I've watched quite a few of the videos on the Pantheon wiki lately and one of the things that comes back very often is how Visionary Realms wants to have the environment be a key factor in the players' experience through the world of Terminus, which I find absolutely fantastic, and it got me wondering. In pretty much all the examples given in those videos the players are the ones initiating the interaction with said environment (and I use the term in the broad sense here, npcs being included), but would it be possible to also make it the other way around, having the world recognize certain player behavior beyond combat and adjust to it, even sometimes actively seeking out players?
For example, in an interview Brad mentioned that in the very early years of EQ players had found a particularly convenient part of a zone to use as a trading spot and as more people adopted it, that spot became an unofficial market. What if the game picked up on player behavior like this (though admittedly in Terminus it wouldn't necessarily be about trading as there will already be such a system) and adapted the environment around it, maybe even slightly helped by the dev team? In the EQ case maybe a few npcs started roaming about, stalls being added as time passed and more players set up shop and eventually having a proper marketplace at that location, because that is where the server population gathered for trading. This could even make the landscape of servers differ from one another slightly, nothing so drastic as to make any server preferable to another, but enough so that players could say "that is my server and we shaped it as a population".
Another example is about the acclimation process for players who are new to more social-oriented mmorpg, something along the lines of a program within starting areas that could notice low-level characters soloing the same range of mobs but too far apart to notice one another and then trigger an npc spawn going to one of them, hailing the player with something along the lines of "Hey there, I passed by another adventurer a ways back that might use help from a like-minded fellow of your caliber." with the npc then giving the location or name of the other player to get in touch with.
Anyhow, those are the things I ponder about while eagerly awaiting to begin adventuring alongside all of you in Terminus.
P.S. Not sure if this topic already has an open discussion, if so, my apologies for posting in the wrong place.
It's an interesting idea for sure. I think the challenge would be in finding a way for the game to measure and understand the player activity, and then dynamically start spawning things or adjusting based on it. You would need to code it into the game since player behavior could (and likely will) change from server to server.
I don't hate this idea. It wwould have to be implemented carefully though so as not to impact other players too negatively.
Your example, the unofficial trading place was in Eastern Commonlands tunnel. Had EQ "created" stalls there, it would have impeded flow through the tunnel as there was limited space.
I really like the idea of 'roaming' NPCs that could congregate or even settle depending on player activity. Emergent AI type activities.
The NPC trader/tinker/vendor/blacksmith/anything idea is an obvious one. If players frequent an area for trading, then ordinarily roaming NPCs might set up shop or at least alter their routes to travel through.
In some servers, they remain wandering, in some they alter routes, in some they build a new village!
This could also work with monster wanderers who notice regular player routes and setup ambushes.
Dragons that realise they are being attacked on particular days and organise extra troops.
Goblin tribes that realise they are regularly being wiped out in their village and set up traps.
Tornados that chase down groups of players =P that's dynamic right? Haha better run fast!
An unusually clever AI isn't at all needed - this will work quite well if the developers can add and subtract things without large amounts of effort or making the code more complicated and likely to cause problems later.
The problem, of course, is doing things that don't take away from the experience for characters starting the area. Presumably the developers created the area as it was for a reason.
One obvious thing often done in other games is to have NPCs and/or mobs that can only be seen/interacted with if the character has already done certain things. How easy this is to do is another question.
This is a fantastic idea!
Take a step further and bring it into towns and cities. Imagine the dynamics this could put into the Pantheon economy.
Scenario: The western end of Thronefast (sp?) becomes less and less visited as time goes on. As a result, less attention by the city is paid, the real estate market goes down, shops close up and the undesirables move in. The rogue guild moves to the western end, and it becomes a place of lawlessness, and even a roaming brigan or two among the darker alleys. Meanwhile, the east side of town sees more glitz and prices of goods and services skyrocket, as does the quality. The east side becomes "gentrified", and those who used to have a home there find themselves driven out by the increased cost of living.
Starting areas (think the Newbie log in Nektulos) would show an increase in NPC foot traffic, maybe a couple of them pop up with their wares spread out on a blanket. Eventually, enough NPC show up that the mob activity lessens dramatically and a new newbie area is found.
I dunno, just thoughts. I love this idea.
I recall them mentioning a kind of dynamic where, say a druid and gnome are grouping and they know that a thunderstorm in the environment will make the gnomes lightning spells stronger. So the druid adapts the environment to the player, sort of, by calling forth a storm, to make the gnomes lightning spells stronger for this fight.
I like tralyans idea of a town being split. Maybe even on the rogue side some Monsters could set up camp near by taking advantage of the fast and loose trading in relative safety of the enemy. where if you wandered by they would still attack you and the rogue NPC's would still hate you, but if you were able to boost gypsy faction or something you could then to trade with the rogues or even the goblins or orcs wandering through or in their camps(maybe perception questline? language?). The consequence could be losing faction with the good half, and if the town takes up arms and cleans up the west end ( new mayor from votes, routing the goblin/orc camps and replacing them with mundane NPC's), they would remember you "slumming it" over on the western side and your faction would be worse then before if not hostile, making you have to think about boosting it again to maybe finish an old quest you got on the good side when your faction was good.
I don't think enviroments should 'adapt' to players. There needs to be a sentient conscience behind those effects or a elemental reason for them to do anything other then natural patterns. Now exception can be given for maybe a static electric storm that may be attracted to metal. This storm may happen to be in a zone with a raid boss so that if a raid forms it will be attracted to the players. Players would then have to fight against the boss and the weather so they have a time limit to setup, kill the boss and disperse or they will take more damage. Just having enviroment effects adapt just because with no lore is a no vote from me.