NPC Reputation idea

Marscelllo

I would like to see a system where NPC's have a personality of sorts. Things where you have to do things for them and build a reputation with them, so that being kind to a blacksmith gets you a 5% discount or a hint to where a resource node is. For a higher tier NPC (king, queen, high priest, general, etc) have special quests that they will only give to you if you have X reputation with the "node" or area. This could be area reputation or NPCspecific reputation. It would be interesting to have hidden NPCs that are "beggars" of the area that just fell on hard times and if you do a favor for them they will give you a crafting design or a hint to a legendary item. I wouldn't want the system to give clues after just one or two favors, but something that takes weeks/months/years and may not be noticeable, so hidden mechanics. Using a Weak potion on a sick npc that will raise their health bar by a little, and after a while the weak potion won't work and you'll have to use a higher potion, so on and so on till they're fully healed where they give you a clue that only THAT person can access.

Something that encourages people to really explore the environment and treat NPC's like other players instead of just NPC's. On that note, i would like to see the opposite too, if you're rude to an NPC (if a NPC sees you kill a player in their vicinity, or if you fail a timed quest and have to redo it have your area reputation for all NPCs lowered) the NPC favor/reputation will fall and they may raise prices on you instead of lowering them. This would help limit attacking players in NPC populated areas, you could also have "dark" NPCs where, killing players actually raises the favor with those NPCs encouraging a wide variety of different play styles.

GoaB

I like the idea. Could certainly be polished, but I like it.

Baku

I know that system from another game I played and I really loved and made use of it and so did the community of of that game.

There also could be a chance that "triggered" NPCs come to you randomly, where ever you are right in the moment (but with a very low chance) and ask you for help, providing a super rare/nice/helpful reward when you complete the task.

It is just a way more realistic feeling when NPCs are not only dead puppets.
I really would like to see this in Ashes too.

Dawnshot

Sounds cool to me too!

Could also be interesting if the changes were global for a more important character (leader, general, etc) and everyone contributed.

Jyunkix

love the idea, would like to speak with a NPC with a bit of personality over a soulless body that repeats the same dialogue all the time, maybe just changing the dialogue of an NPC the more he likes you could be cool too.

Marscelllo

@Baku Yes so much, that would be amazing to have. That's what i'm hoping for, i don't want these dead npcs anymore. I think it's realistic to have hidden npcs and quests that are unique to you. I don't want fully unique because it doesn't let others enjoy it, but to have a reward that you can only get once a week or something like that would be amazing.

@Dawnshot Yes! that would be more difficult to do since they generally have world changing decisions, but to have a quest (for simplicity legendary level type) that if you complete it, has a world changing thing take place.

@Jyunkix so much, to actually start feeling connections with npcs instead of just soulless/useless quest beings, but other "humans" that we have to treat with kindness, npcs that can almost read what you're typing to other player and treat you in a similar sense. So if they see keywords like thank you or simple things like that they give you a 5% discount on their wares and actually smile while in that "npc screen", or a frown if you just talked badly. so many possibilities with npcs that could by itself turn the mmo world upside down.

Jamation

I absolutely adore this idea. Even in games where reputation with an NPC really doesn't do a whole lot I still like maxing it out with my favorite NPCs. I think it would also help players grow attached(or hate) to certain NPCs and make them more willing to defend an area/attack it too.

Fathym

This is a great idea but this would an absolutely massive addition to an already almost impossibly ambitious game. If they can just deliver what they have already promised and have it polished I will be supremely happy with that This would be a great, post launch, goal to ask about though.

Marscelllo

Absolutely, and it would let people find out about new systems as they update them and fine tune them. This is a huge task to undertake, to give npcs "life" is difficult and would not be something expected at launch, but to watch npcs that you got quests from evolve into these intelligent beings through the years would be so enticing and would be a whole new world for mmo's.

@Jamation I know right, just to see your beloved npcs taking care of you after you take care of them would be insanely good feeling.

Kneczhevo

I would really like to see factioned NPC's ( in EQ I had an Iksar adored by Freeport and Quenos, tho the paladin's hated me.. That's a lot of faction grinding). Nothing made me prouder.
Unfortunately, I don't see this happening. There aren't any factions, so to speak. But, there are social guilds; like religion, class guilds, etc.
So, hopefully these social guilds will fill the void.
Gawd I miss the faction system in EQ.