Rework the Prefect NPCs at Hogsworth

[jonvr]

Prefect NPCs... Well I didn't like them as soon as they came out. Obviously they are quite useful but makes it so much less exiting to explore the castle. When most active players joined they were not there and we had to navigate our way through the castle to find the location we searched for. And it worked. If we didn't find a location we got either help from other online players, the discord server or the Scarlett NPC. Scarlett has also been pretty much unemployed by the Prefect NPCs. Sad life. So my suggestion is, now that the new discovery thing is out, not to remove the Prefects but change them up a bit to make them more like a free firedust network.

Changes would include:
- You have to unlock the location before you can use the Prefect NPC to travel to that location
- The locations you can travel to would maybe have to be adjusted to work with the new discoveries

That way the players who are now used to the Prefect NPCs would not get annoyed and can still conveniently travel whereever they want while new players get back that immersion into the Hogsworth castle like most of us when joining the server. I really enjoyed walking around Hogsworth as a first year to get to the locations I needed.

 

[Pankakes]

had to navigate our way through the castle to find the location we searched for. And it worked.

No it didn't. Many times players got lost because, well, it's very easy to get lost in the castle and every time someone asked how to get to X, they only got directions from the Great Hall. That meant players used their portkey bag to teleport to the GH and follow the directions from there.

Combined with the cooldown, exploration was risky, because if you took the wrong turn, you'd have to wait for the portkey. And it was a little immersion breaking asking in Discord or global chat.

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If this were to be addedm more signs in the castle would be needed (at every turn and at every split) to reassure the player that they're going the right direction, because many of those "reasurring" or "on crossroads" signs are still missing. Maybe even adding "Above" and "Below" functionality to the compass wouldn't be bad.

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PS: What's with the PW's obsession with limiting travel options for the sake of exploration ? I know it's easier to limit it than to add NPCs, side-quests, details, etc. to a map but come on. The corridors are empty, the classrooms are empty and the only moving thing you can meet in the magical castle is either players, flames or flame particles.

Slap a sign on this statue, (let's assume it's a statue of a wizard or something). Add a name, year and what he did. Suddenly there's worldbuilding, lore and a landmark. All with just one sign.

End of a staircase facing a wall ? Add a painting to it, suddenly it doesn't look so boring. Or signs telling where you'll end up if you take a left or right.

 

[jonvr]

No it didn't. Many times players got lost because, well, it's very easy to get lost in the castle and every time someone asked how to get to X, they only got directions from the Great Hall. That meant players used their portkey bag to teleport to the GH and follow the directions from there.

Combined with the cooldown, exploration was risky, because if you took the wrong turn, you'd have to wait for the portkey. And it was a little immersion breaking asking in Discord or global chat.

Now that I think about it again, I agree with what you said but still, I don't think the NPCs are the right way to fix that problem because of given reasons. It's really not easy to find a perfect solution for that issue. I just thought about what could maybe be an option is having Scarlett-like NPCs scattered around the castle like the Prefects right now which describe the way to the locations from the place where the NPC is located at. And like Pankakes said more interesting corridors to remember them better, signs, etc. would be nice to make navigating through Hogsworth easier.

 

[Jake Cresswell]

I like the idea of needing to discover the areas before being able to access them via prefect, though this might make it more difficuilt for new players.
One thing I do want to raise about the prefect NPCs is the fact that they render the Scarlett NPC much less useful, so maybe she should be changed to a teleporting NPC or one that gives directions to locations outside of Hogsworth or that aren’t accessible via the prefect warps.

 

[Pankakes]

One thing I do want to raise about the prefect NPCs is the fact that they render the Scarlett NPC much less useful, so maybe she should be changed to a teleporting NPC or one that gives directions to locations outside of Hogsworth or that aren’t accessible via the prefect warps.

Or what if clicking on one of the Scarlett's locations would change the destination for the enchanted compass ?

 

[Honey_Dwarf1]

I like the idea of needing to discover the areas before being able to access them via prefect, though this might make it more difficuilt for new players.
One thing I do want to raise about the prefect NPCs is the fact that they render the Scarlett NPC much less useful, so maybe she should be changed to a teleporting NPC or one that gives directions to locations outside of Hogsworth or that aren’t accessible via the prefect warps.

I like that Scarlett is also there, since it means that if you do want to learn your way around and not just teleport everywhere, she can be a good starting point for finding some routes without getting lost

 

[Lynn]

Hello hello @jonvr and everyone that has responded to this thread!

First of all, thank you for making this suggestion, it is always very much appreciated! I have read through all of the comments and suggestions stated in this thread, and I do partially agree that the Prefect NPC's limit exploration. However, it does make it a lot easier for new players as Hogsworth is indeed a very complicated place to travel through. Therefore, I will bring this up to the Poltergeist team so we can discuss this further. We will keep you updated on this specific thread once a decision has been made, so definitely keep an eye out for that!

Once again, thank you so much for making this suggestion and everyone else for discussing it (and adding new suggestions). I hope all of you have an amazing and magical day!

 

[Lynn]

Hihi @jonvr !

Unfortunately I am here to let you know that this suggestion has been declined. We understand how the Prefect NPCs limit exploration around the castle, and even though we do like to encourage exploration in aspects of the server, we feel that the NPCs are more beneficial for players to get around Hogsworth. It's often not easy to get around the castle and learn the layout, and it is helpful for players doing quests around the castle to get to various locations, especially for new players. They may have no idea where a location is inside the castle and it may take them a long time to find it if they had to unlock the location to be able to get there. If players want to explore the castle and find hidden chests/hidden mysteries, they are still completely able to. This is why we have decided to keep the NPCs the way they are; freely available to all players from the start.

Once again I would like to thank you for suggesting this, as we do like the input and suggestions everyone gives to us! I hope you still have a wonderful day!!