Karyuu made a good point there.
Also, it feels a bit robotic to start the conversations always like this, with that enclosed way, feels like talking to a computer:
"Computer, turn the lights off"
We've enough clue words when it comes to talk to NPC as to even add more (even if this one is obvious, it becomes too mechanic, and artificial to have to start always with _name_ then sentence)
One of the things that are more difficult, and I talk with personal experience, is to not use the name that is flashing on top of players head, if you haven't been presented to that char or someone else described him/her to your char. It's really hard to not fall into that "temptation". It is as hard, if no more, to try to express this to new players, and convince them. It's one of the first things that allienate completely the game mechanics from the real roleplayed world. There are no labels, you see them, your char doesn't. Do not use the other char name if your char doesn't know it.
Trespassing this concept is hard, as I said, but is generally accepted if explained logically, I just don't see fine that I then have to add: "oh, but if what you try to talk to an NPC, you'll have to use the name you'll see on the label, even if your char doesn't know him/her, in order to make things work" it kind of destroys the argument that was previously built towards a more realistic environment, where you don't "guess" people's names.
There have been comments about how much time is lost and similar, I really think this is not the point here, since, for instance, with the current system yes, you turn to talk to someone, but you left the NPC selected, and the message doesn't show and you get the ugly reply from the NPC. Ok, you deselect the NPC, press up arrow key, hit enter, and the message is now displayed correctly, for the other person to see. I don't think this eats much time, so, time isn't the real point here.
Personally, I did not see any massive claim for this to be changed (talk to npc selecting them first) although it's true I've an enourmous amount of threads yet to be readen, but I never had this feeling of a chorous of voices claiming this to be changed. I do not know for sure, but, judging from the post title, seems as if the change was made without consulting anyone. Since it's a change that affects usability, I think it would have been better if this was asked before, in a separate thread, where people could discuss about this, and reach a point where it's decided (or not) to change how to address to NPC, and then make the code change. Again, when it affects something as close to the user as usability, perhaps it should be better if things were asked and devated first.
Edit to answer point 2:
Yes... but currently the most probable answer will be "Could you say that differently, I am not getting what you mean" and that, certainly is not very immersive, in fact kind of breaks the ambience.
Also, it's a matter of, the message should be recieved not only by the NPC, but also by the person you're talking to.
And the answer? Would it be sent only to the one that said the sentence "Harnquist gave me..." or will the one to whom the sentence was originally addressed to, recieve the NPC answer too?
Because if the NPC eavesdrops that ongoing conversation, instead of keeping a "private" talk (which is how talks with NPC were dealt, fortunately, till now) the most common reaction would be to openly talk to anyone around "You said I gave you what?" (but we all know he won't be answering that) anyway, if that ever happens (the NPC answering in open chat for all to see) that would be exploitable. Imagine someone trying to flood the chat, and even getting the "help" from the NPC, and what is the worst, with the NPC saying the most harmful sentences!
Player A:"Harnquist gave me a sword"
NPC Harnquist: "I don't get what you mean, say it differently"
Player B:"Oh, really, did he?"
Player A: "Of course he did, we're friends since childhood"
NPC Harnquist: "I don't get what you mean, say it..." (he now will talk to that one for the next 15 seconds?)
Player B: "How interesting, but I seem to hear a buzzing sound coming from his hut... something must be melting, and I think it's his brain."
That is, the NPC answer should be kept always in "private" to the one really talking to him, in order to prevent this "flooding", but if it is kept private, then the argument of "with this system there's a more immersive environment" gets broken.
