SmedBlog (last year): NPC Enemies and Armies

[LongBow]

NPC's in Planetside, my immediate reaction is “wut?”, then I remember its an intelligent team behind the game and that Smed is sharing a 3YP with us before the game is live!

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NPC invasion:

no thanks, its a great idea its just not part of the Planetside formula.

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NPC harvesters

“A wild secondary objective appears” … yes please! Section 8 has shown what an improvement this can make to 'liven up' game-play, please take this idea further.

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Player controlled AI forces

interesting, but what difference is there between a building that spawns AI that march from A to B and a building that lets you carry a player controlled turret from point A to B? In both cases you create a static target priority (AI, AA or AT) in both cases you choose how you get to point B and in both cases players can make “armchair general” type decisions with immediate responses; in fact the only difference I see is that one is done by players and the other by AI.

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Player Created AI

Personally I'm inclined to like this. However because the tough part in AI is having them make “human” mistakes there is little to no “market” for winning AI.
At the end of the day we are just going to have access to a state engine; within two days, my outfit will have V1.0 of our AI and that will be that.

If anything the only difference is going to be the ratio of AI:AT:AA and that will be moment to moment.

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The "Hero" complex is a single player design concept, its something we look past in "archaic" multiplayer RPG's its not something to idolise.

In single player your the hero, in multiplayer your a champion... and that is something better conveyed by the weight of your mighty vanguards tread than any cannon fodder.

[DarkMesa]

The only way I would be able to stand NPC armies, is if they only appear when any one faction completely takes over a continent, and they only appear on that continent.

Possibly make them enough of a challenge to act as something that multiple factions team up against, for however long that would last.

[Memeotis]

I'm actually okay with it, but like Blackwolf said, it should be an occasional event. I think it could be a nice way to neutralize territory and challenge the status quo of territory distribution.

[brickbuster]

No. If these suggestions were implemented, I would stop playing the game. Already too many design mistakes have been made in Planetside 2, and adding these would be the equivilant of how SOE ruined SWG. It is unfortunate that SOE has developed a reputation as a "hit and miss" company, and adding any sort of AI to a 100% PVP game would solidify that reputation like nothing else. I don't mean to offend the devs, but this is the truth of things.

[Quantum Spices]

I would love a "4th faction" of enemies, as long as they are NOT the main source of xp or resources. If they are done right, they will be a great addition to the game.

[Quad]

My reaction to even the thought of NPCs in planetside:

[VikingKong]

Indeed. Well said, that man.

[KIAsan]

This idea needs to be quietly strangled, chopped to small bits, doused in gas, lit on fire, then have it's ashes shot into the sun so we are sure it's dead.

NPCs would be like the old Oshur comet strikes, something you do to try and bring interest back into a dying game.

[PoisonTaco]

Well Team Fortress 2 is adding NPC enemies:


I mean at first I was like, "What is this? I don't even..." Now I think it looks really interesting. Who knows it could be cool in Planetside 2 as well.

[MaxDamage]

Originally Posted by Quad

My reaction to even the thought of NPCs in planetside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFGfWrJR5Ck

I was watching one of Hamma's videos, where he's on an ATV riding through what looked like vast open desert.
Wouldn't say no to the odd random space-lizard.

But please no cliff-racers.

[Hunterzen]

PLEASE NO, SOE already committed murder with SWG's CU/NGE. Please don't do the same to PS2. Don't mean to sound over dramatic, but I will never forgive SOE for what yall did to potentially the greatest game to have ever been conceived ever in all Universes. God what I would give for SWG to be relaunched Pre NGE/CU. /endrant

[Saraketh]

The only time i could see NPC's working is potentially in a situation where 1 race has nearly conquered the continent, an outbreak of some sort might provide distraction to allow the other races a slight foothold.

This comes from an under dog's point of view but don't do a modern warfare and reward the best players with extra stuff like armies of computer controlled bots.

[sgtbjack]

Originally Posted by Blackwolf

Uncertain about NPC armies. I think the players shouldn't be substituted for NPCs when going against other players.

NPC enemy invasion might be a cool treat or event at some points, but not on a regular basis.

+1

I don't want to always be hampered by npc's, but a giant alien monkey wrench randomely thrown into the cogs every once in a blue moon, would be welcome. I like unpredictable chaos, but I don't like (insert all other mmo's here) npc's clogging up the fun, by being in the damn way 24/7

Originally Posted by Hunterzen

PLEASE NO, SOE already committed murder with SWG's CU/NGE. Please don't do the same to PS2. Don't mean to sound over dramatic, but I will never forgive SOE for what yall did to potentially the greatest game to have ever been conceived ever in all Universes. God what I would give for SWG to be relaunched Pre NGE/CU. /endrant

Not really sure how this has anything to do with anything?

The only way I'd be cool with npc's, is if they randomely invaded and disappeared very shortly after leaving me on the phone with my brother or friends saying "what the %%%% was that, I was capping a node and some %%%%ing alien things killed all of us and then flew away!!!)

It would have to be so random and rare that it would be half myth and not something expected.

[AceofSpadesX]

Originally Posted by Blackwolf

Uncertain about NPC armies. I think the players shouldn't be substituted for NPCs when going against other players.

NPC enemy invasion might be a cool treat or event at some points, but not on a regular basis.

+1

[vVRedOctoberVv]

NPCs in this game should be avoided like a terrible flesh eating plague. There is absolutely NO reason to do this in a game that has 2,000 players per continent. What purpose can NPCs serve that having PEOPLE doing the same thing could not do better? This is not a game with a handful of friends playing together, or players vs horde. It's entire armies of PLAYERS fighting each other. There is no logical reason to include NPCs. Note: I said "logical", there are plenty of "illogical" reasons to do it.

Wildlife or whatever would be fine, even hostile wildlife. But NOT 4th faction alien AI invaders. If there is a 4th faction added, fine, no harm in adding to the shenanigans. But it should consist of players, not AI.

Kids, just so NO to stupid ideas.