[VXA] I'm onto a good script/system idea but I need some help thinking about it.

So I got an idea last night for some sort of Global NPC manager for vx ace games. It would be some sort of script/system that allows developers to manage NPC's across their entire game with certain properties and actual physical tracking. It could for example, have a built in time system or be compatible with other specific time systems, and at certain times NPC's could be found in different areas, or only be available at certain times in certain places.

I get the feeling I'm onto a very good idea here. It just feels incomplete. So tell me, what sort of things would you like to see in a "Global NPC Manager"? What, in your opinion, would really make or break this system?

Thanks for your time.

Being able to group NPC's would be pretty cool, like for example, differentiating between story-important and story-unrelated NPC's.

If the system tracks events in general, it could be useful for event systems. If you had a group of events that you used for one puzzle, and an entirely different group of events for another puzzle, differentiating between these two groups would be very useful.

Being able to group NPC's would be pretty cool, like for example, differentiating between story-important and story-unrelated NPC's.

If the system tracks events in general, it could be useful for event systems. If you had a group of events that you used for one puzzle, and an entirely different group of events for another puzzle, differentiating between these two groups would be very useful.

I like the idea of NPC grouping, being able to differentiate between essential or story npcs and non-essential npcs. Event tracking not related to NPC's could also be included quite easily as a similar methodology is envisioned for NPC management. So that could be like a good notable side feature of the script.

Good ideas, thanks

No prob. Keep up the good work.

If anyones interested here are my current dev notes after brainstorming when I got home from work tonight:

Spoiler for:

Gumps NPC Global Manager (NPCGM)

 * Basic Objective: Create a global npc manager allowing additional management and control over events tagged as NPC events.
 
 * Initial Feature Targets:
  - Integrated Basic time system? With optional support for other popular time management scripts?
  - Identification of NPC Events via note tagging (event comments)
  - Other basic property assignment via note tagging (event comments)
    < NPC: true >
    < NPC_Essential: true >
    < NPC_Day_SS: A >
    < NPC_Night_SS: B >
    < NPC_Ego: 5 >
    < NPC_Hide_Switch: 14 >
    < NPC_Hide_Variable: 12, 5 >
    < NPC_Trigger_Location: 32, 15, 9, 4 >
  - Optional Selfswitch automation for day/night timings, with day/night time settings being settable within the NPCGM settings. So to have Self Switch A auto enable for the event if it is day time in the game world, and have an event page that requires self switch A. Now you're doing something.
  - Optional Hide Switches and Variables, with support for any amount of possible switches and variables for each event. These settings would react to game switches and variables. So if switch 14 is turned on, the event is hidden from the world.
  - Require the creation of a NPGGM map which is 100x100 in size, capable of managing and storing up to 10,000 events. Will be required for the script, hidden from the player and asked not to be touched by the developer. Hell, maybe I can even have this map make and save itself within the save contents. That would be awesome, then the dev doesn't have to worry about it. Provide possible access in-game to this map as a debug dev feature.
  - Optional Ego settings, which could perhaps change how the NPC reacts to the player given certian circumstances set out by the game developer.
  - An 'Essential' flag setting that if true, the NPC can not be sent to the NPCGM map for anything more than a temporary basis. The NPC is essential and should generally be always available to the player.
  - Where the developer creates the event is treated as the events 'default' position.
  - < NPC_Trigger_Location: 32, 15, 9, 4 >  : this forces the npc to a map location and x/y location, if a certian switch is enabled.
  < NPC_Trigger_Location: switch, mapid, x, y >
  - Ability to set any number of NPC_Trigger_Locations that the developer wants, with the FIRST location that is closest to the top in the comments note getting the HIGHEST priority.

I feel like I have enough to start making this system. If anyone has something to add please do let me know!