How can NPCs that were so much fun in TES and Fallout games suddenly become so dull?

[1984]

I mean, sure Fallout 4 took a little bit of a dip in NPC quality too. But they were still much more fun. Fallout 76 is a MMO and NPCs weren't really even a part of it until later development (but they are awful, worse than Starfield even).

But Starfield. I mean come on. NPCs in games like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Morrowind very really really fun to be around of. Skyrim's NPCs are so much cooler too.

Like what happened? Why are they so boring and uninteresting? Half the time I spend talking to them I feel like I am playing these AI games where I can talk to AI in real time and AI is just boring as hell.

Same issue with the quests by extension. But also quest stories and goals are lil bit dull too.

[Mountain Man]

I've found the NPCs more fun to talk to in Starfield because the dialog branches, and they actually respond to your choices instead just giving the same canned answer no matter what you say to them like in Skyrim (less so in Fallout 3). I also appreciate the fact that Bethesda hired more than four voice actors for this game.

[BLKCandy]

Nah, I found NPCs and companion by themselves better than before. What is far worse is the lack of variety and conflicts.

Normally we would have conflicts between companion ideas. Hot vs cold. Lawful vs chaotic. Good vs evil. And they would begrudgingly work together.

But Constellation members are very samey.

[DiscoMoose]

Originally posted by BLKCandy:

Nah, I found NPCs and companion by themselves better than before. What is far worse is the lack of variety and conflicts.

Normally we would have conflicts between companion ideas. Hot vs cold. Lawful vs chaotic. Good vs evil. And they would begrudgingly work together.

But Constellation members are very samey.

Constellation NPC's are the worst when it comes to reactions and cohesiveness. Andreja during Walter's quest really be like "yo, you letting a thief go without punishment??" (Andreja disliked that)

Really rich coming from Andreja.

[Kai]

I think by giving NPC the ability to 'jump' across obstacles, they become a bit too complex for the game engine to handle and bugs out when it comes to being reliable in combat.

You will notice this with some NPCs that can navigate terrain but isn't aggressive, they tend to sit back and take pot shots a ton... Then you have the 'mini-boss' level of NPCs you fight that are much higher levels with multiple hp bars, these ones seems to utilize the map better to get to you and shoot at you...

But all NPC seems to have a operating range around an area, and may not chase you outside of their zone. This is especially true for story oriented Starborn encounters, they prefer to stay in a area and don't give chase.

[DiscoMoose]

Originally posted by Kai:

I think by giving NPC the ability to 'jump' across obstacles, they become a bit too complex for the game engine to handle and bugs out when it comes to being reliable in combat.

Yesterday an enemy NPC tried running away and ended up jumping off a ledge and died. That was funny to watch.

[BLKCandy]

Originally posted by Spaced:

Originally posted by BLKCandy:

Constellation NPC's are the worst when it comes to reactions and cohesiveness. Andreja during Walter's quest really be like "yo, you letting a thief go without punishment??" (Andreja disliked that)

Really rich coming from Andreja.

Ah, those Hypocrisy and inconsistency too.

[Mobile_BBQ]

Funny thing is that there are "equivalent" NPC characters from the other Bethesda games in Starfield. For example, Brennuin, the beggar in Whiterun, is now a 30-something white woman janitor who's the ONLY one doing any physical labor at the NAT station.
Instead of having to steal some Argonian Ale and deliver it, this time you just gotta buy her a coffee.