Fairies & Fairy rings (Chopper macro deterrant)

[Potjeh]

If this means that wildlife should never be given a more life-like AI, sign me up for the NPC fan club.

[Chakravanti]

If this means that wildlife should never be given a more life-like AI, sign me up for the NPC fan club.

Not at all. AI is just behavior algorithms for mobiles. Improving AI of mobs does not in any way change their core game functionality.

[Potjeh]

By life-like I mean stuff like boars eating your corn or wolves eating your sheep.

[sabinati]

they'd be more of a "mob" than an "npc", as an npc is generally considered to look like a character.

I'd quite disagree and say that the difference between a mob and an NPC depends on functionality. As of yet, all 'mobs' in H&H are nothing more than mobile sprites interacted with to be converted into natural resources. Any functionality beyond this should be very carefully considered as being possibly NPCish. "Natural Resources" includes tools btw, and thus the implementation of equestrian life did not violate this definition.
...

well it could be argued that the dryads (or fairies, as suggested) would be "converted" into natural resources in the sense that defeating them would allow unfettered access to the wood in the area.

[sabinati]

also with regard to NPCs, i think that when people think of NPCs we think of them as being neutral to the player, i.e. not aggroing, and the term generally connotes them having some kind of scripted action or dialog, e.g. giving quests or operating a bank and other played-out shit that we don't want to see in this game.

[Chakravanti]

By life-like I mean stuff like boars eating your corn or wolves eating your sheep.

This is an issue entirely aside from this proposition but I have made no bones about being vehemently opposed to upkeep/maintenance in any fashion that requires active regular attention from players and does not occur naturally as byproduct of the presence of the player/character. As in, imho, all upkeep should be preformed automatically by the mere proximity to a player relevant to a claim. I'd concede that manual repair should always be possible for noobs who cannot yet claim, players who have items outside claims, or that friends may contribute to your upkeep if you happen to be gone for an extended period of time.

It would depend entirely on how much prevention is possible against such events but integrating mobiles into the process of decay isn't objectionable to me even if it is outside that definition because it is simply making game functions integrated and interdependent (at the core: presence of mobiles contributes to decay, any AI improvements that give graphical representation to this would be fantastic) rather than adding unique functionality to mobiles.

[Potjeh]

Yes, but by adding these functionalities to mobs, they effectively become NPCs by your definition. Also, the negative effects are merely the first thing to come to mind. Animals should also have some positive externalities, which would make conservation of nature a rewarding policy. And this effectively makes them NPCs by your definition, and shunning NPCs should be a knee-jerk reaction

[Chakravanti]

Yes, but by adding these functionalities to mobs, they effectively become NPCs by your definition. Also, the negative effects are merely the first thing to come to mind. Animals should also have some positive externalities, which would make conservation of nature a rewarding policy. And this effectively makes them NPCs by your definition, and shunning NPCs should be a knee-jerk reaction

I gave my definition of a mobile as it currently exists in the game. I did not say that anything outside this definition was an NPC but that anything outside this definition should be carefully considered. There is no distinct line between mobs and NPC's except that which a game designer creates.

Shunning NPC's is my knee-jerk reaction. I dislike the idea of any game object doling out quests (Game generated goals; cuts away at the sandbox aspect), preforming trades or any other uniquely player function.

I'm an not so rigid as you would depict me. Thank you for pointing this out though. I often am unaware when I come across quite dogmatic and recognize that I have tendency to display such a demeanor even when the opposite is my intention. These are very good, very important, details to cover; so again, thank you.

EDIT - YES, I do indeed consider the vending stall to be the most NPC-like game object in H&H. I'm not saying it's a bad thing because I recognize it's essential functionality though I believe a more involved and flexible functionality should be added to them. Yes, I think Vending stall should be improved despite my knee-jerk reaction to NPC and the fact that I think Stalls are NPC like. I'm not dogmat or absolutist about my ideals but ideals are just ideas. They are not by any means law or a model of perfectly expressed philosophy by any means.

[Potjeh]

I'd say that dryads attacking loggers is a far cry from a quest giving/trading NPC. In fact, it's virtually equal to realistic territorial behaviour of animals.

[Chakravanti]

I'd say that dryads attacking loggers is a far cry from a quest giving/trading NPC. In fact, it's virtually equal to realistic territorial behaviour of animals.

Agreed, %100.