What to do with the NPCs?!

[fortuiteer]

I have my own style and approach of playing games like SotF. What I generally try to avoid are the base-defense game loops. I find them entertaining for 1-3 times, then they get tedious and cause me to stop playing the game.
I was able to find a way to avoid the base defense dilemma in "The Forest", by building in the center of a lake. There are a few similar options for this here...but...the NPCs can't get to those locations.

That leads to my question:
Has anyone found a way to keep K & V out of harms way? (I don't want them to die)

Apparently, no matter what you build, they won't use it, nor will they walk onto built structures!? (Edit: They can teleport to benches/campfires.)
K's hiding never seems to work long. V can't even be given commands...and I assume she will run out of ammo for that gun...right? (Edit: She currently as unlimited ammo.)

So, any tips or tricks that don't involve building a base with palisades, that you constantly have to defend?

Note: I know how to build a base with traps and decent defenses. I really only require comments that don't involve frequent base defense. Thanks!

[grinsekeatzchen]

She has unlimited ammo.

For the other stuff, i personally don't know of any workaround. The AI of the companions is very Limited. So you either babysit them, or Just let them do their own Thing.

I personally never saw the cannibals do the death-strike to them. But Others have.

[fortuiteer]

Originally posted by grinsekeatzchen:

She has unlimited ammo.

For the other stuff, i personally don't know of any workaround. The AI of the companions is very Limited. So you either babysit them, or Just let them do their own Thing.

I personally never saw the cannibals do the death-strike to them. But Others have.

Thanks for the info!

Really not sure how to go forward with this.
I think I will be perfectly safe over the nights (my bases are on mountain sides and in lakes), but the NPCs can only hide in the bushes. Guess there will be a lot of reloading in the future. xP

[grinsekeatzchen]

Yeah, i Just searched a Bit for a Mod who makes them Immortal. But there are Just stuff to resurrect him after His death.

Immortal companions should really be an Option when they don't get the pathfinding and commands right.

But the resurrect Thing could be helpfull? Than you don't need to reload and eventually loose stuff.

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/how-to-resurrect-kelvin-in-sons-of-the-forest/

[fortuiteer]

Originally posted by grinsekeatzchen:

Yeah, i Just searched a Bit for a Mod who makes them Immortal. But there are Just stuff to resurrect him after His death.

Immortal companions should really be an Option when they don't get the pathfinding and commands right.

But the resurrect Thing could be helpfull? Than you don't need to reload and eventually loose stuff.

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/how-to-resurrect-kelvin-in-sons-of-the-forest/

Yeah, thanks, I noticed the save file editing option while googling the topic.
An "immortal" option would certainly make sense for Kelvin, considering his limited efficiency as a sidekick. His presence hardly affects balance. Not sure about Virginia yet.

[Sholomar]

Turn off building damage. Zipline away if you want to avoid attacks. Enemy AI only works in vicinity. Never had kelvin or Virginia die. They always revive themselves.

Don't make too big a compound....use strategic locations with one means of egress. Otherwise they spawn inside.

[Chris]

Awesome Menu Mod for Yumi (modapi.survivetheforest.net) has options so K+V can't be harmed or killed.

[grinsekeatzchen]

Originally posted by Chris:

Awesome Menu Mod for Yumi (modapi.survivetheforest.net) has options so K+V can't be harmed or killed.

Oh thank you. Will definitly Safe this.

[dormis]

By the way, if the npc companion can't get to the same place as the player, does this same rule also apply to the npc enemy, if this is true I could use these companions to find good locations.

[grinsekeatzchen]

Originally posted by dormis:

By the way, if the npc companion can't get to the same place as the player, does this same rule also apply to the npc enemy, if this is true I could use these companions to find good locations.

When they don't Bug, yes.

But you should still be on guard, as many people got spawns inside their Base.

[Maviba]

The only way to avoid a base defense system would be playing on peaceful mode. Or do some frequentl base hopping.

You also might want to try adjusting the Enemy difficulty level.

Neither K nor V should die by mutants but if you kill them yourself only.
They can get hurt and even taken down, but usually they dont die by enemy.
They might die by accident, but in case that happens, there are ways to resurrect them again.
If you leave them alone, they're getting up by themselves after a while and start healing.
Not sure about how this affects your relationship if you don't help them though.

About the NPCs not being able of reaching your water base depends on the opportunities you leave them in order to reach the base.
NPC can't move on dynamic surfaces like water.
They can only move on static structures placed on ground they would be able to move on anyway.

[fortuiteer]

Originally posted by dormis:

By the way, if the npc companion can't get to the same place as the player, does this same rule also apply to the npc enemy, if this is true I could use these companions to find good locations.

Technically, the cannibals have a few abilities that might give them an advantage, compared to the 2 NPCs, like climbing and jumping from tree to tree.
But I'd assume that their pathfinding isn't sophisticated enough to make that distinction...at least not yet.

[fortuiteer]

Originally posted by Maviba:

The only way to avoid a base defense system would be playing on peaceful mode. Or do some frequentl base hopping.

About the NPCs not being able of reaching your water base depends on the opportunities you leave them in order to reach the base.
NPC can't move on dynamic surfaces like water.
They can only move on static structures placed on ground they would be able to move on anyway.

I assumed as much, but have also already seen 2 cannibals clumsily drop into a river and drown swiftly, all on their own. They could only reach my water bases if they're able to jump across a distance of 1-2 logs. Theoretically, they have the skill-set for that, but not the AI, apparently.

[fortuiteer]

Originally posted by Chris:

Awesome Menu Mod for Yumi (modapi.survivetheforest.net) has options so K+V can't be harmed or killed.

Great find, thanks!
I'll set this reply as the topic answer, if nothing better comes up.

[dormis]

Originally posted by grinsekeatzchen:

Originally posted by dormis:

By the way, if the npc companion can't get to the same place as the player, does this same rule also apply to the npc enemy, if this is true I could use these companions to find good locations.

When they don't Bug, yes.

But you should still be on guard, as many people got spawns inside their Base.

This seems to be true, I've found a few places, the scenery just isn't to my liking. There are many beautiful locations on the map, but you have to make too laborious defenses against these mutant hordes even if you have turned off building damage, and these defenses also spoil the aesthetics in some places. Playing with peaceful mode of course an option but, adjusting the Enemy with mods would be the best solution if such a mod were available one day. Too many mutants and demons when you've explored the caves, it looks more comical than scary when at least 12 of them show up at once. I'd be more excited about rarer encounters and a smaller number. A new game and Items through the console could probably be an option when I've finished the main game, I haven't found anything yet and I'm not going to start using the console at this point.

[grinsekeatzchen]

Originally posted by fortuiteer:

Originally posted by Maviba:

The only way to avoid a base defense system would be playing on peaceful mode. Or do some frequentl base hopping.

About the NPCs not being able of reaching your water base depends on the opportunities you leave them in order to reach the base.
NPC can't move on dynamic surfaces like water.
They can only move on static structures placed on ground they would be able to move on anyway.

I assumed as much, but have also already seen 2 cannibals clumsily drop into a river and drown swiftly, all on their own. They could only reach my water bases if they're able to jump across a distance of 1-2 logs. Theoretically, they have the skill-set for that, but not the AI, apparently.

I was building on this on little Island, where the waterfall is. First i startet on the forest-side to gather logs. And These leaf-piles with muddies would Spawn near the water on the Rocks. So i Run to them, they Pop Out and Roll direkt in the water, every time xD. It's funny First but gets annoying fast when there are so many Bodys in the water.

I really Hope they will Work on the Enemys. Also the waves and waves, what you are describing. They really need to do Something about this.