Comments on: Sacred http://www.obscure.co.uk/blog/2005/07/27/sacred/ Biz Dev support for Creative Developers Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:59:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason http://www.obscure.co.uk/blog/2005/07/27/sacred/#comment-1299 Jason Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:06:00 +0000 http://www.obscure.co.uk/blog/2007/01/22/sacred/#comment-1299 In fact, I believe the uncanny valley problem might apply even more to an NPC who walks around and chases after you - I think it applies to semi-realistic behaviour as well as appearance. I can accept an NPC who stays rooted to the same spot, but once they start walking around I will begin to notice the quirks of their AI as they get stuck, walk into me or do other inane things. In fact, I believe the uncanny valley problem might apply even more to an NPC who walks around and chases after you – I think it applies to semi-realistic behaviour as well as appearance. I can accept an NPC who stays rooted to the same spot, but once they start walking around I will begin to notice the quirks of their AI as they get stuck, walk into me or do other inane things.

]]> By: Jason http://www.obscure.co.uk/blog/2005/07/27/sacred/#comment-1298 Jason Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:01:27 +0000 http://www.obscure.co.uk/blog/2007/01/22/sacred/#comment-1298 Is this really so uncommon? I'm surprised that such an oft-employed RPG convention (the "quest dispenser" NPC) would impact on your ability to enjoy the game so much. Compare this to Fable 2, where NPCs will follow and chase after you like sheep, annoying the hell out of you and even blocking you inside doorways - implementing more dynamic NPCs is not without its drawbacks and difficulties. All games employ some kind of abstraction here and there and we have to accept this - the NPC exists only to facilitate other gameplay. Sure, little details such as this can improve a game, but I really see this as polish rather than the "meat". I can forgive this in a game, especially when it occurs in practically all other games of the same genre. Is this really so uncommon? I’m surprised that such an oft-employed RPG convention (the “quest dispenser” NPC) would impact on your ability to enjoy the game so much. Compare this to Fable 2, where NPCs will follow and chase after you like sheep, annoying the hell out of you and even blocking you inside doorways – implementing more dynamic NPCs is not without its drawbacks and difficulties.

All games employ some kind of abstraction here and there and we have to accept this – the NPC exists only to facilitate other gameplay. Sure, little details such as this can improve a game, but I really see this as polish rather than the “meat”.

I can forgive this in a game, especially when it occurs in practically all other games of the same genre.

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