What's the deal with the NPC Parties? Do you hire them? More questions?

from Stardock Forums

I have had 2 npc parties hanging around two of my cities for the past few dozen turns.  Because they can't hold equipment, and their high hiring cost (1200 gildar for three or four of them) they really don't seem like a good deal and I can't imagine a scenario where I might use them?

If I had lots of cash but no heroes, I could even an administrator or farmer for less than 100 Gildar and equip them nicely for another 250.  And they can recieve all equipment upgrades that I research in the future.

If I had lots of cash and equipment and no metal, I could still trade for the metal (5g to 1metal I think) and build heavily armored soldiers with the money.

I guess I just don't see a scenario where I would hire them.  Do you?

Also, what happens if you kill them,  does that do something to your reputation or the ability to hire or deal with other NPCs in the future?  I mean free xp is always a good thing, right?  Plus they BLOCK MY ROADS DAMMIT!

elemental
5,347 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Killing PCs does not harm your reputation or ability to hire other NPC's in the future, but it should.

I would like to see NPCs have a morality rating and the sovereign's rating decline when he slays NPCs from his fraction (Empire or Kingdom) If the sovereign's morality is below the NPCs you can talk to them but you can't hire them.

Example: A sovereign with a morality rating of 100 meets an NPC of Morality rating 80. This NPC will agree to work for the sovereign. Later the Sovereign slays 4 NPCs and his morality rating declines to 80. He meets an NPC scholar with a morality rating of 90 and this NPC refuses to work for the sovereign. He then meets an Assasin; morality rating, 20, who gladly accepts the employment offer from the sovereign (who has a morality rating of 80). 

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

In my (admittedly somewhat limited) experience, by the time these groups show up you should have enough cash to hire them.  Population + caravans + a few %gildar level-ups should do the trick.

I'm somewhat puzzled by "Because they can't hold equipment...".  The heroes in these parties sure can use bought (or found) equipment.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Also, killing NPCs affects your reputation. Which really doesn't do much (ok, it's used for marriage, but really, has anyone had a problem marrying their sov after a few turns?)

 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I've had NPC's kill my pioneers (was playing Empire) ... I'm wary / annoyed by NPC groups hanging around my cities, but I thought I'd get a reputation hit for killing them?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

THanks for that, impinc.  Until now I thought that was not possible because on the same turn when you hire them the EQUIP button is not available, So I assumed they could not hold equipment.  In fact if you never send them to the shop or never TRADE an item to them the EQUIP button never comes available. 

 

After reading your post, however, I tried to BUY equipment for one of them and suddenly I was able to see the equip button.  It's a bug, apparently, that they cannot be equipped unless you trade or buy equipment for them, even if they have a sword, for example, you cannot uneqiup the sword until you give them or buy them a new things.  Even handing them salted pork suddenly makes them available to equip stuff.