Disappearing NPCs/Contacts?

System · April 2011

I can't seem to find a way to fudge the disappearance of an NPC, Group or Contact. Any help?

I want to have a non-aggressive version of an NPC get replaced with an aggressive version at one point during my script. Since you can't change the aggro flag on NPCs, I intended to perform a hot swap of two separate NPCs wearing the same costume. But I can't make the non-aggro one disappear.

Any hints would be appreciated!

Archived Post · April 2011

I don't think there's a way to do it without a map-change currently. You can only make an NPC-Contact appear, not disappear. Once they're on the map, they're in it til the end of the map.

Archived Post · April 2011

One possible work-around, in space only, is to use "detail objects" of ship types that exist as potential combat units as well. For instance, a Miranda, or a borg cube. Dialog could be done with popups or tied to local triggers. The "object" can be removed and replaced with either an NPC-Contact or a combat unit.

Archived Post · April 2011

I definitely think that making NPC contacts able to disappear is the #1 thing that should get fixed/added to the Foundry.

Archived Post · April 2011

Darn, wel lthat answers my question I wanted the player to come into a zone and have security there for help then get beamed out later.

Archived Post · April 2011

While you can't make a contact disappear, you can box in a hostile npc with invisible walls. They won't try to attack through invisible walls. Try building a box around the hostile version of the npc, then set up a trigger to make those walls disappear when you want them to attack.

Archived Post · April 2011

Foxrocks wrote:

While you can't make a contact disappear, you can box in a hostile npc with invisible walls. They won't try to attack through invisible walls. Try building a box around the hostile version of the npc, then set up a trigger to make those walls disappear when you want them to attack.

That'll work!

I love ingenious solutions like this, for overcoming limitations.

It's really thinking outside the box. Or... actually... inside, this time. But, well... you know what I mean!

Archived Post · April 2011

Yes, unfortunately we can't make an npc contact go from visible to hidden. If you're using ships in space, then there are a few tricks to fake it, turning a ship from friendly to hostile.

http://starbaseugc.com/index.php/sto-ugc-tutorial/video-tutorial-fun-with-triggers-part-4/

There are no tricks like this if you're wanting to do this with npcs on the ground.

Archived Post · April 2011

Ideally every single type of object should allow you to set triggers for visible and then to hidden. There's no reason it should be limited to details alone.

Archived Post · April 2011

Foxrocks wrote: »

While you can't make a contact disappear, you can box in a hostile npc with invisible walls. They won't try to attack through invisible walls. Try building a box around the hostile version of the npc, then set up a trigger to make those walls disappear when you want them to attack.

I've tried it. It doesn't look pretty, i.e. the player bumps into an Invisible Wall if they get too close, and you have to somehow handle the left-over hostile NPC's. If you use a single hostile NPC, as far as I understand you're limited to animal-types and if you skin them with a regular enemy costume you'd get a Zombie....

Nagorak wrote: »

Ideally every single type of object should allow you to set triggers for visible and then to hidden. There's no reason it should be limited to details alone.

NPC Contacts are probably special because Cryptic doesn't want us to create missions where an NPC Contact may be a part of an objective but is set to disappear for whatever reason. We already have enough trouble with NPC Contacts getting killed by hostile enemies as it is. :eek:

Archived Post · April 2011

LordOfPit wrote: »

NPC Contacts are probably special because Cryptic doesn't want us to create missions where an NPC Contact may be a part of an objective but is set to disappear for whatever reason. We already have enough trouble with NPC Contacts getting killed by hostile enemies as it is. :eek:

Well, if we could use animations on the details or put costumes on them, that would work just as well.

Here's the big problem right now. We can either 1) place an NPC contact, which we can cause to animate with the warp out or impulse out animation, but then can't actually make them disappear, rendering the animation moot. OR, we can create a detail, that we can cause to disappear, but we can't make it do anything.

Maybe there needs to be a new class NPC animator or something like that, where it has the properties of the NPC contact, but isn't a contact per se, if that's really the problem.

It really sucks, as I'm sure everyone will agree.

Archived Post · April 2011

Yes, they really just need to add two things, IMHO, to solve most of these common problems:

1. The ability to toggle units as hostile/peace, both up-front and on triggers.

2. Allow us to disappear NPC-Contacts.

I'd also like to be able to delete the additional actors out of a squad, so that we can costume one as a replacement for an NPC-Contact and not have the others appear at all.

dunmovyn · June 2012

Alright, here's what you do. Make a duplicate of the map your using. Announce the character is running away. Instruct you team to use the riker manuvour and follow. Warp to the duplicate map, that has the foe like you want him. Problem solved.

o0artay0o · August 2012

Teleporting to a whole new map doesn't make sense in most scenarios, though. My issue is getting a non-combative NPC from one place in the map to another after combat begins. You can't disappear the original contact; you can alter their behavior to timid, but that only lasts until the combat is over then they go back to their original behavior. You can't have an NPC STAY scared after a combat. Nor can you replace living NPCs with "dead" ones without a map transition that takes away from the continuity substantially.

All I'm asking for is the ability to disappear a contact so that I can "reappear" him elsewhere in the map with a different animation. There's NO OTHER WAY to do it besides a needless map transition. Everything else I'm doing can be done with triggers except this.

zorbane · August 2012

You can do some tricks, have the NPC disappear someh ow (placing an object on top of it or dropping it through teh floor) and place a new npc at the spot it is supposed to be. Technically it won't be the same NPC but to the player it is the same one

Disappearing NPCs/Contacts?

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