powered by a minireactor and a storage batteries, surrounded by heavy duty quarterpanels, all parts with composite armor.

Also hordes make forestry impossible as chopping a tree makes so much noise that you can hear it from halfway around the map apparently

Well, I don’t ever chop trees down, I burn them down, or shoot them with lascannons. I have no need for wood really. That any quieter?

[Eastwardrope91]

Immeasurably so. chopping trees makes at least four separate sounds worst it makes sound that goes deep underground so all those horrors can come to you via the horde system. Also you have to chop trees twice to get logs and that makes more noise.

[nameless_survivor]

worst it makes sound that goes deep underground so all those horrors can come to you via the horde system.

Oh fuck. You mean the giant worms and those things from Tremors can show up? What else causes seismic disturbances that can attract them? I presume explosions for one?

[Junknown]

1.) Can I lock NPC’s in a perimeter around the building with a pulley door, and build a sandbag wall to let them shoot out, while prevent them from charging after enemies? Or will they try to path to the nearest area or doorway and act retarded?

If you give them firearms they will shoot at any enemies in their range until they run out of ammo. After which they will resort to clubbing the enemies with whatever they have at hand. I think you could achieve what you want by surrounding a group of NPCs with say, Nailboard traps, since they refuse to step on traps they can see they will hopefully stay behind the Nailboard traps and shoot any approaching monster on sight.

2.) Do you know if you can build and fill a moat? Like with concentrated acid or something? Will NPC’s try to avoid it?

Nope, that’s not a feature yet. The closest you can get to that is digging lots of deep pits around the perimeter of your base and filling them with spikes. If you do make something like this NPC’s will avoid falling stepping in it.

3.)Will allied NPCs avoid landmines I’ve planted? Will landmines set off other landmines? I have a couple hundred of the things that I could plant around the perimeter after I burn down the surrounding foliage to allow for clear lines of sight.

I honestly don’t know. Never messed with landmines much in the past (aside from using them to lure Zombies to their death) and after they got buffed they became so destructive that I try to stay as far away from them as I can.

[Eastwardrope91]

Mini nukes, explosions, building collapses, any loud enough noise, cars dragging fire arms to a limited degree(maybe two levels. But trees when you chop them down actually thump deep into the ground. “From the northwest you here a huge crash
From the northwest and below you here a thump”
Trees are just terrible they are a death trap if near your base. So kids if you ever need to chop a tree do it as far from here as possible .

[nameless_survivor]

Is there any good way to kill subterranean creatures while they are burrowed? I have the Sonar CBM so spotting them and targeting is not an issue, but I haven’t found anything that will hurt them while they are digging towards me. Tried pipe bombs, and I think incendiaries too.

[Eastwardrope91]

Fire does hurt them but only a little. Easiest way is to force them above ground I’d suggest a man hack or a drone of some kind in a pinch NPCs will work. Guns can but they have a malice to accuracy and I believe damage. But nukes ALWAYS work so just mini nuke it.

[Mantar]

You mean a penalty. Malice is evil intent, and malus is a fake latin back-construction.

[Eastwardrope91]

Fair enough I’m used to calling ita malice from the people I talk with.

[TheZoneWizard]

Manhacks? Man hacks suck. Every time I turn one on the little bastards chase ME around hacking ME to pieces. I hate them!

As for mines and NPCs. I have been recently chased by groups of raiders and bandits. They tend to rather adeptly avoid mines like a ninja. I have no idea why this is so. But perhaps their perception tunes them in to the location of them?

But one would assume not all NPC have mine detection in their eyeballs and should still miss a few for KABOOM fun! >_<

[nameless_survivor]

I’d really like to be able to deploy them from the sides of my vehicle while driving. Just driving through a city and pushing a button every few feet to drop an active man-hack out of a panel as I go. Let a hundred manhacks secure a city for me.

[darktoes]

For the record, when you deploy a robot/turret there’s a chance of it turning hostile. It’s based on your computers skill, electronics skill, and intelligence stat, and the test is harder for more advanced robots/turrets.

If you’re having a hard time with manhacks, try to get your computers skill up a bit.

[TheMurderUnicorn]

I didn’t know there was a chance of them turning hostile. That’s neat.

I’d really like to be able to deploy them from the sides of my vehicle while driving.

That evokes a neat mental image.

[nameless_survivor]

I didn’t know there was a chance of them turning hostile. That’s neat.

Thats one of the reasons I’m planning to build my own, out of “vehicles”. No wheels, no engine, just a minireactor, storage battery, a couple lascannons, controls, and a shell of heavy duty quarterpanels around it. For base defense.

That evokes a neat mental image.

Yeah, like a bunch of drones embedded in the panels popping out, or deployed by grenade launcher like tanks have for deploying smoke screens.

[TheZoneWizard]

THIS!

This explains a LOT about those little b@stards! GAH! >_<

Thanks mate, that now means I can use them when I turn my toon into a computer guru

[nameless_survivor]

Are NPC’s unable to reload? I just had several bandits shoot at me a few times, then attempt to close to melee range. After their horrible death by Barrett .50 cal rounds to the face, I found that their guns were empty, but they had PLENTY of ammo, though not loaded into spare magazines.

I’m about to outfit the first ten members of my glorious legion, so if they can’t reload, I need to give them either melee weapons, or belt/drum fed weapons.

Further more, if they can reload, are they smart enough to switch to a melee weapon only when they completely run out of magazines? Or will they ignore using spare mags in favor of a mace they have sitting in their inventory?

[Eastwardrope91]

NPCs can reload they often don’t however as they believe it might take more time than its worth. Also I found a way to drive SOME digging monster out in the open furniture and other things that block them from the ground(this includes nondirt tiles like roads) however not all will fall for this. Best bet with them is good dodge/armour and a big badass fast swinging weapon faster the better even better if you can stun with it tazers work in a pinch though as do gas weapons.

[nameless_survivor]

NPCs can reload they often don’t however as they believe it might take more time than its worth.

Gotcha. Drum mags and belt fed or UPS weapons for them. I’ve got a whole bunch of .50 BMG and .308 belts lying around so that should not be an issue.

Will they reload on their own after combat is over? If so, will they wait until they have used the very last round, or swap to the most loaded mag/belt the moment they are not in combat?

[Eastwardrope91]

They do but I believe they need a empty magazine however! Your NPCs SHOULD reload on their own unless the enemy is within a certain distance(IE near you they also if I recall rightly have a IFF sort of firing system so they won’t shoot over you like turrets).

[Theundyingcode]

My most recently met NPC fed me for an entire week before I accidently got killed.