Having every NPC perform an important task is necessary both in terms of the effort it takes to acquire them and the cost in computer processing power to provide them with motion. However, when I travel around the map to towns and clan villages, I see very little action beyond crafters and people standing around. There are a few walkers, but they are rare. The only time people seem to come to life is when they want to kill you.
I think that “Background” thralls would add an entertaining element to the game that would give a greater sense of life and activity. They could be placeable actors carrying out a repetitive role: a fisherman by the river, a lumberjack chopping wood, a woman walking a set path carrying items, dogs or cats running through the streets, a merchant calling out to sell his goods, a prostitute offering her services, a mercenary looking for work. They do not have to actually perform a function other than making the scene look alive with people. Sepermeru comes close to this, but still could use more action. This would really help perk up clan locations or personal villages.
A fully developed Settlement system with thrall game loops would be an awesome complement to the robust building system that we have. Many “City Builder” games use this approach.
For example, add “Hunter” thralls to the game. You capture a “hunter” and put him on the wheel of pain like any other thrall. Only now, he can be placed to work for the player/clan. He goes out and gathers food (hunts “meat” and “skins”). He returns and drops off meat at the cook (firepit/stove) or storage (preservation box) and drops off skins at the tannery (or armorer’s bench). And repeats. These don’t have to be enormous amounts of gathering; maybe keep the “income” very low to simply give ‘life’ to the settlement. Serious gathering could still be given to the player. But yes, there’s all kinds of game loops like this that could be implemented (as @archaelius lists above). And I agree, it would be great to see more dynamic interaction from NPCs at cities doing this kind of work (perhaps even allowing players to set up “ambushes” when an NPC strays from the city).
Combining the Conan Exiles RPG/Survival mechanic with a City Builder settlement system would be a huge improvement especially for the RP community.
Heck id just be happy with a thall i can place in a chair in my tavern acting more drunk than Szeth in the wine celler dungeon. Or command my thralls to use one of the emotes ive unlocked.
I have to agree with this. The basic concept of the game is to RULE… but that will never happen because we have nothing to rule over, and essentially remain a peon because we still have to do EVERYTHING ourselves.
This would however require a restructuring of the node system, players would no longer be able to think in terms on 1 tree = 100 (or whatever) wood. But 1 forest = X wood. Or 1 mine = x iron/obsidian.
It would be great though to see a cook that is actually COOKING, or a smelter that is doing more than sitting there poking the fire.
These are in fact the “little” things that bring a world to life.