Economy and Ecology

Discussion in 'Archived Topics' started by ReleeSquirrel, Mar 18, 2013.

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  1. ReleeSquirrel

    ReleeSquirrel Avatar

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    I made a nice essay earlier called <a href="https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?topic=sheep-shepherds-wolves-bears-and-hunters">Sheep, Shepherds, Wolves, Bears and Hunters</a>, which outlines what I'd like to see in the PvP metagame. This post is about what I'd like to see in the PvE metagame.

    I want a fantasy world with a dynamic, living, NPC Economy and Ecology. I want to see each town produce a resource, and to be able to buy that resource and carry it to another town, and turn a profit. I want to see towns grow as they see their needs filled by traders. I want to see towns sacked, and their prosperity go down because of raiding monsters.

    I want to see monster forts, dungeons, and evil castles that 'generate' enemies that spread out, attack players, and build new forts, dungeons, and evil castles, or capture those that already exist. Each group of enemies would gradually become stronger over time, so that the furthest monsters from the spawning places would be weaker, gradually leading up to stronger monsters naturally. But also, players, and perhaps NPC armies, would fight against the monsters, pushing them back. It could be bandits too, it doesn't have to be 'monster' monsters.

    I want to see animals in the world too, who will run from a hunter. There doesn't have to be large scale, constant simulation, but it would be nice if a region could be 'hunted out', causing local large beasts to look further afield for their supper, like the legend of the early Ultima Online. If you're using the two-tier map, it should be possile, since you're not constantly simulating each individual, right?

    I want to see NPCs do all the things players do, but not as well, so that players stand out, but aren't all-powerful.

    I want to be able to hire NPC bodyguards to help me get through a dangerous area, instead of having to make a party with other players.

    I want to be able to hire a caravan or a ship to deliver goods for me. I want NPCs to generate 'haul' requests, and players can try to do them instead of the NPCs, carrying goods overland or on their own ship.

    I want every quest to mean something to the NPCs. They shouldn't ask me to haul or guard something that just 'disappears' at the other end. At the very least, they should be seen using the resouces I brought. Maybe even have a town stockpile report that says how much of this or that resource they have on hand, and I can see that I helped make it go up. If something is repaired, it should stay repaired untill something else comes along an breaks it.

    To put it simply, I want a world by and for the NPCs, where players live and are special, but aren't the sole focus of all things. I want a world worth protecting, and a world in actual danger that I can protect it from.
     
  2. Maeglin

    Maeglin Avatar

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    +1 to all of these ideas.

    But just to add, I could help with the PVP if hiring a caravan or ship for haulage automatically flags you for attack from bandit NPC's or PC's that will make it so there is risk and reward on both sides. This then makes the PVP mutually consensual, but gives risk and reward for both. The NPC side of might be required for those whose Multi-player settings are more towards the very limited.
     
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