My retainer and you

Aericyn

I am just having a bit of fantasy this morning, thinking about the retainer system in FF14.

I would like to see the retainer system become a full-fledged game within a game. Imagine setting up waypoints and time (game world) based behavior. For example, at 7:45 AM the retainer leaves home and walks toward their “shop” location, I suppose it is an auction house like place. They remain in that area (perhaps pacing or moving boxes back and forth) until 11:00 AM when they head to the Tea Shoppe for a sip of tisane. Back to work at 11:45AM. Anyhow a simple waypoint system is all that would be needed to create a unique pattern and add some flavor to town life.

You could take this to other places too, like maybe you have a shady swashbuckler retainer? He hangs around the alleys after 11:00 PM to sell items acquired through ulterior means…

Next, take the retainer further. Perhaps they could provide a consignment service? Like a little quest system, your retainer holds consignments created by you for goods or maybe a service or two. The service could be imaginary immersion type role play things. Or pay out X of your own gold to have the player go out and kill X critters and bring back some kind of resource. Just a more interesting or complex way to provide hides and other trade skill resources then standing at the auction house.

Add a tracking system letting you see who your repeat customers are or who contributes most to your trade skill. Maybe have a rewards system of some kind for loyal patronage where you can decide for every 100 hides or purchases that person receives something.

How about a special shop-owner only store that allows you to buy things not available anywhere else? Like special pets, knick-knacks or some other inconsequential but unique offering. Maybe special titles like “Gold Star Patron of  -my store-"?

I think this adds to the world’s personality and promotes mom and pop store type of community interaction. The current auction house system in most MMO’s is very “Internet” and impersonal. Granted, this is still mostly automated, yet richer in experience.

Add a simple dialog system, allowing the player to create some statements or questions with 3 possible answers for their retainer.

You (the PC) click on retainer and retainer greets you, and asks some question about your day or other topic. You can choose one of the 3 responses. Add tree support to branch the conversation along. Suppose censoring and context might be a little iffy but… would love to see this kind of interaction in the world. The whole thing adds to player created content, which is a so-called holy grail for online games.

Palebane

My first thought after reading the title and the first few lines was: Great, not only are you substituting other player's as companions, now you are substituting one to play for yourself!

 

But after reading the whole thread, that actually sounds really neat An interesting start for a system capable of incorporating RTS elements in a persistent game world.

Aericyn

Originally posted by Palebane

My first thought after reading the title and the first few lines was: Great, not only are you substituting other player's as companions, now you are substituting one to play for yourself!

 But after reading the whole thread, that actually sounds really neat An interesting start for system capable of doing RTS type stuff in a persistent game world.

Thank you for finishing the thread and your comments.

This was in mind because I assume retainers (in this state) only appear while you are offline, and are not replacing your online time.

I am thinking of it as way for me to add something dynamic to the game world when I cannot be in the game.