Afaik NPCs will have some form of favor players have to build up before they will marry a pc.

I assume since they mentioned giving gifts and doing tasks for your family to earn their favor you would do the same for NPCs. Not sure how that would look or work for PCs...

Posted By Malais at 11:20 AM - Wed Oct 10 2018

Afaik NPCs will have some form of favor players have to build up before they will marry a pc.

I assume since they mentioned giving gifts and doing tasks for your family to earn their favor you would do the same for NPCs. Not sure how that would look or work for PCs...

Definitely, yes. What I'm saying though is, as a player, does earning favor with an NPC work the same way as with an OPC? I could just interact with someone's OPC the whole time and never meet the PC player if our play times are completely different. Whereas someone else might be like "Oh Joe the shopkeep? Yeah he's my RL buddy" "Huh... never would have guessed..."

Obviously I think the facade might unravel when marriage contracts are proposed, but who knows? I'm just curious because SBS always says how it will be difficult to tell PC from NPC/OPC.

Posted By Mhaura at

This is actually one of my fears. With how SBS talks about their AI all the time, OPC scripts, and player roleplay, I think it's possible some people might get sorta cat-fished. I personally like playing games like The Sims and Rimworld where you strategize and there's heavy time management elements while also being imaginative and there will be aspects of CoE that is similar if not the same. My worry is I'll get caught up in creating fantasies in my head and playing dollhouse, marrying my children off, then my heir, and then wait.. I actually married a PC but we are different time zones and I only ever interacted with his OPC?! Awkward...

Do you guys think that will be possible? Would this be a viable play style for griefers to infiltrate your family? Thoughts?

Not only is it possible, it's probable. Further i'd surmise that SBS would promote this. It makes the story interesting. What did my spouse do? Are they trying to kill me? Locking your children is a thing by code but siblings, parents, and extended family. Part of the dance of dynasties once launch happens will be controlling this. Remember though power struggles throughout history provide immersive and engaging stories. As a noble of this very issue as lineage will be a forefront of concern.

Interesting topic and I look forward to ongoing talks regarding families and the cool dynamics that can occur due to them.

Haven't seen anything on this, but I have to say it is probably impossible to marry someone's OPC. Could you imagine going on vacation and coming back to "You lost half your stuff in the divorce!" when you weren't even married when you left.

Maybe in the scripting of your OPC you can toggle this option on and off so you can essentially come back to the character later just to see how they are doing, totally independent on you.

I probably would just default to not allowing my family members access to my stuff unless I knew them on a personal level. If I take an npc wife, she gets an allowance.

It depends on whether OPCs are permitted to sign marriage contracts and whether contract signing itself can be a scripted action. If there are no technical restrictions, then somebody could implement a LFW (Looking For Wife) script and attach it an OPC of a character they want to marry off.

Or conversely, the OPC offers the marriage contract (a specific one a player has created) and a PC can sign it, which is much more in line with how NPCs will behave. In both cases, it's a deliberate action though and not an oopsie that just happened spontaneously.

When it comes to NPCs and OPCs being indistinguishable from PCs this was probably primarily meant in regards to how they would appear at face value, and what they can do in the world. However, it's going to be unavoidable that they'll be easy to recognize when you communicate and interact with them.

Similarly there are going to be certain restrictions unique to each of them. First of all, a NPC won't accept contracts (and if they change this it'll probably still be limited), so if you want a kid or marriage contract with a NPC they will probably be the ones to offer the contract to you after you've earned enough favor and made the suggestion.

How it'll work for OPCs aren't really known at this time, however they will likely only be able to offer contracts the player themselves have prepared beforehand. It also doesn't make sense for them to use the favor system. In addition you might still be able to offer them your own contracts, except the OPC will probably just be "I'll consider it" and give their player a notification, either through the OPC app, or when the player logs back on.

Posted By ShadowTani at 2:40 PM - Wed Oct 10 2018

First of all, a NPC won't accept contracts (and if they change this it'll probably still be limited), so if you want a kid or marriage contract with a NPC they will probably be the ones to offer the contract to you after you've earned enough favor and made the suggestion.

Wow this is very interesting, and not at all what I thought the restriction would be. I imagined NPCs wouldn't be so stagnant in that they only offer contracts and cannot accept any. This doesn't seem right to me... how are you supposed to hire NPCs with no contract? You just hope they show up and offer to help you?

With that mechanic, you could easily exploit it to differentiate between PC and NPC/OPC -- just offer a contract. Not allowed? OPC/NPC. Allowed? You found a PC!

Posted By Mhaura at 5:50 PM - Fri Oct 26 2018

With that mechanic, you could easily exploit it to differentiate between PC and NPC/OPC -- just offer a contract. Not allowed? OPC/NPC. Allowed? You found a PC!

I'm not sure how you imagined them holding a similarly advanced conversation as a PC to begin with, outside of static commentary. I'm pretty sure SBS won't integrate the latest generation of super computers into the game. ;3

But I understand your concern around the contracts. I imagine the way to attract NPC labor could be by posting work requests at billboards or something and they will come to you and offer you a standardized contract based on their relevant skills and attributes.

Of course, depending on how they design the contract system it shouldn't be impossible for NPC's to figure out the value and purpose of at least the simpler contracts, so who knows? The stated limit is from when the contract system was still mostly just a concept after all, given time to work and iterate on it they might lift this restriction somewhat.

Possible? Perhaps. Less probable, I'd say to marry an OPC. Do you plan to marry them after a couple days irl? I doubt an OPC could accept a marriage contract, unless it was programmed to do so. Which it could be but unlikely people will allow that for fear of ill marriages when they're not playing... etc.

Posted By Varhukan at 3:13 PM - Fri Oct 26 2018

The opc would have to have it set their actions to something like that, most likely it would be set to a specific npc they are trying to woo since a pc could just accept a marriage contract and stupidly doubtful a pc would set their opc to accept a marriage contracts.

Agreed, but before marriage contracts, Don't get too hung on the title, expand on it. If I am interacting with an OPC, how do I know they are not an NPC?

What I'm saying is, alllllllll the way up UNTIL I propose a contract, I could rightfully think that an OPC is an NPC since SBS is touting very proudly how we won't be able to differentiate. So let's say in trying to woo this NPC who is actually an OPC, I spend my in game time trying to find what they like, talk to them a a lot, fulfill contracts they have, etc, only to realize later on they're a PC, either when I propose a contract or that person happens to log on and I try to converse as usual and it happens to not be a script this time.

So, what I'm asking, how do I not waste my time on that OPC and rightfully target an NPC?

Posted By ShadowTani at 11:02 AM - Fri Oct 26 2018

I'm not sure how you imagined them holding a similarly advanced conversation as a PC to begin with, outside of static commentary. I'm pretty sure SBS won't integrate the latest generation of super computers into the game. ;3

I didn't, that's an assumption, and a tad condescending. I'd appreciate keeping the positivity in the thread and giving SBS the benefit of the doubt when they say they'll be able to fool us into thinking OPCs are NPCs, for sake of the discussion. Thank you.

I'm sorry Mhaura, my combination of both having a to the point language while also being a tease by nature doesn't seem to go over well always, though I probably should read the mood better considering how people are so quickly trying to shut down your thought experiment here.

Considering how an OPC will most likely run on NPC scripts by default the difference will likely be small in many cases. Thus it's like you said to Varhukan, it's an idea worth expanding on, so don't get discouraged dear.

I think that accidental marriage is less likely than accidental child contract. They are two different things, but people sometimes confuse or conflate them. Is everyone talking about the same thing, or maybe mixing up different things?

In essence you shouldn't specifically be able to tell the difference between NPC and OPC - you're completely correct in that. There will be no indicator. Likely you'll be able to tell by mannerism differences. NPC's will have very specific set of AI (living AI) and OPC's will have heavily differing AI (more task driven). The attempt to make OPC seem more like a PC however (as if they don't it would be naturally at a disadvantage against any opposing PC with knowledge of the OPC) will also help or hinder you.

If your core question is can you be catfished - you can. (#internet) Even by a PC pretending to be an NPC - they don't even need to have a OPC working you. Lol

Yes, this is what I'm looking for everyone!

Posted By ShadowTani at 11:35 PM - Fri Oct 26 2018

I'm sorry Mhaura, my combination of both having a to the point language while also being a tease by nature doesn't seem to go over well always, though I probably should read the mood better considering how people are so quickly trying to shut down your thought experiment here.

I appreciate sincerity no matter which world I'm in. Earth or Elyria, and honestly it's rare in both so it's frustrating for me since I'm perpetually real. So thank you for the apology, it means a lot because of the rarity.

On to topic, people's writing and the language they use in their vocabulary can be pinpointed to a specific personality, or type of person.

So your scripts are, essentially, your signature as well. One person may be very amiable and inviting while the other is curt and crass. It's just a matter of what the AI scripts look like, comparatively. Do they have the same depth of personality?

Posted By Poldano at 12:12 AM - Sat Oct 27 2018

I think that accidental marriage is less likely than accidental child contract. They are two different things, but people sometimes confuse or conflate them. Is everyone talking about the same thing, or maybe mixing up different things?

All the things! I read posts about affairs and bastard children. It's going to happen. I wonder if a child would ever fall so desperately into the AI's hierarchy of needs that they could propose a child contract? If AI can do it, it can be effectively mimicked.

Also, super random thought... does it matter where a contract is fulfilled? How does a baby spawn? I know you have to fulfill all the requirements like room/kit/etc but if you're having an affair and you sneak away to like a meadow to sign a contract... does the baby just spawn there? Can you carry and interact with babies or do they only stay in the crib? I don't think there's an answer out there but yeah... something for me to think about.