Re: [Adonthell-devel] Characters

[Kai Sterker]

On Mon, 6 Jan 2003 07:50:57 +1100 David White wrote:

> > All characters will be able to fight, so all of them need at least
> > those attributes required by the combat system.
> 
> Aren't there many NPCs who will never get the opportunity to fight,
> and thus don't need to be able to fight? What about NPCs in peaceful
> areas of the game like towns? Why would they ever fight?

Right, many NPCs won't have to fight.

But what I'd like to avoid is a black and white scheme you find in
certain RPGs: these NPC talk but do not fight; those fight but do not
talk. Each NPC should at least have the potential to do both. Whether
they'll actually do it in the end will be up to the game designer.


Another issue related to that is the freedom we want to give the player.
That poses the question whether players should be able to attack every
NPC they want. Certainly not without dire consequences, but still ... in
that case, each NPC would have to be able to fight, or at least to run
for it ;).

What also plays a role here is the 'uniqueness' of characters, as James
put it. The unique ones are those important for the plot. Killing them
may cause deadends, unless they are supposed to be killed at some point.
So it might not be too wise to allow players to fight whomever they
want.

Kai