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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Different Dialogue from Vendors/NPCs for Citizens vs Visitors
Vospha
Member, Alpha Two
Hello,
I wanted to express an idea which would assist with immersion and in my opinion make the NPC's you speak to in a node feel more real, when watching the latest livestream I heard Steven say "I need to have a discussion about how these vendors speak to the citizens".
Now I don't know if this is already going to be a thing but I wanted to throw it out there if not that I believe Vendors and NPC's should have similiar dialogues (so our responses can stay the same and save development time) but have them say the same thing differently depending on if you are a registered citizen of the node, mayor of the node or just passing through the node.
For Example:
Passing Through
"Welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism
"I've not got the time to teach every dilettant what wanders in from the portal about how to make a living off the land. Since we're short-handed though, I'll give you a few pointers"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"We'll see. First problem is that I've got no tools assebled for you. Take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and put them together. If you can manage that, I'll let you know where to start swinging it."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Citizen of the Node
"Welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply Citizen, how can assist you today?"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism?
"I've not got the much time on my hands at the minute to teach people my craft but since we're short-handed though, I'll give you a few pointers"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"Glad to hear it! I have the parts but I am afraid you will need to put them together. Take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and you can make your tools. Once you finish with that, I'll let you know where to start swinging it. If you need more help with building the tool I can explain it again for you."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Mayor of the Node
"Mayor [character name], welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply! How can I be of service?"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism?
"I've not got the much time on my hands but I could never say no to the Mayor of my home, so I will teach you my craft. I'll give you a few pointers for now though"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"Terribly sorry Mayor [character name]! I have the parts but I am afraid you will need to put them together. Please, take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and you can make your tools. When your tools are made, I'll let you know where to start swinging it. If you need more help with building the tool I can explain it again for you."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Conclusion
As you can see above these are only minor changes in dialogue, I personally feel like it gives the NPC a bit more life to them rather than just the same back and forth in every interaction.
Let me know what you all think about this. If you think its a lot of effort for nothing, if you too feel like its more immersive to the world etc.
I wanted to express an idea which would assist with immersion and in my opinion make the NPC's you speak to in a node feel more real, when watching the latest livestream I heard Steven say "I need to have a discussion about how these vendors speak to the citizens".
Now I don't know if this is already going to be a thing but I wanted to throw it out there if not that I believe Vendors and NPC's should have similiar dialogues (so our responses can stay the same and save development time) but have them say the same thing differently depending on if you are a registered citizen of the node, mayor of the node or just passing through the node.
For Example:
Passing Through
"Welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism
"I've not got the time to teach every dilettant what wanders in from the portal about how to make a living off the land. Since we're short-handed though, I'll give you a few pointers"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"We'll see. First problem is that I've got no tools assebled for you. Take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and put them together. If you can manage that, I'll let you know where to start swinging it."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Citizen of the Node
"Welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply Citizen, how can assist you today?"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism?
"I've not got the much time on my hands at the minute to teach people my craft but since we're short-handed though, I'll give you a few pointers"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"Glad to hear it! I have the parts but I am afraid you will need to put them together. Take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and you can make your tools. Once you finish with that, I'll let you know where to start swinging it. If you need more help with building the tool I can explain it again for you."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Mayor of the Node
"Mayor [character name], welcome to Riceland Agricultural Supply! How can I be of service?"
Response: Can you Teach me anything about herbalism?
"I've not got the much time on my hands but I could never say no to the Mayor of my home, so I will teach you my craft. I'll give you a few pointers for now though"
Response: I am willing to put in the work
"Terribly sorry Mayor [character name]! I have the parts but I am afraid you will need to put them together. Please, take a sickle blade and a handle, bring it to the bench here and you can make your tools. When your tools are made, I'll let you know where to start swinging it. If you need more help with building the tool I can explain it again for you."
Response: Give me the parts, I'll do it."
Conclusion
As you can see above these are only minor changes in dialogue, I personally feel like it gives the NPC a bit more life to them rather than just the same back and forth in every interaction.
Let me know what you all think about this. If you think its a lot of effort for nothing, if you too feel like its more immersive to the world etc.
9
Comments
Reputation could play an additional role in that as well.
Depending on the NPC, religion could play a role as well considering we will have choices of light and dark along that quest chain.
It was a good point the Intrepid Team joked about in the live stream which would imply they have plans to implement it.
All brilliant ideas, I was just mentioning this with talks in the Guild that it might also be a good idea for higher level nodes like metropolis' to have citizen specific things that could maybe trigger quests for reputation that could maybe give you better prices once completed with that merchant etc.
For example:
Like if a General goods merchant is in a metropolis and a new dungeon opened because of the node, then for a citizen of the node they could be like "hey, good to see you again. I have some news, my last shipment that came through said they saw this cave entrance collapse in on its self but they daren't go near. Its tot he SW of here, why not check it out adventurer?" and that dialogue be specially for people who are citizens of the node kinda thing.
As someone who reads the dialogue it will let me know of something nearby happening lol
Mayors will interact with NPCs that other node citizens cannot, and citizens will interact with NPCs differently than non-citizens. https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Mayors
I really like the suggestions put forth by the OP, and suspect that they are already in the game to some extent.
This Opening Comment nailed it perfectly. Just - perfectly.
Well done.
I couldn't have made this Example for different Dialogues better.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
You are entering into the sacred land of the Tulnar, few are as treacherous lands as these! Verra be with you that you survive your time here!
----
Ah, welcome back, citizen!
Glad to see you survived another day out in Verra, though none would put it past you as you have survived the harshest that Verra has to offer. None the less, welcome back!
But late of a reply but oh well, this right here alone gives so much life to a game and I LOVE IT! Just having NPCs remember you and show they have some kind of previous connection is just so immersive, it's great 😁
I could imagine a clearly more unfriendly, harsher and strict way of Guards and NPC's of Authority with oneself then. More reprimanding.
Weaker/more helpless NPC's could express Dialogues of Fear and Concern when oneself is speaking to them. Maybe Merchants or simple, unarmed Citizens, Children and more frail Adults when meeting oneself.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
I do like this, IIRC they mentioned that the NPCs do act different when you are corrupted but I could be making that up 😂 so having different dialogue for a corrupted person would be cool to see. As a PvE mainly played new to PvP I would like to not promote people going corrupted so I don't get slain permenantly hahaha HOWEVER I thibk going beyond just dialogue and adding in maybe specific NPCs for corrupted players. Bevause regular ones won't deal with you because of your deeds you have to go to shady dealers who are out of town and in like shady tucked away areas, they have different quests and different items for purchase etc. Nothing so extreme that everyone's going corrupted but a little something something just for fun. I thibk it would be cool 😁
Watch out though, @Nagash might just be summoned by it.
Well Ahoi there.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)