New NPC concept in home .... Useless and boring?

HappyTheCamper

I dont know

I think all this depends on:

1. How expensive they’ll be in the crown store.

2. If they’ll add famous npcs and not just random ones.

Deter1UK

Good idea

cyclonus11 wrote: »

I was expecting to be able to add emotes to the pathing. Kinda useless as it is.

Can I speak from my RL role as Director and Choreographer?

You need to script the movement and *especially* the timings.

I'll give an example of an initial movement script I tried out for the new Houseguest in my Psyjic villa which is also our Guild house.

HG starts at bookcase n1 in library with transmute station - waits 10 secs
Walks to bookcase n2 - 3 secs
goes to transmute station looks at it -3 secs
back to bookcase n2 -10 secs
Walks upstairs along gallery to large bookcase n3 - 30 secs
walks back along gallery about halfway and looks down into great hall - 10 secs
walks hurriedly downstairs across hall into trophy room and examines stone tablets on table - 10 secs
goes around trophy room pausing here and there for a couple of secs at different exhibits
exits trophy room and returns to transmute station studies it - 30 secs

Restart

That's a 2 minute script which is longer than most people will stare at an NPC for usually

Any visitor will get (I hope) a sense of searching for something - a sense of puzzlement - a sense of urgency.

That's as much as I can hope for really from an autotoon but I've done he same outside with a cat stalking a couple of chickens and it seems to work.

Thing is you have to put the effort in to create a sense of life.

Shadowspawn42

I have ideas a little more interesting (Option for your ideas in the comments)

Not a terrible concept, but I think they could be better if:
1. You could customize them or use alts.
2. They were popular characters from quests rather than just random people.
3. You could script emotes.

Raideen

I have ideas a little more interesting (Option for your ideas in the comments)

My issue is that there is little function to the house guest concept. Houses in general have little function in game, which is one of the biggest issues with them.

Housing in ESO is so good on one hand, but a complete fail on the other. Most homes do not make you feel connected to the city in any appreciable way. Most of the homes feel lonely, and disconnected. They are all art, no design. Pretty to look at, functionally dismal.

For one. Houses should be located in a housing community. They are all instanced so there is no reason we cant have 3 or more (three is key, its always key) houses in an area. Small, medium, large or even same sized just different layouts. This would give you "neighbors" and help to foster a community, or at the minimum make your feel like you are surrounded by people in your house, vs feeling aloof and disjointed.

Secondly, they need a function. Crafting stations are cool, but in the case of clockwork, completely over priced. Maybe they could add some quality of life things that make houses useful, but not "necessary".
For example:
• Food. Make it so that if you eat inside your house (preferably at a table with a plate of food), you get a food buff just like we do now, but instead of lasting 30 min, 1 hour or 2 hours, it lasts for 4.
• Houses should have additional storage in them. I know we can buy the chests, but I mean there should be a certain amount of storage that comes with a house. I mean its not like some of these don't literally cost over $100.00 USD, I am pretty sure adding a little QOL with some additional storage space is not going to kill the game. In the immortal words of ***. Just Do It!

Those are just a couple example off the top of my head. I am sure there are better ideas.

So, bottom line. Although I am extremely happy with the new, free house (and I don't mind the 600 limit, although its dumb), this does not mean that the entirety of the housing system could not be better. This includes visitors which as of now, have no function.



EDIT: Apparently the formal name of a shoe company is a bad word. SMH...
EDIT EDIT: Now allllll of that being said. Perhaps the house visitor thing is essentially in "alpha". I imagine there will be more done with house NPCS in the future, my fear (as with anything done in this game) is that the logical, fun aspect will be overlooked for the monetary aspect.

rpa

I was completely spoiled by Wildstar housing so I don't care. But I'd suggest ZOS/Microsoft kidnap whoever designed the housing system in that game and copy it into their next game.

Eifleber

I have ideas a little more interesting (Option for your ideas in the comments)

As I said in another thread:

I'd still much rather had the option to place my characters in my house(s) so they will also show up when I logon with another character.

Inaya1

Good idea

Eifleber wrote: »

As I said in another thread:

I'd still much rather had the option to place my characters in my house(s) so they will also show up when I logon with another character.

Ye, I also thought about it sometimes. It would be really cool. I have 13 beautiful characters with different outfits, heh.

But I think this will never happen. Have you seen the recent ZOS lottery that is currently started? There, the main prize is your character's NPC and a statue of him. So I don't think my or you'r and another ppl characters will be in the house in future. But, I would very much like it...

Kolzki

I do not see myself buying NPC house guest. Not because I think they're bad. They're a good addition. The problem is that they're special collectables that share a limited number of slots with the banker, merchant, pets and mounts. There's no space available for them in my house.

Deter1UK

Good idea

Raideen wrote: »

Perhaps the house visitor thing is essentially in "alpha". I imagine there will be more done with house NPCS in the future, my fear (as with anything done in this game) is that the logical, fun aspect will be overlooked for the monetary aspect.

If I recall correctly from a ZOS twitch introducing pathing etc they said the houseguest system was being introduced gradually

Michae

delenn35 wrote: »

barney2525 wrote: »

Is there Anything, that is given out free, that people will Not complain about ?


Just curious

IMHO

Gosh I so agree with this... we just got a massive house for free and all I see are posts about how the house guests could be better or that we don't have enough furnishing slots.

Seriously??

Oh gosh darn it! I know right? Those pesky people that come to the forums and have *gasp* opinions! How dare they, right? How could they offer constructive and polite criticism on free* house? Why is it that everytime someone's criticising anything on this forum there are guys that are trying to gaslight the whole discussion? Can't you argue the arguments made instead of complaining about the audacity of people complaining? And what's so wrong with complaining anyway? If it's polite and argumented it should be welcomed, that's what the forums are for after all. I understand comments like that when someone's really throwing a hissy fit ("This house is 600 slots?! I'm leaving !!!!1111oneoneone") but when it's a discussion about improving it in the future, when the feature is to be sold for real money just argue the points made or move on.

As for the topic at hand I'd go for some customisation and or being able to put multiple copies of the same npc in the house. I need more than one guard you know. I've wanted to make a bustling city hub for rp with my guild for a while now but I was a little short on people on the street. Housguests would come in handy here.

*with purchase of Greymoor Chapter ofc

Ratinira

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Hmm.

I guess I didn't expect more from houseguests, partially because the last "add NPCs to your house" thing I played with was strongholds in SWtOR. Which didn't even have pathing or interacting. They were just placed decorations.

It was better in SWTOR. Why?
Both here and there NPCs are placed decorations. Only here they can walk around on circles.
But there they are my companions. Apprentices, friends, lovers... Someone I know and spend hours and hours with. Shared common history. It is easy to RP why they are at my characters house
Here are just some random NPCs I know nothing about. It is much harder to RP what are they doing at my characters house.
Imho.

Ascarl

I have ideas a little more interesting (Option for your ideas in the comments)

barney2525 wrote: »

Is there Anything, that is given out free, that people will Not complain about ?


Just curious

IMHO

I think you may be right for the free house guest, but if ZOS wants to make money with houseguests, they need to improve some stuff.
First of all I think the 10 mount/pet/servand/guest limit has to go. I am reluctant to spend money if I have to remove somebody else. Houseguest should have a seperate limit.

Then having some more different idle action would help for immersion.

Last but not least I find the idea of placing you other characters in the house brilliant. Maybe open one or two slots for all. Then ZOS has something people can spend money on and keep them happy.

Varana

Like Deter1UK said, they addressed this issue briefly in one of their streams. The gist being that they knew furniture interactions would be cool and people would want them but that they wanted to get the basic system working and released before adding more fancy stuff with time.

As for performance: Houses are separate instances with limits on how many people can be there at the same time, and limited stuff to do there. The effect of how many house guests in whatever clothing I have in my house, on your Cyrodiil or trial performance should be, like zero point nothing.
Should, because this is ESO, but really.

NotaDaedraWorshipper

They mentioned in the stream they want and have planned to try add more things to the pathing.

InaMoonlight

Perhaps I have a negative opinion about this. (Yes, we understand that there can be embarrassment in some cases ... Can you, if it's not difficult, explain why you don't like it? :x)

I will NOT be paying the same price - 5k crowns, for an npc with absolutely no function... It hurt enough that bankers don't give access to guildbank, and the merchant doesn't repair...

MAYBE I'd consider it if the new npcs also had, for example, the funtions we got jipped out of with the other npcs?

Can be themed, the guard = Guildbank, the waitress = repairs aka. hair of the dog? Maybe the Khajiit scholar could be an enchanter vendor ncp too?

Aznarb

Good idea

Let me give you a tip : you're not forced to use them.

HF.

SilverBride

Perhaps I have a negative opinion about this. (Yes, we understand that there can be embarrassment in some cases ... Can you, if it's not difficult, explain why you don't like it? :x)

Michae wrote: »

And what's so wrong with complaining anyway? If it's polite and argumented it should be welcomed, that's what the forums are for after all. I understand comments like that when someone's really throwing a hissy fit ("This house is 600 slots?! I'm leaving !!!!1111oneoneone") but when it's a discussion about improving it in the future, when the feature is to be sold for real money just argue the points made or move on.

The problem is, if it doesn't start off that way, it soon devolves into that.

Michae

SilverBride wrote: »

Michae wrote: »

And what's so wrong with complaining anyway? If it's polite and argumented it should be welcomed, that's what the forums are for after all. I understand comments like that when someone's really throwing a hissy fit ("This house is 600 slots?! I'm leaving !!!!1111oneoneone") but when it's a discussion about improving it in the future, when the feature is to be sold for real money just argue the points made or move on.

The problem is, if it doesn't start off that way, it soon devolves into that.

Call it out when it happens then. Nobody's doing that here.

SilverBride

Perhaps I have a negative opinion about this. (Yes, we understand that there can be embarrassment in some cases ... Can you, if it's not difficult, explain why you don't like it? :x)

Michae wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Michae wrote: »

And what's so wrong with complaining anyway? If it's polite and argumented it should be welcomed, that's what the forums are for after all. I understand comments like that when someone's really throwing a hissy fit ("This house is 600 slots?! I'm leaving !!!!1111oneoneone") but when it's a discussion about improving it in the future, when the feature is to be sold for real money just argue the points made or move on.

The problem is, if it doesn't start off that way, it soon devolves into that.

Call it out when it happens then. Nobody's doing that here.

That is true. But I understand why people fear it may, because it happens so often.

Runes_Ur

Good idea

I think it breaths life into a well furnished home. Just wish I can have options to place my alts as housing guests. Now that's something I'd throw my wallet at.

Austinseph1

The only houseguest I would be interested in is a bard, and I would pay extra to have it follow you like the merchant/banker. Otherwise I can already tell it's not going to be an interesting buy.

cyberjanet

Just having some NPCs walking around adds so much life to the house. Otherwise it's just... empty...

Iselin

I dont know

I want them to come greet me at the door.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpK6GcViC88

Konstant_Tel_Necris

Currently, I have only few complaints for house guests since PTS, for first they took Special Collectibles limit what already too small for most houses, why not guest limit what players use since they are guests too?
For second certain guest NPC have very limited phrases vocabulary, for example both Solitude Guard Jorn and Keldora have three phrases.

cyclonus11

I have ideas a little more interesting (Option for your ideas in the comments)

Deter1UK wrote: »

cyclonus11 wrote: »

I was expecting to be able to add emotes to the pathing. Kinda useless as it is.

Can I speak from my RL role as Director and Choreographer?

You need to script the movement and *especially* the timings.

ez pz! When you're prompted with the timer for a pause, select from a choice of emotes (the ones that are continuous): drink ale, drink champagne, read book, take notes - and the NPC will do the thing until the pause timer is up. Different ones for different NPCs, too! So for your horses, you can have "graze" as an option, and for bards, you can have choices of instruments to play!

Kiralyn2000

Ratinira wrote: »

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Hmm.

I guess I didn't expect more from houseguests, partially because the last "add NPCs to your house" thing I played with was strongholds in SWtOR. Which didn't even have pathing or interacting. They were just placed decorations.

It was better in SWTOR. Why?
Both here and there NPCs are placed decorations. Only here they can walk around on circles.
But there they are my companions. Apprentices, friends, lovers... Someone I know and spend hours and hours with. Shared common history. It is easy to RP why they are at my characters house
Here are just some random NPCs I know nothing about.

SWtOR had plenty of Random NPCs to fill your house with too. Like the Twilek dancing girls that I had all my companions standing around watching.

(and how did you "RP" that your Sith character companions were hanging out with Republic heroes?)

starlizard70ub17_ESO

Good idea

WeerW3ir wrote: »

barney2525 wrote: »

Is there Anything, that is given out free, that people will Not complain about ?


Just curious

IMHO

Except that that the houseguests would definetly need more than 3 line to talk. because now they feel like a random killable npc in any city

If only you could make them into a mobile practice dummy for pick pocketing and/or assassination. (some of us need work on our timing. )

Deter1UK

Good idea

cyclonus11 wrote: »

quote="Deter1UK;c-6975175"]

cyclonus11 wrote: »

I was expecting to be able to add emotes to the pathing. Kinda useless as it is.

Can I speak from my RL role as Director and Choreographer?

You need to script the movement and *especially* the timings.

ez pz! When you're prompted with the timer for a pause, select from a choice of emotes (the ones that are continuous): drink ale, drink champagne, read book, take notes - and the NPC will do the thing until the pause timer is up. Different ones for different NPCs, too! So for your horses, you can have "graze" as an option, and for bards, you can have choices of instruments to play!

My comment was how as players to handle the current set up to its best advantage but, that aside, you are quite correct in where would be the logical place to handle emotes or action commands.

Daileth

Good idea

Last night I was setting Phedra up in one of my houses and thought ‘this one could certainly make use of some adornments’. Most hoods, in my opinion, make the foreheads so pronounced. A band or circlet is a nice way to offset that. I think you’ve brought up a great idea.

I can see wanting to keep a theme, however I really like the idea of costume/outfit/style changes, would probably generate revenue as well as it could provide more uses for costumes, slots on npc’s, etc... If anything let us at least dye the colors, and/or apply relative outfits/personalities.

ArchMikem

To be fair, housing in itself is useless. It's a gold sink just to let you decorate your own little corner of the game world, but it does nothing for your gameplay other than look pretty. You dont log out by using a bed to sleep, you cant plant and harvest your own crafting mat nodes etc.