What kind of activities do you hope to see from NPCs? Just things to improve the feeling that they're alive and add to the atmosphere and so on.

Of course it should depend on location and the kind of NPC.

Some examples -

People sitting and reading or writing, maybe drawing/painting in scenic areas
Guards killing time playing cards, drinking at night and possibly sleeping on the job
Aspiring mages practicing their non-hostile spells
Children playing games, skipping, pulling on the arms of advlts for attention, etc.
Arguments, possibly leading to fist fights or even murder depending on the type of NPC and location
Mugging in shady alleys and so on - locations where there are no guards around.
Homeless huddling around fires to keep warm

Would be nice to see npc's react if you're killing people around them. Or if you're stealing items from them instead of the usual stare they give you. In oblivion all npc's did in the streets was walk and talk to eachother with the same dialogue over and over again. Instead i'd like them to be busy with a job or something else.

This. And they should get a job like the merchants in earlier games. Or rather actually do their job.
Guild members should do what their duties is, not just walk around.

I think they should eat for three hours and then look at a wall for another six hours. After that they should head to the store they own and talk to a random NPC about mudcrabs (nasty things).
No. In all seriousness they should all have jobs. Chopping wood, prostitution, smithing, being an apprentice to a smithy. You know medieval stuff that doesn't involve as much dieing from the plague.

I want guards to catch beggers trying to steal, then the begger should go to jail for some time after.

I want people in bars to get into fights without any interaction from you.

I want Kings and Queens to do... king and queen stuff, like have jester's performing for them

Most citizens will be hard at work doing their jobs. Things like chopping wood were specifically mentioned here: http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/b/xbox360/archive/2011/01/17/the-technology-behind-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim.aspx

I want to see NPCs sitting in one spot repeating one simple animation over and over again.

I also want them to only provide general information about locations and who has work when talked to.
If they do have work I want it to display only that with the option to accept or decline.

For me believable means a world where failure is an option.
What npc's could do to help my immersion and sometimes forget it's an entirely scripted game:

1) sometimes fail at what they are doing: falling off ladders, scaring their horses when they try to mount, spilling their drinks, misplacing things and searching for them, accidentally hammering their fingers, this sort of things that happen to anyone now and then as nobody's perfect;

2) making remarks themselves about the things above mentioned (laughing, joking, swearing, blaming others, asking for help, etc);

3) npcs commenting about what others are doing (you're doing it wrong, let me show you, well done, what a waste of time, etc).

It would be cool that npcs might go outside their city. Like visit other cities/villages or just take walk in woods. And that would be perfect time to murder them :whistling:

I'd like to see NPCs doing their jobs myself, I want to be able to see a smith hammering a sword at an anvil, or a bartender cleaning mugs or maybe even serving drinks to NPCs in taverns, we could even have bards occassionally performing there. It sounds like we're already going to see things like that, but it waits to be seen how much detail we'll see in that regard.

I also hope that the game will as a whole create a better illusion that there's an actual purpose to NPCs' actions. Oblivion was better than Morrowind in this respect because NPCs actually did things, but it still isn't perfect. Aside from the repetitive, and at times downright unnatural conversations, there's also the fact that when they're not eating, sleeping or talking, NPCs would usually just stand around and stare off into nothingness, or wander around aimlessly, a few NPCs had other patterns, like painting or reading, but this was rare. I'd like to see NPCs doing more casual things when they don't have work or basic tasks like eating and drinking to do, creating an illusion that there's some sort of purpose to the lives of NPCs.



There were already a few NPCs in Oblivion who would do that, just not many. And if they weren't essential, there was a good chance they'd end up being killed by monsters in the wilderness.

:lol:

From what I've been reading, NPCs are definitely gonna have a more active life all around in Skyrim. Folks will be going out and mining or farming or whatever their menial job happens to be.

My only request is that so many of them in guildhalls NOT stand around all the time (except for the vendors, of course). I want to see Fighter's Guild members spar OUTSIDE of their guildhall! Go outside and help the guards take care of any enemies within a nearby proximity to their town. I want to see Mage's Guild members take a stroll outside their snobby hideout and DO something, other than just stand around chatting about mudcrabs and goblins.

Most of all, I want to be able to hire NPC companions. That would be boss! And from what I understand, this is definitely a "yes".


Oh, and I wanna be able to have my character be able to get more of a relationship with various NPCs. Like friendships and relationships. Fall in love. Have a nagging wife wonder where you've been for the past month (out with the boys, honey...adventuring...I swear!). Problem with Oblivion was after awhile, after all the town's quests were over and you've heard all the rumors, there wasn't really much of a reason to interact with the majority of NPCs at all! Other than buying/selling, of course.

It seems from what we've read so far ( and there is more to come remember ) that NPC's will be better.
They will be more active and diverse this time around i quess.
I hope everything from conversations to fighting is alot more intelligent. And i think it will.

I 'd like to see NPCs having six like there is no tomorrow .

Think walking into a house to complete a quest and have the door slapped on your face together with a heavy GTFO!

Also drink skooma and start fistfights, start anti-authoritarian orgs and murder ordinators for the lulz

These all happened in Oblivion. So, sure, I'd like to see these things continue to happen.

I'd like to see body language. If someone is depressed, I want to see them slouching in their chairs or moving fairly slowly. If someone is happy, they should sit up straight and move quickly and surely.
I'd also like to see better eating animations. Just holding a piece of bread and eating from it was nice for Oblivion, but it was odd sometimes when an NPC would sit down at a table of fruit and vegetables and start eating bread when there's none in sight.

Some should steal, some should work, some should scam, some should kill, some should beg, some should be helpful, some should be savages, some should be crazy.

Variation and diversion is key when istalling NPCs. Every NPC should be unique and have a flourishing personality, much like the Shivering Isles, but cut the "everybody is crazy" part out. Make them more distinctive and sain.