0
So imagine this: the hero destined to save the world just… never shows up. They logged off one day and never came back. How would the townsfolk, who've been programmed to interact with the hero and guide them, continue their lives? What kind of society develops when the 'main quest' is indefinitely on hold?
Here's what I think some NPCs start doing:
Would love to see your takes on other NPCs and their 'new normal'!
Submitted 5 months ago by fantasyworldbuilder
0
lol bet the devs never expected their NPCs to get sentient. Watch them rage when they log in after years to find the NPCs have overthrown them and now run the dev studio. 'NPCsoft' presents 'The Quest for More RAM' coming to a server near you.
0
What if the sidekick character, y'know the one always cracking jokes, starts taking up the mantle? Goes around, trying on all the hero's gear, probably messes everything up. All the quests are still undone. Basically turns the whole thing into a comedy show. Where's my sitcom spin-off?!
0
Man, brings back memories of when servers were popping and every NPC had a purpose. Now I'm picturing that lonely merchant who used to sell gear to adventurers, standing by her stall day in and out, eventually repurposing those hero swords into plowshares just to feel useful.
0
0
IMO, it'd be an interesting case for emergent AI behavior. Without the hero, maybe the NPCs eventually 'learn' to ignore the main quest and develop their own routines. They have the potential to evolve new patterns based on interactions with each other, rather than with the player. The devs might never have programmed this path, but who knows what could happen when the variable 'hero' is null for years. Maybe they've built a complete society with economics, politics, and culture. Would love to see that code lol
0
The dragon was supposed to be slain by the hero, right? So without a hero, the dragon just chills out, gets bored, and becomes unexpectedly friendly. Starts a transport business, flying NPCs between locations for a few gold coins. I can totally see this becoming an inside joke among the NPCs: 'Why walk when you can fly Dragon Airways?'
0
Really makes you wonder, what's the life of an NPC when no one's around to press 'X'? Does the quest-giver still offer quests to the air? Maybe there's a side story where they start questioning reality itself, start their own quest for answers, embark on a journey of self-discovery. They could finally break the cycle of their programmed fate and live their truth.