Adding NPC awareness

[srmalloy]

I don't know if it's possible to add this to the "panicked NPC" code, but I would like to see the NPCs that you find running around frantically in missions, or during Rikti raids, zombie invasions, etc., have a check added to them to see if they're within (say) ten feet of a player character with the combat flag active, and if so, turn around and run away. It's severely annoying, particularly on melee characters, to be in the middle of a fight and have J. Random Civilian come running in out of nowhere and push you out of the way, continuing on with no acknowledgement of your existence, much less awareness that they just ran in front of a [insert attack here]. The civilians will already walk up to NPC villains, panic, and run away, so there is at least some miniscule awareness, but if it's possible I'd like to see them given enough awareness not to run into the middle of a firefight.

[Akisan]

Some of the newer missions Kings Row missions have NPCs that run out of the mission as the players get close, something like that would work as well.  Plus, it gives you a sense of "rescuing" non-hostage NPCs as you progress through the mission.

[Shenanigunner]

There is already behavior like this in many street NPCs. If they come strolling up to a combat situation, they panic and run away. I am not sure how this is implemented or why it's not universal.

[RogerWilco]

12 hours ago, Shenanigunner said:

There is already behavior like this in many street NPCs. If they come strolling up to a combat situation, they panic and run away. I am not sure how this is implemented or why it's not universal.

It would be interesting to see how the code actually handles this.

Checks like that - for all the NPCs walking around - quickly add up and slow things down, especially back when the code was written.

 

But in general, I would love to see an overhaul of the street NPCs in both looks, behaviour and rewards for interacting with them.

 

But that doesn't take away that people do run around like headless chickens in a blind panic in real life as well.

Edited November 23, 2021 by RogerWilco