# Will NPCs Eventually Be Able To Do Cars

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [September 8, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492 "2015-09-08T02:41:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AllAnimeWatchersRWea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllAnimeWatchersRWea](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AllAnimeWatchersRWea)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/1 "2015-09-08T02:41:37Z")

</div>

At some point in the far/near/whatever future, do you guys think NPCS will be able to

1: Get cars working (Go looking for parts and getting their own cars on the road)

2: Ride cars. With their fellow group members too.

3: Upgrade their cars with death machine stuff

4: Attack you… Using cars.

I mean, NPCs are having trouble even doing ANYTHING right now, I don’t expect them to be riding around in convoys any time soon, but can’t we look towards the future? Mad Max whoo.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vipches](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/vipches/32/1856_2.png) [@vipches](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vipches)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/2 "2015-09-08T06:07:07Z")

</div>

> [@AllAnimeWatchersRWeaboos](#):
>
> 4: Attack you… Using cars.

Put that Peice S\*\*\* woodstick on the ground!!!

Someone turned hostility

Someone’s car has run you over.

you died!!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:24am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/3 "2015-09-08T06:24:53Z")

</div>

Maybe  
Also, you might want to reconsider your handle, I watch a lot of anime, do you really want to pick a fight?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [September 8, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/4 "2015-09-08T11:52:21Z")

</div>

If someone manages to write a pathfinding algorithm that works for cars.  
This is not exactly an exotic problem, but neither it is the easiest thing to write.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Onisuzume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Onisuzume](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Onisuzume)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/5 "2015-09-08T13:54:00Z")

</div>

Shouldn’t this be in the bad suggestions thread?  
I mean, even if NPC don’t intentionally drive you over, I’ll see them crashing into stuff by accident, stuff includes you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nighthawk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/nighthawk/32/896_2.png) [@Nighthawk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nighthawk)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/6 "2015-09-08T14:04:21Z")

</div>

We definitely need dive-rolls to throw ourselves out of the way of oncoming DEATH before NPCs are handed the keys (literally) to the most powerful weapon known to post-cataclysm man.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Logrin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/logrin/32/209_2.png) [@Logrin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Logrin)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/7 "2015-09-09T09:38:32Z")

</div>

The first one that does machines should be called Donatello.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/8 "2015-09-09T16:30:36Z")

</div>

Yeah, I doubt we’ll be seeing NPCs capable of driving anytime soon. Or at least without it becoming Cataclysm: Bumper Car Days Ahead.

Imagine the driver AI for the Halo games when they added the ability to let NPCs drive. Now multiply THAT by whatever you’d get from quantifying the value of NPCs in Cataclysm being psychotic packrat/lemming hybrids.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Belteshazzar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Belteshazzar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Belteshazzar)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/9 "2015-09-09T16:59:45Z")

</div>

Unless they spawn in cars I doubt it would be so dangerous as the rest of the thread seems to expect… 90+ % of vehicles are undrivable for one reason or another, and it’s fairly probably that even a decent driver AI would have trouble keeping their ride functional for more than a couple of minutes.

Oh sure you’ll occasionally have a character or two unfairly insta-gibbed when they step around a corner at some point or someone Cool-aid’s through your bedroom, but that sort of RNG death is a staple of the roguelike at this point.

> [@Nighthawk](#):
>
> We definitely need dive-rolls to throw ourselves out of the way of oncoming DEATH before NPCs are handed the keys (literally) to the most powerful weapon known to post-cataclysm man.

Dive rolls, jumping, other extra movement capability isn’t the worst idea though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/10 "2015-09-09T17:10:37Z")

</div>

Or 90% of NPCs will end their grand adventure before it even begins by putting it in reverse by mistake.

Also, plus one to the “making fun of OP’s username” crowd. Really more of a manga reader, admittedly. o3o

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quintex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Quintex](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Quintex)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/11 "2015-09-09T23:41:12Z")

</div>

I guess it could be fun. Only if you’re not on the driving path of a mad npc.

- A random NPC appear \*

“YEEAAAHHhhhhh[tt]hhhhhhh[/tt]”

- You hear an explosion come from the nearby forest \*

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Logrin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/logrin/32/209_2.png) [@Logrin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Logrin)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/12 "2015-09-10T00:24:32Z")

</div>

Best use would probably be them stealing your car.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Belteshazzar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Belteshazzar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Belteshazzar)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/13 "2015-09-11T17:02:59Z")

</div>

The greatest use of driving NPCs probably wouldn’t even be as a NPCs going fast with cars… but as rather slower multi-tile enemies like tankbots or various ‘The Mist’ inspired Nether creatures/dinosaurs.

Still, teaching them pathfinding is a bitch and a half, might want to wait till Z-levels exist (however that development is going?)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kryxx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kryxx/32/438_2.png) [@Kryxx](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Kryxx)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/14 "2015-09-15T05:57:55Z")

</div>

You can’t even give them a simple flamethrower, and you want to give them a multi-ton vehicle that will explode if you hit a wall?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/15 "2015-09-15T15:02:14Z")

</div>

> [@Kryxx](#):
>
> You can’t even give them a simple flamethrower, and you want to give them a multi-ton vehicle that will explode if you hit a wall?

This. Just…this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/16 "2015-09-15T18:12:18Z")

</div>

> [@Random\_dragon](#):
>
> [quote=“Kryxx, post:14, topic:10492”]You can’t even give them a simple flamethrower, and you want to give them a multi-ton vehicle that will explode if you hit a wall?

This. Just…this.[/quote]  
I agree, it’s an excellent argument for giving them driving ability.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/17 "2015-09-15T19:01:45Z")

</div>

> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> I agree, it’s an excellent argument for giving them driving ability.

For giving them driving ability.

For.

Yep, we’re doomed. o3o

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arek\_PL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arek\_PL](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Arek_PL)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/will-npcs-eventually-be-able-to-do-cars/10492/18 "2015-09-16T14:46:58Z")

</div>

time to make improvised tanktraps before they learn to drive!