NPC Critters

There are plenty of threads about NPCs as townfolk, quest givers, etc. but I would like to bring into discussion NPC Critters.

Sometimes they go unnoticed, other times they are used as easter eggs or even as a resource of some kind. Critters make a world feel more "alive" and immersive instead of open areas filled with static objects.

We all know the common critters in games such as cows, dogs, deer, etc. but what would be previously unseen critters native to the world of New Britannia (by the way, what was the name of the world BEFORE LB called it that)?

 

Well you had Sosaria if I understand your question correctly. There were four continents in Sosaria Lands of Lord British, Lands of Danger and Despair(Serpent Isle), Lands of the Dark Unknown(resemblance to Pagan), Lands of the Feudal Lords.

I liked the Bees in Ultima VII. Lets get bees back in game and we can make Beekeeping and collecting honey part of cooking skills or something Acid Slugs were also cool...

 

I like beekeeping as an idea, but I think that would be better tacked onto the farming area.

Slugs and slimes..

hmm.. from memory.. if a room has a slime in it and each day the slug divides and at 50 days the room is full, at which day is the room half full... I believe that's how it goes.

 

Bring back something inspired by Ostards

 

You know this thread makes a good point. I've yet to see a game add realistic fauna to an environment. They've got the flora down, but where are the birds flitting around? The rustle of a squirrel in a pile of leaves? The surprise encounter with a snake sunning itself on a rock that slithers off when you approach. Not to mention ticks and mosquitos!

Funny how the lack of this element makes even the best animated environments seems somewhat sterile.

Worse are those dopey animals that stand around and wait for you to harvest them for some resource.

 

Id love to see Ostards or something similar!!!

Also, I agree, interactive wild life critters! If I camp out on a bedroll when I log out how cool would it be to log in with a snake in my bed roll, that I can then dispatch, cook for breakfast, and make a new snake-skin pouch out of its hide. Maybe even my health starts out a bit lower initially cause I got bit.. one of the risks of camping outdoors. Fun stuff!

 

Hard to beat Mother Nature












Small monkeys that can move random small objects around?



Aquatic stuff in general tends to get ignored...

 

I'd like to see fireflies, various birds of prey, dark etheral creeping mist...

Clumps of Fireflies to give visually stimulating light at night, often near water sources as it could play very well with decent water shaders.

Bird of prey, as fast moving shadows passing over the ground that disturb the movement of other birds and small critters as they fly over, causing them to scatter.

This one's for all the AFK miners etc out there. A dark transparent mist that stretches itself out to close in on players and NPCs, then begins to accumulate overtime as it collects around people if not avoided, leaving a sticky tar like substance around the victim that at first effects movement, then acts like quick sand/a tarpit. The mist itself being driven away or kept at a distance by light sources and is normally found in dark caves or in graveyards or in the wilderness at night, depending on the cycle of the moon.

 

Those are some seriously incredible picture Jonathan.Doran. I'm liking all the ideas on this thread, I guess you did understand what I was aiming at. I like knoxiTV's suggestion about creeping mist on AFK miners and Vyrinor hit it on the head about surprise elements from the environment itself, instead of just being animals that stand around and wait for you to collect their resource. Deer run off at the sight of you, aggressive critters guard their territory, monkeys might pick up things from the ground and throw it at you, etc.

 

I think it would be really interesting to see aquatic-inspired creatures (fish, squid, etc) that swim in the air instead of the water.
Key point being swim. Not fly, nor hover.

 

I would like to see Owl Gryffons too.
https://www.google.com/search?q=owl...ALXtoHoDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=985
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en....47.312.8.8.0....0...1ac.1.19.img.h_3a27wnQO8

 

I'd like to see robotic sparrows that flitter about, taking messages from mage towers to alchemy labs.. In fact, I think a dove messenger house, whether they are robotic or not, would be a perfect way to implement mail and in-game messaging. (either between players or npcs and players, or npc to npc!)
Having more fauna would be nice, but implementing critters dynamically into the gameplay would do wonders for immersion.

 

There are some brilliant ideas in this thread. If I may, I'd like to try and add to them:

AMBIENT ANIMALS

I loved knoxiTV's (no relation ) ideas about "clumps of fireflies" and birds of prey just adding to the overall feel to the world. You don't really interact with them, you just enjoy them. Here's a few more:

Bats- At dusk or dawn, I'd love to see huge colonies of bats flying in and out of caves.
Lizards, Frogs, and Toads- To add upon the firelies, I'd like to see these glow and blink with low lighting near watery areas. I even thought of replacing a "spitting frog" that spits water with the ability of shooting a small stream of fire. Absolutely no damage to anything, just a cool little light that catches your eye. You know...Fire Frogs. Or Tinder Toads.
Scavenger Birds - I'd like to see various birds actually "linked" to predators. They would fly about in the area of a predator. This way, a wise hunter could look for particular birds and know if he/she was close to a particular animal. I like that sort of symbiotic relationship between predator and scavenger.
Coastal Sealife - While walking near a coast it would be cool to see some dolphins jumping about, a shark fin, even a Sperm Whale (if in a cold climate; Orca Killer Whales and Narwhal). However...I think "sea critters" would warrent their own thread, if there isn't already one. This category involves a ton of things; fishing, boating, can players swim, can they use nets, can they use harpoons, is there a morality/virtue hit for whaling, etc. So...if anyone wants to jump in there...

HERDS

With the overhead map view, I'm wondering if herds of animals can work. Outside of the obvious horse and typcial domesticated animals, here's a few more:

American Bison - But only if they are represented as the noble, fierce, and powerful creatures that they are. They aren't big brown cows. A wayward adventurer walks up to a few Buffalo and he/she could be in a world of hurt. If near a cold climate, use Musk Ox.
Aurochs- Here's your big brown cows. They are giant ancestors of cows who died out in the 1600's. Maybe the Aurochs and the Bison can have a heavier leather because there's more risk in killing one.
Antelope - Anything with horns. Gerenuks, Giant Sable Antelope, the Oryx. Why? I like things with horns. And a virtue hit for farming only the horns and not using the rest of the animal. If near a cold climate, use Reindeer.

OTHERS

North American Beaver - It would be cool to be walking along a creek or stream and have a beaver dam appear. Since it would be "quasi-rare" the beaver pelts would be a bit more expensive.
Tapirs - The striped ones would look great in the game.
Thylacines - One of the coolest animals...and saddest because they're extinct...
Jackalopes - Just funny...and they have horns.

REMOVE THE SHACKLES

When creating this list, I kept thinking of animals that I knew. Duh...but it struck me that this game world isn't Earth. We don't have to follow normal conventions. A big Brown Bear can have 3 heads. A Hyena can have multiple rows of teeth like a shark. A giant Scorpion can have 5 separate stingers on its' tail and spit goo on the sand that can ensare you. Really, no limits. And spin that color wheel too. So say if you have a lion, or a Cave Lion (a much larger version that went extinct 11,000 years ago) it doesn't have to be tan. Blah. Give it a dark gray body, a black mane and purple glowing eyes. Or a bright yellow body, a firey red mane and the actual tip of the tail is a flame. And if near a cold climate, make a Saber-toothed Cat white, gray, with an overall pale blue tinge to it. No limits really.

STRAIGHT UP STOLEN

A couple of others from other games:

The Stalker - In Borderlands 2, there is the Stalker. Think of it like a Drake in a way. It looks cool and all but I'm much more interested in the game mechanics behind it. You see, not only is it ultra-quick, but it "vanishes" as well. That's right...it keeps disappearing and reappearing as it comes after you. It also has a nasty habit of appearing right in back of you. And at high level, those teeth and claws are no joke. Giving an animal that sort of ability in SotA would be interesting. I mean in Borderlands 2, if things go wrong you just throw a gernade, take out a SMG and "spray and pray." Facing something like that with just a sword...um...frightening.

The Fetish- In Diabo 2, they were among my favorite things. They aren't quite "critters"...yet...they're soooo tiny and weird. I'd still love to see something like them out on a few small islands.

Ok...that's it. Sorry there aren't more links or any pictures.

 

There are some awesome ideas here!

Hope the Devs take notice of this thread!!

I really like the idea that the fauna would take off at the first instance of something dangerous approaching. Too many of these games dumb down the basic animals to a point that is completely ridiculous.

I also think there is a good opportunity for the Virtues to come into play here. It has always bothered me how the natural fauna like deer, rabbits, etc almost become fodder for low level players because they offer a quick and easy skill gain or they become a nuisance for more powerful players who would just kill them to get them off their screen. I would think if a player kills an animal like this and doesn't use it as a resource for food, crafting, etc then that constitutes a less than Virtuous act that borders on evil and it should be factored into their Virtue score/path. Perhaps, commiting acts like this could flag them as an enemy to powerful Druid types in the region, etc.

 

Just batting around a few more "NPC critter" ideas...

There is going to be personal pets/house pets (not sure if they will have commands). They will have wild animals that can be tamed that I'm sure will follow at least a few commands. The only other interaction with animals, as far as I know...is just slaying and looting them. So essentially, you either domesticate an animal or kill it. I know money and time are tight, but eventually, I'd like to see more organic and non-lethal interaction with various animals. Here's a few examples:

A) Mimics - Picture yourself and a friend hunting out in the deep woods. You're in full combat mode. Your friend is crouched down, holding his shield and his right arm is raised high as he waves his sword. Suddenly you see a little monkey shoot out of the trees, stands behind your friend, crouches down, pretends to hold a shield, holds his right arm up waving a little stick. Essentially mimicking your friends movements. How funny would that be? The game mechanics for this might be tough, so maybe a GM can do it. I mean, really, 20-25 seconds of work for a funny memory that will last for years. Worth it!

B) City Interaction - I'd like to see various animal interactions while in town (V/T/C). Say a bird lands on your shoulder and sings a 10 second song. Move before the song is over and it leaves a "nice parting gift" on your cloak...which disappears in 10 seconds. A stray cat wanders up and rubs your leg for a bit and then just walks away in an uninterested fashion. A stray dog brings you a stick, you throw it, the dog gets it and then just runs off (after all, it's not your dog...it doesn't owe you anything ). How about a duck with a train of duckilings walking around. Interupt the train and you get a few disgruntled quacks thrown your way. Just little things like this to bring some life to the world while your in town.

C) Paranoid Much? - When walking by a stream or creek, a large frog goes underwater. All you see are its two big eyes. Just watching you. Folllowing you...the entire time...all the way down the stream. Just two big eyes...always watching. I don't know why but I love this idea. So simple, yet funny and players would take notice.

D) No VR? Try FG! - I can't believe I left this off my other "critter" post. Fainting Goats. Picture them just outside of villages near the main pathway in. As players run in (as they ALWAYS must be running somewhere...) the goats start toppling over. Really...seriously...how can SotA pass up the opportunity to be the first MMO in history to have Fainting Goats? Does Wow or Rift or whoever...do they have Fainting Goats? No. Does SotA? You better believe it!

So, is any of this "needed" in the game? Nope. But, it would add a touch of charm. A sense of wonder. Interacting with the world in strange and unusual ways is alway a good thing. So maybe not for Episode 1, but down the road...

 

Cocanut Crabs please!



Large... as large as a trash bin. They are meaty and can be eaten. They also have POWERFUL claws which would allow them to open things you bring to them. Cocanuts for one... Locked chest for another.

 

First off, great subject. I love the pics of the creatures that would send me running for cover in RL. Secondly, I would like some thought given to how the pets react to housing. Example: In UO, I have a ferrett. I have to keep my ferrett stabled because if I let it stay at my house, it will disappear. So I've actually seen my ferrett maybe 3 times in all the years I've had it because I don't want to lose it.

Maybe there is a way to have pets "attached" to a house in some way so it won't leave!

 

Crazy.....I gotta know about that fish in the first post of pics.

Where was it found?

What kind of fish is it?

 

That might be an oarfish.

 

I am curious about the bestiary, and also what kind of fish you will be able to catch? Will they be typical fish that we catch in the real world, or will they be mystical with magic properties. Also it would be awesome if they expanded on the taming aspect and installed an animal husbandry/Breeding system. It would also be cool if you could keep your animals locked inside a fence like the way you do in wurm online.