NPC "Pets"

[John Adams]

Since we've been talking about spawns and spawn "parties" (those groups of spawns linked as a single target), I wanted to ask what anyone thought about NPCs and their "Pets"?

For some of our earlier example data for LE, we saw some beast masters with their beasts... but those are pretty static. A falconer will spawn with a hawk, a wolfmaster will spawn with a wolf, etc. These I am pretty sure are nothing more than spawn parties that just happen to spawn together, so that's solved with the coming implementation.

But there are these other caster NPCs that summon actual "pets". I do not think NPC Pets and Player Pets are the same thing (definitely different in the controls?) so maybe we get some ideas out there how they might operate.

Reason it came to mind now, how will NPC Pets integrate into the new spawn "parties" being implemented now? Here's an example:

npc_pets.jpg

Those two last "spawns" are pets of the archeologist (why 2, I dunno). I have always assumed there would not be a spawn_id in our tables for "pets", since their names are kinda random... but maybe that's a bad assumption? Maybe we need a spawn_pets table.

Any thoughts?

[ZexisStryfe]

These pets are the same exact pets PC necros get. They differ from groups of spawns since if you kill the master, in this instance the necrotic archeologist, all his pets instantly die.

[John Adams]

So, sounds like we need a listing of possible pet names and/or appearances - unless those are just random (size, color, tints, whatever). Pretty sure every "recruit" I've conjured looks exactly the same, though the name changes and depending on my level, the size. Is that the only criteria?

If there are not THOUSANDS of pet names, we could put them in the normal `spawn` table, in a range of IDs below the first zone ID (10,000). I started doing that with oddball stuff like Void Tempests and Dark Horrors...

And also, Pets have their own abilities? Or do they only get to use what their master can use?

My comment on exact vs different pertains ONLY to control, because I wasn't certain that NPCs tell their pets to attack, they just do. And I cannot recall once where an NPC told it's pet to get back.

[ZexisStryfe]

Pet appearances are set by the spell used. Pet names are random and use a random name generator, however it possible to permanently name your pets.

And yes, pets have their own abilities which are not dependant on the master.

[ilythor]

Sounds like fun, thinking up quirky names. (if we can't steal their generator of course).

But can we not pull a Blizzard? (Cool first name, and the surname is two nouns smashed together)

Illadin Stormrage I mean come on.

Refreshing Beveragezor Definitely not cool. (that was Age of Mythology!)

You get the drift. Would is be similar to the generator for names when creating characters? I assume the list it draws names from is client side, then uploaded to the server so your pet is named that way forever. If it is all client based, wouldn't it be easy as pie to draw the names out of a hat? -er- client?

[John Adams]

Pet names are random and use a random name generator, however it possible to permanently name your pets.

We do have a field in our character_details for pet name... so I assume whomever originally made up that table (LE, Alfa?) thought about that.

As for the "random name generator"... I am wondering if this is as random as you say. Lobontik, not a bunch of random alphabet characters thrown together. There is a pattern, and pet names are not Jskdakds or Hahdkwer. Get me?

Instead, as I asked, I wonder if there is a "list" of possible pet names, which we will have to come up with and insert into a table somewhere, and when a player summons a pet that has no defined name, we have this particular pool of "names" to pull from.

That is what I meant.

Appearances, ok. I can envision that. Same with skills/abilities. That's good to know. Thanks for the info.

[alfa]

We do have a field in our character_details for pet name... so I assume whomever originally made up that table (LE, Alfa?) thought about that.

I have insert it when creating the basic struct of DB, but not sure the code take it in count atm.

And for the pet name generator, are you sure this is not Client side (like random name for character at creation ?)

[John Adams]

No alfa, I am not sure the client doesn't have something to do with naming pets. If anyone can dig up a structure related to this, it would be most helpful. Either way, the World (server) must know the name of the pet, so this is an interesting theory.