A cool idea...

[hypersaxon]

Sup y'all. I don't normally make topics on here, but I was just brainstorming about cool ideas that Sonic Team could implement into future Phantasy Star releases and I figured it wouldn't hurt to share it with you guys. Maybe if enough people here thought it was a good idea, maybe Sonic Team would one day implement it as a feature. Anyway, here's the idea:

NPC Creation Mode!

As most of you know, Phantasy Star Universe allows players to assign NPC characters to your party in Extra / Online mode to fill in gaps in your party. Well how about we take this concept one step further and allow you to talor-make your own NPC!

The actual creation of the NPC would be pretty much how normal character creation is in PSU. You select a race and gender, then customize the character's appearance. After you're done with that, an exclusive menu would pop up allowing you to set certain aspects of your NPC. Available options for your NPC would include:

Class - you can choose what class your NPC is

Weapon Type - what type of weapon your NPC uses (you can also select what style you want, since each shop has different styles, but not the actual weapon itself. The weapon will be upgraded accordingly depending on what level your NPC is.)

Behavior - depending on what class you selected, you'll get different behavior options. For Hunters, you can select an aggression level which dictates how involved the character will get in the battle. You can have him run in and unload on everything like mad, or you can have him attack sparringly and allow you to kill more things yourself. Another example would be for Forces, you can set a priority on what types of spells they use. If you want more of a focus on healing and support, you can set that. If you just want them to nuke things to high hell, you can set that.

After the creation of your NPC is complete, you would then recieve the NPC's guardian card or whatever it's called, and you would be able to select this NPC just like you would any normal NPC. The NPC that you create would NOT have a set level. Like other NPCs, they would automatically be set to around the same level as yourself. You also couldn't manually select their equipment either, their equipment would change depending on what level they are. Same thing with Photon Arts and all that.

So, good idea or bad? I made a poll, so please vote if you like the idea or not. Hopefully Sonic Team will implement such a feature, if not in PSU then maybe the game after that.

[DikkyRay]

This isn't such a bad idea. It would be cool if you were a cast, and you had an npc force helping you along. People might get mad because it would be too "rpg-ish" though

[Foxix]

I wouldn't say this would be a great idea for ST to implement in story mode since it may make certain parts in the game too easy and screw with certain parts of the game too much.

But for online and extra mode it would be friggin' sweet! It could really help out along with your partner machine.

[Saner]

I had this idea every since I played Final Fantasy Tactics and there was a soldier shop to recruit and name new generic allies.

ya this would be a great option, maybe they might add this feature in the future if enough demand it or they like the direction this feature would offer for Extra mode players.

[CherryLunar]

This would be both a good idea at the same time as a bad one. Bad idea because the NPC may just sit there and do nothing or get killed. Good idea since the help is always needed.

I know theres always a possibility that the NPC would die anyways whether created by you or the developers. I just dont know if assigning them specific commands, weapons, and a class would work out so well.

Wait... How does the NPC system work in PSU anyways? Does anyone know?

[hypersaxon]

In PSU, if you have open slots in your party, you can go to the menu and select NPCs to fill in the vacant spots. I'm not sure how it works online, there may be restrictions on how many NPCs you can have at once, but in Extra mode I believe you can have a full party of 5 NPCs and yourself. Online they may make limits as to how many people you can have at once to keep the servers from lagging from having too many NPCs around at once lol

And also, don't forget that since PSU is a new game running on a brand new engine, the AI will most likely be improved compared to PSO. Especially since in Story Mode you're pretty much required to have NPCs almost all the time. So I wouldn't worry too much about them being totally braindead like in PSO.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hypersaxon on 2006-07-08 21:59 ]</font>

[Saner]

well its good that extra mode at least has the story mode heroes as useable npcs.

so people can at least form a party in extra mode one way or another.

[CherryLunar]

On 2006-07-08 21:58, hypersaxon wrote:
And also, don't forget that since PSU is a new game running on a brand new engine, the AI will most likely be improved compared to PSO. Especially since in Story Mode you're pretty much required to have NPCs almost all the time. So I wouldn't worry too much about them being totally braindead like in PSO.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hypersaxon on 2006-07-08 21:59 ]</font>


Haha! The good old days, running around with Nol. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Sevenfold]

Alright, well Im a tad confused then. I know you can replace lost players online with NPCs, but, is there not an option to just invite another human player to fill the spot? Or is it just, what you start with is what you get, and only NPCs fill the gaps?

[hypersaxon]

You can invite other players to your party, it's just that sometimes there won't be people to fill the gaps in your party and you might prefer to just throw in an NPC so that you don't hold up the rest of the party.

And of course, in Extra mode you have no choice but to invite NPCs if you want to play with other people http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Ikubi]

I think its a good idea, but you could expand on it. Rather than create entirely new NPCs, why not work with the ones that are provided in the story? Customize Karen, change her hair and clothing, or class. Maybe for Xtra mode, that way(if the NPCs keep their lvls) you won't have to start from stratch with micro managing all your new NPCs. ;x

[Pyronin]

I dont think its a bad idea, but I dont think its great either. Somehow I suspect people are going to abuse it in a way.

[TheGreyCliche]

Very cool idea. Each player could have their own entourage of NPCs, all with different styles and personalities. Of course mine would probably turn out a bit cliche... the brutally strong Beast Hunter that has a heart of gold... the quiet child newman girl that holds powerful magic... the cast ranger, the newest member of the team that malfunctions and starts shooting up hostages all crazy like...

...good times.

[Alisha]

this has been done already in ffxi D:
i have a whm type npc and she spams me with haste <3

[Tystys]

This sounds like a good idea but if you put it in Online mode what would be the use of grouping with other people?

[MoonSblaise]

Don't do it.. thats so similar to the fellow NPC thing on FFXI and personally i didnt like that... it blows to be able to team with an NPC... sure maybe for a boss or sumin but just in general that isolates team play... Perhaps take Lineage 2 methods in to consideration, not an NPC as such but a pet could be trained and used to battle along side you... it was a little difficult to train but all in all i wouldn't think a fellow NPC to battle with would be so great...

[Pyronin]

On 2006-07-10 12:54, MoonSblaise wrote:
Don't do it.. thats so similar to the fellow NPC thing on FFXI and personally i didnt like that... it blows to be able to team with an NPC... sure maybe for a boss or sumin but just in general that isolates team play... Perhaps take Lineage 2 methods in to consideration, not an NPC as such but a pet could be trained and used to battle along side you... it was a little difficult to train but all in all i wouldn't think a fellow NPC to battle with would be so great...


*cough*partnermachinery*cough*
You can train and level those by fighting monsters right?

[MoonSblaise]

Partnermachinery, fellow NPC.. i'm going with the FFXI lingo because its exactly the same in this case... You train with them on FFXI but are limited to how much experience they can gain before they go away and they had a 16 hour respawn time on it.. wasn't so great

[TheGreyCliche]

I agree that this idea would be horrible for online gameplay, but offline extra mode i don't see why not.

and also, i agree with MoonSblaise that i'm not a fan of teaming up with NPCs, i still hate the idea of Partner Machinery following me or other of my teammates around...

[Ikubi]

Whats wrong with PMs? from what i gather, they seem to be mags with the ability to hold stuff.

[tank1]

After a day of dealing wiht brain dead NPC's on HL2 im with TheGreyCliche on this one.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tank1 on 2006-07-10 14:12 ]</font>

[TheGreyCliche]

On 2006-07-10 14:09, Ikubi wrote:
Whats wrong with PMs? from what i gather, they seem to be mags with the ability to hold stuff.



Absolutely not! PMs just sit there festering in your room, feeding off your spare parts while contributing nothing of it's own to society!

But seriously, PM do hold stuff, sure, but the primary difference is that they do not enhance any of your stats anymore. Once they get to their maximum level, they take a human form (eww, who wants a lame human form?) and gain the ability to 'fight along side of you' which to me is just as annoying as having an NPC follow you everwhere they go. They don't enhance your stats, you can't trade them (to my knowledge), they don't make your costume look cooler (no more angel wings or devil wings), and they never become a real part of you. They just follow you around and steal your kills.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TheGreyCliche on 2006-07-10 14:19 ]</font>

[Ikubi]

;O So they are like an ugly pet. >w< well that sucks. ;-;