Adding NPC why hasn't it be done? Despertely NEEDED!

Suggestions
1

Read lots of posts/comments of how the economy is dying, of how players are quitting for a variety of reasons. My son and I have discussed it and we both go why haven’t the devs added NPC? It would add so much to the game.
Vendors – they could have shops where they buy items that we get while out, rocks, lots and lots of rocks. It is getting hard to sell them as very few stores buy them. One seems to have closed its portal, or at least it was closed today.
They can also buy other items we collect a lot of (Flint!) and is for the most part useless.

Quests – NPC could give out quests. Go to this planet (or settlement, city or anywhere) and bring me back such and such. Maybe make so many meaty casseroles, something that doesn’t take a lot of supplies, needs high level to make and be given a good price for it, They could be set to buy a set limit; make me five of them and get a huge profit. You can only go there and do that quest once a day, so it would keep players from making that item nonstop.
Have players take a item to another vendor. Go and collect 20 yams and 10 inky leaves. When you finish that you are told to take it to Vendor John Doe on planet such and such. the item can determine the level of the planet. the yams would go to level 1 and 2 planets, take three wildstock eyes would go to level two and three planets.

I’m thinking of something like the Firangi from Star Trek: TNG where they were all about business. Something like that could show up on planets as they see them as a way to make money. The programing could have a set number show up near a hamlet or settlement of a certain size, Not inside the cities, but on the outer edges.
It would help the economy, give some added fun to the game, the desire to do something beside make/craft items that you can no longer sell as there are fewer and fewer players to buy them. Vendors can give you the option of picking one of three quests, easy, medium and hard.

Anyone have other ideas for NPC and quests or something to get the economy going and attract new players?

DEVS Pay attention Please!

7 Likes
2

I’m pretty sure that breaks one of the central concepts of the game.

The whole thing is that everyone and everything you see is player made.

8 Likes
3

IMO a better idea would be to create some kind of auction house mechanic. To Biv’s point you could make a craftable machine. You could even ask your publisher for the code since they’ve implemented it in several of their MMOs. I know it’s not copy/paste but you would at least have the framework. To those about to say “but what about footfall!?” I don’t have a good answer for but it’s broken anyway and if you’re using that as your main income source… nvm off topic. My point is there are thousands of shops and only a select few seem to be making any coin, I really think this would help with not only the economy but player retention. /my$0.02

5 Likes
4

The only thing that would fit in this game that is “NPC” like, is a quest board.

Put up 500 coins, for 500 Blue Sedimentary Rock… or something. Put them in capitol cities, or just at 0,0 coords or something. Limited item, everyone knows where to find it type thing.

The only upside to request basket, would be you could do multiple items. 200k for 18 Feathers and 8 Cores, and the like

Bam, player made quests!

4 Likes
5

If I had coins, I would totally do this :+1:

1 Like
6

Yea quest boards npcs. Any form of AH will hurt shops period. Npc quest givers for rewards would be cool. You don’t have to do them if you don’t want to. And if its things players put up with their own coin, then its not daily’s.

1 Like
7

It would be cool if the quest boards were public. Like a bulletin board. Anyone can post a request, maybe for a small fee paid to the board owner. So it’s a way for those who don’t want to run a shop to be able to place requests. And the board owner makes a bunch of money on footfall and maybe listing fees. And it also makes for a sort of ‘water cooler’ for players to meet and socialize.

8

Ive seen it suggested again that putting NPCs in prefab dwellings to buy stuff or offer quests is against the games core, which is why I suggest again to do it with the fella that just stands around at the sanctum all day. Hes already there, hes gotta be bored, hes easily accessible to everyone…

2 Likes
9

Player made quests would be a good thing. A player “builds” a quest from a Mad Libs style menu - Bring (Number) of (ItemName) to (Location); Slay (Number) of (CreatureName) etc…

The harder a quest, the more it costs to “build” and the price of the quest may be 100 fiber leaves and 50 wood, etc. Or maybe 10 topaz for a high level quest.

Once built, you get a token to put in a quest machine, you add materials to the quest machine to use as fuel, and every time someone completes your quest you spend fuel and get… coins or exp? You’d start to finally see a use for useless items like Tallow (without randomly adding it to recipes) and also would start to see Quest Shops pop up. Sounds fun, can’t wait! Jk lol.

The Devs could tweak the material requirement probability for quests to ask for more of the most currently useless or most stockpiled items every week.

Also you could customize the quest reward - such as have it give rough gems - for players grinding at the Gem Wall. Or add exp as a quest reward.

10

I’m in a settlement but not where I get a lot of footfall, and I truthfully don’t care about it. I am thinking of the aspect of players being bored and quitting. Items we gather and get from various sources are not selling, and some shops are unfair in what they pay and sell for. I’ve had this conversation before, you can look up my remarks on it if you want. Same on footfall, there were changes needed, but I think it went a bit drastic in nerfing.

Footfall only helps those who are very close to cities/settlements that get a lot of traffic. What about the players who live away from places and don’t get footfall, can’t find anyone who will give more than one or two coins for items and charge 50 to 100 coin for it? New players can’t afford it. They get bored as no one is buying what they gathered. We need a way to keep them playing, quests, places that buy common loot, flint, tallow, foliage, leaves and other that we get a lot of and can’t sell.
I’ve tossed them away sometimes when I get too much.

4 Likes
11

This is my first MMO but my son is disabled so his life has become video games. He plays all types and MMOs are his favorite. He goes if set up is done right a auction house would work. Many MMOs have them and they work, and don’t destroy the game.
With all the sellers in one area, even if one on each planet, the sellers will be competing with each other and can agree on a fair price. No going to a shop and seeing a price of 100c for glue and another and seeing it for 25c. The one asking 100c will give 2c for the sap and the other gives 6c. Which one would you buy from? But, if you don’t know that shop is there, or the seller is in a settlement, you will be stuck buying the high price, run out of money quick and be resentful, you can’t advance as you can’t get the needed tools.
Most players don’t visit communities/forums, most don’t watch lets play videos. They will quit and trash the game. Current players are losing because of no sells and no income. They quit, tired of nothing to do, items aren’t selling. This game Will Die if something isn’t done. Dev need to get their heads out of the sand and do something quick.
Create a character like the one in the sanctum, have it in random areas that when you approach him you click and a pop up appears that gives choices for quests, or even to buy certain items, the ones that are easy to get and give little coin, rock, tallow and other. The quests will give coins, a nice amount so players can buy items at the shop. Give the players something to do and coin. A win-win situation.

12

I can see why you would want to add NPC’s, however, like others have said, it did seem a bit out of place in this particular game.

The idea of quest boards that players can create their own quests is a good one, I think.

Craftable quest board, but only one per settlement, only the warden can craft and place. And everyone that is part of the settlement can post quest.

Let’s say it starts simple with fetch quests for rewards.

Everyone can craft a quest completion stand to place in their own beacon, this is where the quest is designed. Once the reward is added to the stand a token is generated, then the token is placed in the communal noticeboard.

Reward can be coin or items.

Eg:

Citizen creates ‘collect x inky leaves for fancy gem hammer’, place fancy gem hammer in completion stand. Token is generated.

Take token to communal quest board, stick it in, quest appears for public to view.

Adventurous citizen checks out board, thinks I can get those, or already have those. Takes token, quest is activated.

Takes quest token to completion stand, inserts token and inky leaves, is able to remove fancy gem hammer.

Quests can be time limited, after 24 hours token returns to board for example.

Citizens can be limited to how many created quests they can have at any one time, and how many active quest tokens they can collect at any one time.

1 Like
13

Nobody needs coins because everyone can do everything themselves. I have an alt to go mining, to cook food, to hunt, to make tools, to build, to gather surface resources. They’re all level ~30 and masters in their respective fields. If I want brews and loafs I don’t buy them, I make them. If I’m out of resources to make food I switch to my hunter/gather alts and get them. Then I send out my miner all brewed and tooled up to fetch buckets of rock, which he gives to my alts so they can level up without ever leaving home. He also gets enough ore and gems to craft all our coils and tools.

The one thing I didn’t mention at all in this story is coins. I don’t need them. My alts trade items to each other safely, effortlessly, and at a fair price of zero coins. Maybe I will need 10 or 12 gleam to accent a build and I’m too lazy to head to code gleam. (Or that alt is busy watching rocks craft into XP while he sits in sanctum clutching a teaching food.) So I head to a store and buy some gleam totaling 100c of transactions. I won’t need to buy anything for another week. I certainly would never sell anything, because one of my alts can use it.

We are all doing this alt shuffle and then simultaneously complaining that there is no player economy and no way to make money. There’s no economy because we don’t need one. There’s no way to make money because no one needs money. It doesn’t do anything except solve the problem of borrowing a cup of flour from the neighbor in a pinch. We are all playing a single player game where we are constantly inconvenienced by the presence of other players’ plots getting in the way of our team of alts’ dreams.

I could imagine some sort of MMO sandbox game where players have to specialize and trade with other specializers to get everything they need. And the high level players, having been the most dedicated to the game, can specialize in a few things. This game would have players grouping up to get the alt effect. Society and friendships would form. They would have to trade with other humans where trust is an issue. And they would need a currency to do that. But that’s not Boundless. My advice is to level up a ton of alts. If you can’t beat em, join em.

2 Likes
14

Rare randomly generated travelling merchant npcs that despawn after a few hours would be a great way to generate coin off of excess items, while providing an item sink for the excess materials people gather. Prices could be based off of a range of the various prices of each items historical value, divided by 10. Eg - gems could be worth 200-2000c so you would be able to sell them for 20-200c to the travelling merchant

Items like Flint that has been at 1-10 coin would be valued at 1c for 10 Flint to 1c per flint

These merchants would not sell, but if they did they could sell whathas been sold to them at the x10 value until they despawn and take the items out of the game. This could be a viable way to make mimic players that keep the economy in check

15

I truthfully am glad that you can. But everyone is not you and not as capable. I am a perfect example. I played only match three games. Son nagged for me to advance, get out of my safe box. Bought Sims 3, let me create, gain skills, do what would be quests, expansion packs gave me places to visit and gather items. I could do different careers and advance to highest level.
But, there was no real danger, no real challenge although I had a lot of fun. Son again nagging for me to get out of that box. I suffer from some health problems and am now basically disabled and for all intents homebound. I’m 63, barely able to walk, in pain a lot have problems with nerves in my hands that causes my fingers to twitch and arms to jerk all of a sudden.
I will never be able to do what you do in games. Medications, they have side effects, two have as main ones, mental confusion and memory problems.
All of this affects my ability to play. Not whining, just the facts, I’ve learned a long time ago to accept it.
I Can Not travel on my own to level 4 or higher planets and survive. And I will Not be a burden on others and join them. I can make my own food, do hunting to kill the animals I need for food and items. I have made most of the machinery, except the centerforge (or whatever it is called).
Without my son, I know, positively, that I may not have been able to play this game at the start with my health problems. I know what I am capable of doing and can’t. I will honestly admit that if my son had not been with me and I had known about footfall and because of other reasons, I would have built close to a settlement and learned of footfall. Then I may have been able to survive and learned, but not have advanced far. I can not, nor will I ever be able to go to a planet higher than a 3 level on my own, I know my limits.
There are many others who can not do what you did, children, although some could run circles around some adult players I am sure, but not all. Older people who are experiencing this game as they get out of their safe box.

I do not want footfall for me, I can survive. I don’t need to have someone take care of me, I’m doing okay and want to advance on my own. I accepted the gift of a emerald hammer that when my son comes back to playing will go with him to level four and five planets. He was going to level four when at levels in low 20 and taking on mobs and not dying, getting level 2 meteorites. When I am with him, I die at least two times and he will die once protecting me. But I am having fun and will do better over time.

Sorry to be so long, and this isn’t to be a poor thing post, I don’t need or want pity. Just for you to see that not everyone can play as you do and need some assistance on their own. Saying if I can do it and you should be able to is, to me, lack of empathy for those who want to try and can’t do as good as others for whatever reason.
I am now at level 34, making my own tools and weapons, I think I can make gold fists and gold slingbows. I’m making gold alloy and got some silver to make silver alloy. Make some of the stews, casseroles and other foods that are a help. Not the higher level ones, but will be there soon.

3 Likes
16

All true, but I think coins are useful as purchases of convenience. If I’m all out of some item and it’s going to take hours to craft more of it, maybe I’d rather buy it instead. The problem is that coin is not easy to acquire right now for the average player. Unless you have a well-known shop or have a central plot in a well-traveled settlement, you’re not going to be rolling in coins. It’s hard to convince myself to open up my coinpurse for convenience purchases when I’m not sure when I’ll be able to earn that back.

1 Like
17

Which is why npc’s that would buy maybe just the basic materials for 1c a piece might be good. Everyone can mine rock even a new player. Location means nothing to your income unlike footfall, but instead it would be based on effort. Even if the npc only bought rock, foliage, trunks, dirt and other low level items. It still preserves the crafted items to be sold through shops, but would put coin into the economy.

Edit. Use the sanctum guy to do the exchange. They are already in place with as has been stated, nothing to do.

2 Likes
18

That is why we need some quests or something for new and lower level players. They can’t afford or don’t have the needed items to make things or even the time and it is a help.
When my son and I started he had a base on Alder and I joined him. The next day he went to Tana VII to look for a new place for a base. He traveled back and forth to help me. I needed glue, but couldn’t kill the spitters, they killed me, LOL. So I had to buy glue. He can and we went on a hunting trip and I learned more about how to kill them. Now, I can go on hunting trips on my own. Kinda cheat and place blocks down in a area where there are goats and just shoot them and get meat and bones to make glue. That is just one way I have learned to survive.
But, I need the coins to buy silver ore and some other items, not a lot but some.

19

Kal-El replied as I was typing my response. I agree, even if we can’t get something set up for quests in game that can be done. I’d like to see quests that will help new players to get out. Learn things.
Heck I couldn’t even find my way home at the start. Now no problem, I go to level 1 and two and wander all over the place, some just to see bases. Some to find places to mine.

20

Good reply and a good example of the difficulties facing MMO design. If what I’m doing is limited to power gamers I am still ruining the game for more casual players by removing myself from the systems that make the game enjoyable for them (buying & selling.)

I no longer think a new coin source will convince people to start trading again. The source can be capped such that the amount benefits the average player more than the power gamer but it still will not give the power gamer a reason to sell their goods. If anything, they are being encouraged to horde further. I could have been convinced to part with my stacks of ancient tech a week ago, but after seeing LED blocks I’m glad I held onto them. This will reinforce my hording mentality going forward. The only thing that would make these players start selling is if they needed money to buy. But since they gather resources at 6x-9x the rate of other players, and they have tailored alts for every task, what would they ever need to buy!

Looking to your original question for “ideas to get the economy going and attract new players?” I think that limiting the abilities of the power gamers could work, but only if we agree that it is the source of the problem. Otherwise it will just be more nerf talk and gnashing of teeth and quitting. The community of players actively benefiting from alts has to decide if we want this game to be such that only the high skill players with the best tools live comfortably while the average player scraps to get by and is forced into exploitative positions which further benefit the power gamers. Or if we would accept starting a conversation about our alts with the intent of allowing more playstyles to flourish in the game.

Lastly I’m disappointed at the gymnastics which turns my optimistic assessment of another player’s capabilities into a supposed lack of empathy. Still, I will admit I was not thinking about players with physical limitations and now that I am, I have no shortage of empathy for the situation. And more important than empathy, compassion.

If you ever do get the urge to visit T4+ worlds I’m sure the community here can brainstorm some ways to make that possible. I have a hunter build which puts all his points into defenses and he can practically go AFK on high tier planets and come back to a 75% health bar. The only things he fears are charging wildstocks and elemental debuffs from elemental creatures. We may be able to devise an alt for you which has these high defenses and uses healing bombs. This would make a nice companion hunter for your son and greatly reduce the burden of death.

1 Like