Regarding "alternate dialog sprite" for custom npc's -- what is this? Curious, am I.
budgethero4hire
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A member registered Aug 30, 2025
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With this system, either with new NPC or legacy, if possible, how would be the best way to establish 'ties' with the player or protagonist from the get go? Adding some delicious lore nuggets or even establishing they have been a resident for a while could be fun.
For example, let's say they are a new guard to bolster the ranks with Darian. Would writing something like 'playername is a recent hire in Silverpine to guard the town borders' do the trick? ...Though I imagine this would have to be done with nearly every Silverpine resident to make sense.
Or if establishing familial bonds, player is a cousin of x?
On a similar beat, what is the location/name or code for Gareth's shack?
Working on a new scenario that was a fun concept before of the player being a much needed smith, but of course this would require another character to rely on as a partner to work up the engine and "build" in text. So I figure another character pining to get their smith on at the shack may do the trick. ...Or I'd have to add the behavior after it's been opened, unsure.
Regardless, since this could potentially let us set up an NPCs behavior pattern, I could get a reliable 'worker' in there rather than brute forcing NPC's or Mirel. At least I think/hope so.
Hrm. If we are attempting to replicate a npc and only adjust a few things, then by this logic we'll need all their bells and whistles for information, yes? But the NPC at the very least keeps their home, general pathing and whatnot?
For example, if we tweak the vendors, do they still retain their stock and sales?
Semi related, could this be used so you don't get eaten in the wild by a certain NPC, or has that been fixed?
Neat! Eight whopping characters! Much wow!
Three follow up questions (and thanks for the explanation and reply!): What determines the art used? Is it a custom character set up just like a PC like we've been thinking?
Leaning on the example you gave, what would be the name of Gareth's shack/the PC's home for directions for visiting? Let's say the custom NPC is a blacksmith and already holds a "lease" to use the grounds to work, so they visit a certain set of hours regardless if the player owns it or not. Would that work? If so, how?
How powerful is appending information to established cannon NPCs? Can this be used to adjust behavior or establish lore that is shared through the entire village? Or even how a character presents themselves? For example, turning Hayden into a plucky tomboy, or making the guard start up a side business of knitting? Silly stuff like that.
Hm. Well, for 4, Mirel basically starts living at the players flat, so I was curious if this is one way to make a footprint or resident.
A thought... if we make a custom NPC, but give them the same name for the "player", do we get to inherit all their lore and links with others characters?
I was toying with the idea as you are a certain green thumbed fox's daughter that has returned home a somewhat accomplished adventurer, perhaps even making the bread Fennec a cousin or sibling for extra sillyness. But as current NPC's can't have their relations tweaked I'm not sure how much traction this would have besides doing it the usual way of brute forcing the narrative.
By the by, what is your tool of choice for ripping art references? I've been drawing my own stuff, but being able to emulate the original would be a lot smoother with the art around, for sure.
Hopping in the same thread, I'll second the request as to what art to put where and how. Also, this is fantastic! Thank you ever so much for the hard work! On to questions, haha!
1) Is it defined off of a custom Player Character with the same name perhaps?
1A) If so, is it possible to edit or add to a current NPC's art? And again, how would we do this? For example, Rosalyn.
2) Regarding editing an NPC's information mode: is there any way we could load up the bio or info on a cannon integral information character loaded for reference? Easier to work with stuff that is presented rather than going in blind, though the custom NPC seems useful.
3) I recall reading there was a hard limit on extra town NPC's, or it would require replacing others. Is that no longer the case? How many is too many?
4) Regarding Faction: Does this define if a character shows up and is permanent within the village proper or not? Do they just visit or do they get a proper place to live? Or if you set one as 'important' to a current NPC, do they live there instead? Essentially, what defines where they exist, if it all?
4a) Can the character be married or join the players household, Mirel style?
The first time I was trying to duplicate something that has worked before: Knuckle Dusters (which the game made a flail and is currently in my inventory.) Used the exact same name as before, or different descriptors, the result was usually the same, jewelry for days. I get why it associated knuckles with rings, but if it worked before, I don't see why it wouldn't now.
Tried coaxing or pleading with ooc/chat/AI, no real difference there. Specified that it is a weapon, not an accessory, or ingredient, or hammer tool. Same deal.
So after wrestling with that for a good dozen tries, I tried something simple: A spiked baseball bat. The dialogue was amusing, but once again it ended up being an ingredient.
So then annoyed at the whole thing, I wrote: Sword. Just a basic garden variety sword. Basic, no embellishments, nothing fancy, no narrative backstory.
Tried three times, no dice. Very strange.
On a whim I tried to make a ring, and it repeatedly gave me ice elemental alchemy parts instead. Eventually got it to work after another dozen tries. May just be rose colored glasses looking at earlier versions fondly, but I swear this was easier before, haha.
Huh. For whatever reason with this new lore style of item creation, I cannot manage to have it create a weapon in any capacity. Regardless of how specific, or how little or how much story I attach to the writing, after nearly two hours all it is handing me is accessories, the occasional hammer, and ingredients. From a basic ass sword to fancier descriptions, I am having zero luck, and I could swear I'm writing in much the same style as I had many versions before.
Bug? Suggestions?
Edit: Ugh. Try and make a ring or accessory, it stubbornly decides it's an alchemical ingredient. I don't even...
Well that's darned cool. One last question- I'm not a massive fan of cheating, but redoing items is time consuming and expensive when it comes to runestones. Is there any reliable way to create/spawn/gift items of higher quality, or find runestones in the game beyond annoying our plucky cat merchant daily?
Interesting! So if I had something hand built in the past, should I "remake" it with this update for some extra lore goodness? I assume it's not retroactive.
Also, the seasons are a really nice touch. I know that's not a new new thing, but it's still rather nice, and figured worth mentioning.
Also also, saw you added the player is a lightbulb racial in the notes. Neat! How does it work? (I don't see a toggle or whatnot on it.)
Silly idea for a racial, as we already have 'low light vision', but perhaps there could be a bioluminescence trait? For example, a race that has a light source or flame on its tail, or the skin, or tattoos, etc.
Essentially it would be a lantern, maybe with a different color, maybe not, that is powered by energy. Which can be great, but I can see it backfiring if you have it active while swinging a heavy weapon around.
So through trial and error I've done a few different things. I've scoured the game and attempted to find every last elixir and chuck it on the ground in the maps outside the village, so they will vanish after a day, taking them out of the picture entirely.
I've been going through the narrative / npc memories and nuking any mention of them specifically.
When I chat with either I immediately told the chat/ai in *this* not to give any of those items in bulk or large number.
It... sort of is working. Game loves to backslide into it now and then, but that's what saving and loading is for, I suppose.
They allude to giving a gift, for example there was a plot thread I wheedled into the story that Mirel and the protag were starting up a forge, so she was gifting the PC ore (which never worked out, haha).
Rosalyn was occasionally giving gifts of healing potions or whatnot.
Sometimes they don't even mention the act of giving an item, sometimes they do. But the result is often the same oddly named potion and in massive amounts.
I did try purging any mention of the item from the NPC memories (there wasn't much) or gift giving in general, as well as several restarting the save a few times here and there, but it ended up with the same result.
Last time Mirel didn't immediately launch into the gift, so I thought I was safe, but nope. Tail end of the convo she snuck in 300x the moonfire whatever elixir (which takes like, 30 seconds for the computer to process).
Truly a head scratcher.
I haven't played much for a few updates, if that helps narrow things down at all.
Ack! I know it's been mentioned before, but it's come back with a vengeance: Rosalyn and Mirel are shoving 100s of potions at me at a go, which I never asked for.
How does one fix this?
Edit: Ugh. Yep, any time they 'gift' something to me, it's now 300x elixirs. Impossible to function this way, unfortunately.