Bodyguards

[DeletedUser]

Well I started this idea on another thread that I hijacked. Thought I'd give it a thread of its own.

NPC Bodyguards

1. Players have to pay out of pocket for the bodyguard. Let's say it's a sliding scale dependent on players level. So maybe they have to pay $200 for a bodyguard for 8 hours. This isn't exactly cheap for professional fighters but true workers, ie, pure builders, can make that relatively fast.

2. The bodyguard would be at the same dueling level as the player hiring them. The player has no control over gear, stance, etc. Maybe they can choose between a melee or ranged bodyguard but that is it. As the NPC is at same dueling level, anyone they challenged before is still free to challenge them back.

3. If the bodyguard loses the duel then the worker still loses cash and the challenger still gains xp. The bodyguard then disappears even if they were hired an hour ago. No refunds to the worker who hired them.

4. The worker is not allowed to challenge anyone to a duel for 48 hours from the time they hired their last bodyguard. If the fighter disguised as a worker ever wishes to challenge a player again they would have to stop hiring bodyguards and be without a protector for 48 hours. This leaves them open to be dueled but they can not retaliate. It would be a poor choice for a disguised fighter.

5. If the NPC wins the worker receives no xp from the fight since they did not actively participate in it. Another reason a disguised fighter would not choose this option. There is no gain in it for them and it would hinder their game.

Couple of options for picking the NPC:

Option 1: Player gets to distribute skill points

So lets take a level 6 NPC, they would have exactly 24 SP+AP that could be allocated. So the skill points would be 7,6,5,3,2,1. Say I order my preference is:
1. Aim
2. Shooting/Vigor
3. Tactics
4. Dodging
5. Reflex
6. Toughness

This would make my NPCs stats:
7 Aim
6 Shooting/Vigor
5 Tactics
3 Dodging
2 Reflex
1 Toughness.

Option 2: Player chooses NPC without allocating skill points

NPC 1 - Ranged. High skills in Aim and Shooting, low skills in Dodge and Toughness. $200
NPC 2 - Ranged. High skills in Dodge and Reflex, low skills in Aim and Shooting. $150
NPC 3 - Melee. High skills in Aim and Vigor, low skills in Dodge and Reflex. $200
NPC 4 - Melee. High skills in Dodge and Reflex, low skills in Aim and Vigor. $150

Fighters disguised as workers won't want to use this option because there is no benefit for them to do so. If they hire a bodyguard they can't duel for 48 hours and they don't win any xp from any duels their NPC wins. Workers disguised as fighters would hire NPC's because they are specced for construction, not dueling, so the restrictions won't matter to them.

Edited to add in Diggo's idea on skill allocation.

 

[DeletedUser5046]

heheh..nice hijacking ^^

so tos will be regardless now of what their 'master's' skills and attributes are..or will they be able to adjust te merc's skills depending on their master's level and/or duelling level

 

[DeletedUser]

If you look at the examples I gave for NPC's, the player would only have a rough idea of what the NPC's skills are. They would know if they are melee or ranged and which 2 skills are highest and lowest for that particular NPC. It would be up to the player to choose which NPC they want to hire.

The cost of the NPC would be dependent on the dueling level of the player hiring them and which skills the NPC specializes in. NPC's that hit harder with more accuracy will cost more than NPC's that have a higher dodge and other defensive skills. The skills of the player will not affect the NPC at all, just their dueling level. The player has no control over what gear the NPC is wearing or where they are aiming and dodging.

 

[DeletedUser5046]

so te gears te NPCs have will be diffrent...but only their masters could see what they are wearing by te time they are able to hire em?

and weapons?

 

[DeletedUser]

You wouldn't see them at all. Look at it this way, if you were able to hire another player to be your bodyguard you wouldn't know exactly what skills they had. You may be able to see the gear they have on but since they are only protecting you and not running out and challenging people to duels for you...well they could have anything on when you were challenged.

The player that hires the NPC will be able to look at a list of available NPC's and make their choice based on that NPC's 2 highest and 2 lowest dueling skills. Gear is really unnecessary to know. If you know that NPC has high Shooting and Aim you really don't need to know what gear they have on.

As far as the NPC weapons, I would suggest that they are armed with the Precise or Sharp weapon that is available for their level (the character level of the player hiring them). Some may think this is unfair but a bodyguard would have the best weapon available to them. Since the player can't mess around with hats, shirts, etc, then they should be assured their bodyguard has the best weapon available.

 

[DeletedUser5046]

alrighty...and uhm..they will also be regardless of genders^^ i mean...they will show as anonymous. . .mysterious beings^^

and i am thinking where wil they are able to be hired?on te saloon? or outside te town?

edit: also i see tat it will be mostly a worker tat will hire a bodyguard...(i dun see an adventurer would like to be stalked^^ and a soldier being guarded )

 

[DeletedUser]

Probably in the Saloon. You would have to be in town to hire them. You can't be out at a job site or in another town and hire a bodyguard. You must travel to your town to hire them.

 

[DeletedUser5046]

i see...te only prob now is who will be able to ask you if you wanna hire a merc...or if it will call for another NPC waiting in te saloon for someone who wanna hire one of his/her friends^^

 

[DeletedUser]

Can just be another NPC sitting in the saloon that you can click on. He would be like an agent for the bodyguards and would show you what he has available for hire.

 

[Diggo11]

NPC 1 - Ranged. Heavy skills in shooting and aim, weak on reflex and dodge. $200
NPC 2 - Ranged. Heavy skills in dodge and toughness, weak on shooting and tactics. $150
NPC 3 - Melee. Heavy skills in vigor and aim, weak on toughness and dodge. $200
NPC 4 - Melee. Heavy skills in dodge and toughness, weak on vigor and tactics. $150

I'm fine with it all except this bit. I think you should get to place the skills you desire in order of importance. The skills selectable would be Aim, Dodging, Shooting/Vigor, Reflex, Toughness and Tactics. Then the skill points would be allocated down the list of your choice.

So lets take a level 6 NPC, they would have exactly 24 SP+AP that could be allocated. So the skill points would be 7,6,5,3,2,1. Say I order my preference is:
1. Aim
2. Shooting
3. Tactics
4. Dodging
5. Reflex
6. Toughness

This would make my NPCs stats:
7 Aim
6 Shooting
5 Tactics
3 Dodging
2 Reflex
1 Toughness.

 

[DeletedUser]

That is a great idea Diggo. I like that. Let's see what other people have to say. Angel and you both gave me some good direction on this so maybe some more helpful tweaking will be suggested. Besides, Luap isn't on yet and I'm sure he'll have things to say as well . Behave Luap.
Diggo, I added your idea to the first post.

 

[Diggo11]

Yes Luap will try communise the idea. Anyway I'll make a mock-up for you after we have a more finalised idea if you want.

 

[DeletedUser]

One thing about the skill sets - this bodyguard is only going to fight defensive duels isn't he/she? That means everyone is going to go for Tactics, aren't they...

 

[DeletedUser5046]

One thing about the skill sets - this bodyguard is only going to fight defensive duels isn't he/she? That means everyone is going to go for Tactics, aren't they...

ofcourse not...not every worker(which will probably te class tat will benefit from hiring) have pure tactics.

 

[DeletedUser]

You didn't mention it in this OP, but did in the mercenarys thread - if the NCP wins, the player gets 1/3 of cash, as normal. I think that the NCP should get a cut, as a bonus on its wage. So therefore he player would only get something like 1/4 of cash. There was something else I was going to say, but i forgot!

 

[DeletedUser]

This might make some sense from a gaming standpoint, and I wouldn't be upset if it got implemented, but it doesn't seem very "Westy". Posses are Westy, and bounties, but personal bodyguards not so much. I don't see any horrible problems with it though.

Not so crazy about being able to specify all the skill preferences though. Again, I wouldn't be upset over it, but it seems like micromanaging. I'd prefer a simple choice more like Denisero had originally, and just let the dice roll from there.

 

[DeletedUser]

I'm not the most experienced player, so take this with a grain of salt, but if stats start meaning less, and money starts meaning more couldn't that unbalance the game? I mean an expert dueller has to spend a lot his or her own points to get good at fighting, however now a builder or jobber who specializes in getting money can just buy a bodyguard and negate all that work?

Why is this a good idea????

 

[DeletedUser]

I'm not the most experienced player, so take this with a grain of salt, but if stats start meaning less, and money starts meaning more couldn't that unbalance the game? I mean an expert dueller has to spend a lot his or her own points to get good at fighting, however now a builder or jobber who specializes in getting money can just buy a bodyguard and negate all that work?

Why is this a good idea????

The work would only be negated vs. those who purchased the NPCs, which would tend (strongly, IMO) to be workers -- which is a long-running sore spot within the player community. Duels vs. those who are specced to be fighters would tend to remain the same as they are now.

 

[DeletedUser]

Would duellers also be able to hire workers then? Adventurers hire...?

 

[DeletedUser]

Anyone can hire the NCP, but it would only benefit builders.