An Incentive to PvP

[ifireallymust]

People have suggested incentives should be given for those willing to live in pvp zones or toggle pvp on. Also, people have suggested npc guards for when players are offline. So what if the two were combined? What if the guards would also fetch and carry food, wood, stone, water, scrap, or whatever else for us when they aren't guarding? Now that would be an incentive to toggle pvp on.

[Book]

Sounds like an interesting idea.

I think sometimes the npc guards are suggested to be very strong to better protect a town. If that is the case, I'd say lower their strength to normal if they leave town to gather materials so they may be killed by your enemies. Full loot applies if they are killed.

Have them outfitted by the owner with whatever they deem appropriate.

Risk to me for fighting them... hmm... hooking up a system for me to receive a mild electric shock from my computer through the usb port should I lose sounds pretty risky, but probably won't fly.

How bout looting applies to me as well, but since it's an NPC... the owner can toggle a preference on what is to be looted. IE. If NPC wins, loot weapons.

[ifireallymust]

Sounds like an interesting idea.

I think sometimes the npc guards are suggested to be very strong to better protect a town. If that is the case, I'd say lower their strength to normal if they leave town to gather materials so they may be killed by your enemies. Full loot applies if they are killed.

Have them outfitted by the owner with whatever they deem appropriate.

Risk to me for fighting them... hmm... hooking up a system for me to receive a mild electric shock from my computer through the usb port should I lose sounds pretty risky, but probably won't fly.

How bout looting applies to me as well, but since it's an NPC... the owner can toggle a preference on what is to be looted. IE. If NPC wins, loot weapons.

Oh definitely, if they're not on guard on tribal land, they should be squishy and very lootable, and not entirely free to replace, either. It would be a good resource sink.

And if human npcs just wouldn't fit with the game, there's always the possibility of a trained war horse that happens to be able to haul logs back to your camp (fast!) and drop them (once you cut them, of course, can't expect a horse to cut logs). I'd kill a lot of people for raccoon ranged dps (maybe they can't throw rocks very hard, but they can throw them fast!) capable of scavenging, foraging, fishing, fetching stone and sand, and making bricks and mortar for me! And of course, a guard bear is just a darn good guard, it wouldn't even have to dance to make me happy to have one.

This way, it's something pure pvers don't need (because they aren't building anything at risk of destruction, so who cares how long it takes?) but something that would be very useful to pvpers who risk their structures.

I don't know about risk to you for killing the npcs, but anything except the electric shock would work! They could also be capable of running away or, depending on species, climbing trees at least some of the time, I suppose.

[TheSlyRoogon]

I kinda like the fact that theres no npc's and also if theres a pvp toggle switch the game will lose it's sense of fear when your carrying goods and strolling around....... not saying this is a bad idea (at all)

yeah deffinately animals will be good instead of human npc's but they should be much weaker and have a LOT less capabilities +1/
/5

[MrDDT]

Im not a huge fan of NPC guards, but hey if you think it will help great.
But I will tell you right now, its just another way for people to grief you. Its like safe areas, people will find the AI to be dumb in some way, and exploit it to causing you pain losing your guards and resources.

[Trenchfoot]

But I will tell you right now, its just another way for people to grief you. Its like safe areas, people will find the AI to be dumb in some way, and exploit it to causing you pain losing your guards and resources.

Correct. What it requires to get rid of the guards in WURM is common knowledge. I have yet to see an AI that can outwit the human mind consistently.

[ifireallymust]

Im not a huge fan of NPC guards, but hey if you think it will help great.
But I will tell you right now, its just another way for people to grief you. Its like safe areas, people will find the AI to be dumb in some way, and exploit it to causing you pain losing your guards and resources.

I realize people will find ways to grief each other. I was just trying to think up ways to make it less painful when it involves what you've built. That way, if people have either a toggle option or the option to live where there are no safe zones, it will cost less time to replace everything. And if you give players the benefit of faster build times as soon as your safe zone is gone, I think more players are going to choose to live without safe zones. Especially solo players. Hauling logs takes a long time even when they're not far away. Anything that would speed it up would be great.

Or maybe having agricultural skills only available to those who risk siege would let us grow what we need quickly, to quickly replace what we use when we have to rebuild.

Sly-I only meant it as a toggle off for safe zones, everyone would still be vulnerable outside those.

I was just trying to think of ways to get people to want to drop their safe zones and rewarding them for doing so in ways that wouldn't have a huge negative impact on those who want to keep their safe zone.