This is continued from a concept in Down with Scripting (RPGs) First of all, all NPCs will have an opinion of you at the very least. In some way NPCs each need to have an opinion of you according to what the player does. If the player does dishonest things, dishonest NPCs will like the player most likely while more honest NPCs will not. The reputation system could go deeper than that, but basically there would be some sort of reputation. There would be a main story that would basically be fairly well-scripted as to what happens, but where the player fits into the story will have to do w/ the player's actions...what the player does in previous situations during the main story and the (more self-contained) side-quests. So, if the player has done illegal things, the player will be associated w/ illegal-type NPCs, and where and when the main story might deal w/ those illegal NPCs the player may get caught up in it. So, as ahw was speaking of before, the events would actually be happening ...meaning if an NPC is supposed go kidnap a princess (the classic example), he's really doing it...and it will be set up that if the NPC's opinion of the player is high enough, then he'll ask the player to help him...but if the princess's father has a high opinion of the player, he'll ask the player to save the princess after she get's kidnapped. (The main quest would be a lot more intersting than another kidnapping, but you get the point.) The main way that the player would gain the appreciation of one person or another would be through the side-quests. And helping one person would often raise your reputation w/ them while hurting your reputation w/ certain others. I'm leaving out a lot of the technical details. And this is by no means a complete idea, but how's the basic concept sound? "Even though the course may change sometimes, the rivers always reach the sea." - Led Zeppelin Edited by - Nazrix on 9/18/00 12:52:27 AM

GHood PlHan but what if i want to change my ways? i have seen the evil that i have done, and i want to put an end to it? how smart are these NPC''s...and are they smart enough to forgive me?

i can see a WHOLE-LOTTA replay value here.

-Luxury

ahw,
That's all you have to say is ''?
When Landfish reads this I'm going to need as many people on my side as possible



Luxury,

Well, I'm thinking that the reputation would be kind of go up and down as you play. So, if you start out hanging out w/ the bad guys or doing illegal stuff...then in the middle of the game you start being more law-abiding, the NPCs will treat you accordingly. The NPCs who are themselves law-abiding will like you more, and the ones who aren't will like you less and less. I think there should be a global reputation, then an individual one as well. So, each NPC could have an individual opinion of you while there's also a global opinion as well.


"Even though the course may change sometimes, the rivers always reach the sea."
- Led Zeppelin


Edited by - Nazrix on September 18, 2000 3:32:57 PM

Want a precedent to back this idea up? Privateer!

You get a reputation based on who you work for and who you attack. Fight the cops, and you''re loved by the pirates (well, some, anyway). Fight the pirates, and the cops will give you missions. Changing your ways was hard, as it was easier to get a reputation than to get rid of it (which I think is realistic... people remember the bad crap you do *much* more than the good!)

You''re right, btw, that there''s a lot of potential here for gameplay. Even more if you apply this rep system to each character! It gets a bit data intensive, but then you could have situations where the king relies on the NPC to save the same princess that the NPC has kidnapped (because the king things the NPC is good)... and you''ve got to get to the truth!

Also, I can think of no better way to make reputation than via quest. Rather than gold, reputation might be a resource unto itself. Now, if you also start playing with ways to attack reputation directly...

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Just waiting for the mothership...

Well, basically I support your ideas
To give you some back up, I''d say you can look even before Privateer, there is Darklands. You and your party would have a reputation based on your actions that would vary from town to town. You could be a bandit in Western germany and a hero throughout the East. You had as well a global reputation...
doing this on a character per character basis seem a bit useless to me, you are better off doing that in a scalar way. Only give people you know an opinion about you, the rest have a global value depending on the town.
Say, in a town where you''ve robbed a bank, the local reputation will be quite bad, but people won''t necessarily *know* you. Now, your fiancee could be living in that town, and wether she knows about your deeds could modify her opinion of you (she might not know you''re a thief, and like you, or she might now, and be OK with it, or she might just dump you ...)
This would decrease the amount of data to keep, and would be more realistic... only people that know about you have an opinion.

what do you think ?

quote: Original post by ahw

Well, basically I support your ideas

quote:
To give you some back up, I''d say you can look even before Privateer, there is Darklands.

I''ve never heard of Privateer or Darklands. Are they computer or console games?

quote:
what do you think ?

I was thinking that only people that you''ve met would have a personal opinion. Like, each NPC''s personal opinion would be neutral until you''ve met them. Then, perhaps only things that you do when you''re directly interacting w/ them would affect their personal opinion. So, if you do something for them or to them, it would affect their personal opinion.



"Even though the course may change sometimes, the rivers always reach the sea."

quote:
I''ve never heard of Privateer or Darklands. Are they computer or console games?

Ack!!! What?!?! *falls to floor choking in disbelief*

Privateer was PC, circa 1990 I think. Came out around the time of Wing Commander 2, used a similar (or same?) engine and was basically a more freeform version of WC where you could upgrade a ship, engage in trade, and roam from star to star performing missions. Very Elite like. (Don''t tell me you don''t know that one?!?!? )

quote:

I was thinking that only people that you''ve met would have a personal opinion. Like, each NPC''s personal opinion would be neutral until you''ve met them. Then, perhaps only things that you do when you''re directly interacting w/ them would affect their personal opinion. So, if you do something for them or to them, it would affect their personal opinion.

What about rumor and word of mouth? I like that in Escape Velocity your deeds affected your rep in neighboring systems, too. This accounted for people talking about your exploits as the Dread Pirate, or whatever. Reputation also travelled along alliance and affiliation lines, so that friends of friends would hear about what a scumdog or savior you were.



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Just waiting for the mothership...

quote: Original post by Wavinator


Ack!!! What?!?! *falls to floor choking in disbelief*

Privateer was PC, circa 1990 I think. Came out around the time of Wing Commander 2, used a similar (or same?) engine and was basically a more freeform version of WC where you could upgrade a ship, engage in trade, and roam from star to star performing missions. Very Elite like. (Don''t tell me you don''t know that one?!?!? )

Okay...that does sound familiar, but I don''t think I have played it...sounds cool though..I''ve missed so many cool games I think...I still haven''t played the Ultima games either

quote:

What about rumor and word of mouth? I like that in Escape Velocity your deeds affected your rep in neighboring systems, too. This accounted for people talking about your exploits as the Dread Pirate, or whatever. Reputation also travelled along alliance and affiliation lines, so that friends of friends would hear about what a scumdog or savior you were.



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Just waiting for the mothership...

Yeah the inclusion of word of mouth would definitely add to the realism. I think ideally I''d want to make it so that each NPC has a list of the other NPCs they are friends w/ so they could pass info to those that they know.



"Even though the course may change sometimes, the rivers always reach the sea."

Better be a short/small game or a friggan massive team. If niether, you''ll have a crapload of work to do.