I think NPCs would be able to assist with research but won't be able to "complete" it per say and not that you'd really want them to anyways since depending on what your researching it could cause the destruction of your equipment/work-station/home if they failed.

They should be able to really. Or anyone that starts in an npc kingdom is basically doomed. At that rate if they never do, will they be forever behind and no challenge to take over.

But an NPC kingdom is going to be doomed regardless because there are players. Either it will be usurped from within by a lower ranked noble player or it'll be taken over by a player king.

Posted By Japninja808 at 10:59 PM - Tue May 30 2017

But an NPC kingdom is going to be doomed regardless because there are players. Either it will be usurped from within by a lower ranked noble player or it'll be taken over by a player king.

My whole point was, the npcs are meant to be good in this game. Not stand around waiting for some player to do whatever. If they make the npcs that simple. Well there be problems.

Also thinking it's doomed. Not like it be so easy to take them over. Which again assuming they make the npcs good.

Posted By Gunnlang at 03:07 AM - Tue May 30 2017

Posted By Japninja808 at 10:59 PM - Tue May 30 2017

But an NPC kingdom is going to be doomed regardless because there are players. Either it will be usurped from within by a lower ranked noble player or it'll be taken over by a player king.

My whole point was, the npcs are meant to be good in this game. Not stand around waiting for some player to do whatever. If they make the npcs that simple. Well there be problems.

I don't know if "good" would be the appropriate term. As far as I remember SBS mentioning on this matter is that NPCs will care about their needs (food, water, shelter, security, ideas) so I doubt conducting research and improving technology will be something that matters to them.

As far as being good, SBS stated that an NPC shouldn't be better than a player so if the do have NPCs that focus on research then it sould be at a slower pace then what the average set by players would be.

I will agree that taking over a kingdom wont be easy but it'll be significantly easier than if you were trying to take a kingdom from a player(s).

Posted By Japninja808 at 2:29 PM - Tue May 30 2017

Posted By Gunnlang at 03:07 AM - Tue May 30 2017

Posted By Japninja808 at 10:59 PM - Tue May 30 2017

But an NPC kingdom is going to be doomed regardless because there are players. Either it will be usurped from within by a lower ranked noble player or it'll be taken over by a player king.

My whole point was, the npcs are meant to be good in this game. Not stand around waiting for some player to do whatever. If they make the npcs that simple. Well there be problems.

I don't know if "good" would be the appropriate term. As far as I remember SBS mentioning on this matter is that NPCs will care about their needs (food, water, shelter, security, ideas) so I doubt conducting research and improving technology will be something that matters to them.

As far as being good, SBS stated that an NPC shouldn't be better than a player so if the do have NPCs that focus on research then it sould be at a slower pace then what the average set by players would be.

I will agree that taking over a kingdom wont be easy but it'll be significantly easier than if you were trying to take a kingdom from a player(s).

Even if the NPCs were meant to play the game as if they were players, which isn't necessarily the impression I've gotten so far, no AI in 2017 or the decade following it is going to be on the same level as a human player, with access to their innate intuition, the meta-game, and collaboration on a scale that the AI can't even dream of.

To address the original point - I honestly don't think the NPCs will be focussing on research or development much, or even at all. In my limited understanding of the vision of the devs, players push new discoveries, take new lands, build new towns et cetera while NPCs generally keep the status quo.