IMPORTANT: How you talk to NPCs has changed!

[Datruth]

Stop crying about your targeting, targeting is gone, it was fake, we don't walk around with big pointers everywhere.

Try to be less aggressive when you post, Datruth. You have a way of saying exactly what you mean, but there are milder, kinder ways of doing that sometimes :}

Personally I prefer the targeting system - it's a very easy and yes, "realistic" method of communicating with an NPC. By targeting, you roleplay "directing" your speech at that particular person. You don't need eye contact to do that in real life - body language and tone of voice suffice enough sometimes.

Still, the new system would be just fine if you could talk about an NPC without that NPC immediately cornering you into a conversation with it.

Sorry karyuu, i get worked up at times.

[neko kyouran]

But then there's still the infamous "you have to know the character's name before you meet them" problem! I hate to be repetitive, but we do have a perfectly functional /greet command, which could do the same thing to begin a conversation, not require censorship of chat around NPCs, and not be OOC.

That's why I proposed to keep the old way as well.  That isn't a problem then.  If your character doesn't know the npc, use the targeting way.  After they do know, use the "hello [npc name]" way.

But you're right, /greet should be another option.

[Siteri Kidachi]

But then there's still the infamous "you have to know the character's name before you meet them" problem! I hate to be repetitive, but we do have a perfectly functional /greet command, which could do the same thing to begin a conversation, not require censorship of chat around NPCs, and not be OOC.

That's why I proposed to keep the old way as well.  That isn't a problem then.  If your character doesn't know the npc, use the targeting way.  After they do know, use the "hello [npc name]" way.

But you're right, /greet should be another option.

Of course, you have to target someone to be able to greet them specifically rather than "everyone", so if the old system was kept, using /greet would be entirely pointless. I guess you couldn't have both of those two.

[Soulless_Body]

I do wish you did not have to write in stuff to ask NPC's stuff... Im bad at spelling and have bad grammer... So yoiu can see my problem...........

[Karyuu]

Then this will benefit you in further progressing your knowledge of English and correct spelling of words.

[Vengeance]

I would not be opposed to implementing more of an "eye contact" system, in which if you talk and you are within 2 meters of an npc, facing within 15 degrees of pointing directly at him, he would interpret that as you talking to him without saying his name.  I didn't do that the first time because it seems more error prone but perhaps people would get used to it.

Does the group like this idea better?

- Vengeance

[neko kyouran]

I'd see that as an improvement over the current system. 

Perhaps later on, to tweak it you could have the npc ask if the player was talking to them after it first detects speech, then if the player says yes, the player can continue to talk as they were to the npc.  Say they say no, the npc asks them to move a bit or something so that the text doesn't trigger the npc or something.

[bilbous]

I would not be opposed to implementing more of an "eye contact" system, in which if you talk and you are within 2 meters of an npc, facing within 15 degrees of pointing directly at him, he would interpret that as you talking to him without saying his name.  I didn't do that the first time because it seems more error prone but perhaps people would get used to it.

Does the group like this idea better?

- Vengeance

I am entirely unsure how you propose to do this when puppets have no concept of facing as it is. It is currently possible to fight with your back to your opponent's back. This seems like a major undertaking but perhaps it is already in the plan.

[Siteri Kidachi]

Well, in defense, most new additions to the game don't work right at first. Because they're new. I mean, these are serious problems, but they will be fixed.

[zanzibar]

Well, in defense, most new additions to the game don't work right at first. Because they're new. I mean, these are serious problems, but they will be fixed.

No.  Even if all the bugs were gone, there would still be too many problems for the new system to be viable.  What will happen is that the new system will gradually be improved until we're back at the old system.

[Soulless_Body]

Then this will benefit you in further progressing your knowledge of English and correct spelling of words.

OH YAY! 

Sorry but i dont think i will ever be great as spelling. 

But since they added this thing, it must be better.

[Ralleyon]

I would not be opposed to implementing more of an "eye contact" system, in which if you talk and you are within 2 meters of an npc, facing within 15 degrees of pointing directly at him, he would interpret that as you talking to him without saying his name.  I didn't do that the first time because it seems more error prone but perhaps people would get used to it.

Does the group like this idea better?

- Vengeance

In all honesty, I still don't like the new system even with that improvement, although the idea is more realistic.

How about implementing that  "/greet" to begin a conversation, and the "Goobye NPC_name" to end a conversation as well, in addition to this new system? If these two things + the new idea of facing get implemented and the dreaded 15 seconds go away into the darkness (since "goodbye NPC_name" makes it pointless to have a check for holding an NPC's attention), then I say... THAT would be very, very, very nice.

I know it  sounds a lot to ask... but heck for that sort of improvement, I'll bear the NPC's silence until they get converted to the new system for a whole month from now. Promise! 

[Janner]

 I for one like the new system, yes the old worked ok but it was not realistic, even better the eye contact.

It is more real.

[cedermoon]

I can only find two NPC's that will speak.
Is there a list of NPC's i.e. those important to quests which are speaking.
I have a few quests that can't finish and a few that I can't start. Very frustrating.

[Xordan]

System has been reverted for now, or will be within the next week or so I think (whenever the server is updated). We'll probably look at having a mix of both or something later on.