NPCs

Non-player characters (NPCs), or sometimes mobile objects (MOBs), refer to characters in the game which are not controlled by a player, e.g. Space Maggots or characters offering jobs in the bulletin boards. This section only refers to the former NPC opponents, such as the Space Maggot.

Over sixty opponent types can be encountered in the Pardus Universe; about one third of them in the Pardus Cluster or Pardus Sector. [TWOP:Pardus Sector]

For an extensive compendium of all NPCs please go to [TWOP:Life Forms].

Composition

NPCs have a certain composition:

• Vessel
  

  These NPCs are pilots with a ship, or of mechanic or cybernetic nature. E.g. NPC Pirates, or the cybernetic X-993 opponents. They may attack with missiles and have any kind of laser or armor class installed, but usually conventional. [MECH:Laser/Armor Class]. NPCs have an unlimited amount of missiles available.

  
  
• Monster
  Monsters come in a wide variety of subcategories. Their "missiles" can be anything from shockwaves to spikes.
  
  
  • Organic
    

    Most NPCs are made of flesh and blood, or sometimes of other natural materials such as silicon. E.g. Space Maggots, Bio Scavenger. Organic NPCs always have organic lasers and armor available. [MECH:Laser/Armor Class]

  • Energic
    

    These are pure energy beings, such as Space Dragons. Energic NPCs always have electro-magnetic lasers and armor available, usually also energy shields. [MECH:Laser/Armor Class]

  • Crystalline
    

    Crystalline lifeforms are more common than one would think. Examples include: Blue Crystals, Frost Crystals. They usually have electro-magnetic lasers and armor available. [MECH:Laser/Armor Class]

  • Hybrid/Special
    

    These kind of NPCs have either more than one of the above composition, or bear any kind of categorization. Hybrid/Special NPCs can have all sort of laser and armor classes available. [MECH:Laser/Armor Class]

Spawning

After an NPCs was killed, some time has to pass until it can reappear; this is called respawning. This time can be anything between a few minutes and even some weeks, only depending on opponent type.

There are three general respawn behaviours:

• Fixed Spawning
  These NPCs have one fixed respawn field. They will always spawn in the 3×3 fields area around this point. Examples include Space Maggots or Blood Amoebas.
  
  
• Random Spawning
  Randomly spawning NPCs respawn randomly in a certain type of field or around certain other NPCs. E.g. Medusa Swarmlings tend to respawn on a random place near a Medusa.
  
  
• Triggered Spawning
  Unique NPCs can be spawned by certain events, e.g. the Feral Serpent is spawned by searching the Serpent Den from time to time.
  

Every NPC has certain field types on which it will respawn, and some on which it will never respawn. E.g. Sarracenias only spawn in nebulas, Space Maggots only on space or asteroids. Fixed NPCs can spawn under objects such as buildings or wrecks, so always make sure to not raise your building above or next to a spawn point - your visitors may be unhappy if being constantly annoyed by NPCs blocking them from under your building! Most randomly spawning NPCs will not respawn on buildings, with very few exceptions such as Medusa Swarmlings.

Aggressiveness & Blocking

NPCs can either be aggressive or peaceful. Aggressive NPCs will attack ships which stay on their field. Peaceful NPCs do not show this behaviour; they only engage in combat when being attacked.
Most NPCs are aggressive.

NPCs usually block fields. This means that ships flying onto a field occupied by an NPC will only be able to pass the field once the NPC was defeated. However, there are a few NPCs, such as Slave Traders, which do not block and let players pass. In this case they appear in the other ships window on the nav screen. Be advised however, that aggressive non-blocking NPCs will still also attack you in regular intervals when you stand on their field.

Certain NPCs such as NPC Pirates or Blood Amoebas are able to cloak and even ambush for players.

Roaming & Dens

Most NPCs are static and do not move. However, there are some NPCs which are able to roam inside an area of a sector (or the whole sector), and unique ones even traveling through the entire universe. These are usually either strong isolated NPCs, or NPCs living in dens. Dens are areas with a high concentration of similar opponents, where also nav scan range is constrained. [MECH:Movement & Status]
Roaming NPCs can pass military outposts. Once they have found a player they will usually stay there and attack him/her at random times (on average once every ten minutes). Unique NPCs develop special behaviour, including chasing and running away from players, based on their age, health status and other factors.

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Last modification on this page: 2009-07-03