Are the Most Popular NPCs actually any good? (Spoilers)

[Elaisren2020]

I know NPCs like Abigail, Penny, Sebby & Haley to name a few are popular, but are they actually any good in terms of their story arcs/ usefulness in game?

Now obviously Abigail, Haley & Penny (just for example) have fairly good story arcs and each have their own usefulness in game (assisting in the mines, helping around the farm) but which NPCs are the "true best NPCs". The NPC's which have it all - great story arcs, usefulness, design & little or none downsides.

I'm not just talking about those NPCs you can legit date/marry either. I like Sandy, Clint, Marnie, Gus more than some of the "date-ables" but their arcs/usefulness let them down (Marnie & Clint being away from there stores at the worst times, Gus & Sandy not really getting much to do, even though they appear frequently in other NPC heart/town events and are more reliable than Marnie & Clint in minding their stores.)

*EDIT - The following applies to SDV/SDVE Mod versions, just for clarity. *
I'd also like to point out some flaws in characterisation/plot - the most annoying (at least to me) is the use of items such as "Love Potion". Ok, yes it's great to have an item which can quickly boost hearts/friendship with some NPCs, but it's description of it won't work on those with strong magic links/a strong will kinda falls flat as it works on pretty much every one.

Seriously, would Abigail or Penny really succumb to a love potion?
It gets more silly/inappropriate when it can be used on Jodi, Caroline, Robin, Jas & Vincent.

In this regard, most Pelican Town residents are useless garbage (Olivia, Riley, & Dusty being the exceptions - not one of them succumbs to this creepy item & all react negatively to it). If you compare them to their Ridge counterparts (Alissa, Ysa, Corine, Flor, Maddie, Olga, Lola, Lenny & the kids - Trinnie, Yumma, Keahi) you notice that all of the Ridge NPCs reject it and actually call you out on using the "Love Potion". This makes more sense to me - it fits how those character would react (some are "magic" others are just sensible/worldly wise).

If the Love potion has to be a thing in game, it should at least be realistic - i.e. it has consequences (some NPC's story/heart events could be changed to include this - it would make more sense) like how the Nighthawk mods tackled it.

So, yeah who do you think are the "best" NPCs overall?
*Edit - Just interested in thoughts/opinions on either or both the original Vanilla version NPCs & the mod NPCs out there, because I genuinely think some (not all) of the mod NPCs out there should be made cannon in future updates of the Vanilla SDV, some mods could easily be DLC/expansions for other platforms like the Switch etc. *

[whlightnin]

Is the love potion from a mod or something? I don't remember ever seeing it in the base game.

[Pixel Peeper]

If you have a problem with mods you should probably put in a comment on those mods' pages or message their creators.

The vast majority of people (me included) have no idea what you're talking about.

[Stardustfire]

somehow i get the feeling TS use a heavy modded game and forgot to mentation that little fact, becasue in the second half i see items and NPC names i never seen in my vanilla game....

[Keeper Of Monsters]

There are no "best" NPC - we each have our own preferences.
Talking about non-modded game...
Haley is easy to find, easy to gift, easy to get to marriage, then she gifts you food and helps on the farm - but again, all of them do (or don't , depending on if RNG likes you or not), and her personality improves with more hearts but I still don't like that blondie.
Harvey is good but clinic closes way too early and honestly - he is kind of plain (and some people hate mustache).
Pierre is reliably in the store - but store is closed on Wednesday until you finish CC, and in general he is a horrible greedy bastard. And Demetrius comes close - hating on his step-son? Bad, really bad.
I like Shane's story - but he's a slob.
I like kids, all 3 of them - they are sweeties (maybe that's because I'm getting old and sentimental). But aside from heart events and getting recipes/perks from them (and how useful is Onion Mastery anyway?) there are no further use for them in the game. And story more or less developed only for Leo.
And so on and so forth... And then there are mods...

[BCD]

If we're going by how much they assist you, pretty much all the NPC's are useless outside of their shops and the occasional gift. Any spouse provides a starfruit and some character specific gifts, besides watering your crops/feeding your animals. The first can be counted as a small use for them, the latter is just lying to your face after you have sprinklers and deluxe buildings. You can like the NPCs regardless of that, however, and it all becomes too subjective to rank.
Except for Pierre, scientists in their science labs have objectively proven that he's the worst.

[Elaisren2020]

Originally posted by Keeper Of Monsters:

There are no "best" NPC - we each have our own preferences.
Talking about non-modded game...
Haley is easy to find, easy to gift, easy to get to marriage, then she gifts you food and helps on the farm - but again, all of them do (or don't , depending on if RNG likes you or not), and her personality improves with more hearts but I still don't like that blondie.
Harvey is good but clinic closes way too early and honestly - he is kind of plain (and some people hate mustache).
Pierre is reliably in the store - but store is closed on Wednesday until you finish CC, and in general he is a horrible greedy bastard. And Demetrius comes close - hating on his step-son? Bad, really bad.
I like Shane's story - but he's a slob.
I like kids, all 3 of them - they are sweeties (maybe that's because I'm getting old and sentimental). But aside from heart events and getting recipes/perks from them (and how useful is Onion Mastery anyway?) there are no further use for them in the game. And story more or less developed only for Leo.
And so on and so forth... And then there are mods...

Completely agree with you about Haley, she's an ok NPC, but she's not my personal choice for marriage in either non-modded or modded game. Ditto Pierre - utter garbage regardless of game (slightly less garbage in the nighthawk mods with his "Redemption" arc if you decide to go that route but it doesn't really feel cannon and the other routes are far superior imo). As for Shane & Harvey, it's been too long since I played the 1.5 non-modded game to remember clearly, but as I never really bothered with Harvey unless I collapsed & I kinda never bothered with Shane outside of the saloon, I'll agree with you for the non-modded game, but disagree for the modded game (especially the "better endings for..." & "Nighthawk" mods - Shane & others get much better arcs/endings, and Harvey even if you still hate him is anything other than plain in the Nighthawk mods as you progress.)

Originally posted by BCD:

If we're going by how much they assist you, pretty much all the NPC's are useless outside of their shops and the occasional gift. Any spouse provides a starfruit and some character specific gifts, besides watering your crops/feeding your animals. The first can be counted as a small use for them, the latter is just lying to your face after you have sprinklers and deluxe buildings. You can like the NPCs regardless of that, however, and it all becomes too subjective to rank.
Except for Pierre, scientists in their science labs have objectively proven that he's the worst.

1) In regard to the non-modded game, yes you are 100% right about the NPCs being almost completely useless as you progress (spouse/sprinklers/upgraded buildings), yet still liking them, hence it becomes too subjective to rank. (With the obvious exceptions, Pierre to use your example.)

2) In regard to the modded game, I think it depends on which mod/mods you use. SDVE is nice as is the Ridge mod. Original NPC mods vary in quality, although I am a huge fan of the Riley Mod - it's decent on its own but paired with the Nighthawk mods it's spectacular imo (other mods are compatible with the Riley mod and are good too).

3) Concerning the modded game - As with most things in life, this can also be deemed too "subjective to rank", everyone has their own preferences which is great (in ref to my original post - I was just curious to see if there was any NPCs generally agreed to be either the "Best" or "Top Tier" based on the criteria given). However, I think some NPCs get a raw deal in the non-modded game (they get their arcs ruined in order for other NPC arcs to take centre stage/too much work for the Dev to pad everyone's arcs out on their own). Which is why I like Mods - the best ones add worthwhile content and remove/fix some of the bugs/ minor issues with the non-modded game taking pressure off the dev and giving us content to enjoy while we await the next major update for the non-modded game.

4) "Pierre is the worst NPC" - He's definitely a strong candidate in both non-modded & Modded games, but (Without spoiling things, I won't name names) in the modded game (again the Nighthawk mods & some others) there is/are far worse NPCs to deal with (as you see fit in some cases - choices do matter).

[Dua]

nighthawk mod?

[BCD]

Never heard of this nighthawk mod. What is it?
There was a thread not so long ago about Clint, and hoo boy does he get a raw deal. Hey, do you know that quest he gives you in the start of winter, to give Emily an amethyst in his behalf, Clint's attempt? If that wasn't weird enough already, it turns out that nothing will dissuade the madman from giving you that quest. That is to say, I married Emily early and suddenly Clint was trying to woo a married woman by asking her spouse to intercede. It was very funny.
This absurd example aside, Clint's progression is just generally off and doesn't quite work.

[Elaisren2020]

Originally posted by BCD:

Never heard of this nighthawk mod. What is it?
There was a thread not so long ago about Clint, and hoo boy does he get a raw deal. Hey, do you know that quest he gives you in the start of winter, to give Emily an amethyst in his behalf, Clint's attempt? If that wasn't weird enough already, it turns out that nothing will dissuade the madman from giving you that quest. That is to say, I married Emily early and suddenly Clint was trying to woo a married woman by asking her spouse to intercede. It was very funny.
This absurd example aside, Clint's progression is just generally off and doesn't quite work.

So, the "Nighthawk" mods - The best way to describe them would be to say they are a collection of indy mods not on Nexus (yet, tmk - although I believe they should be available there in the future- no date has been given) but invite only atm. The core mod in the collection is like SDVE - an extended/expanded version of the non-modded SDV, but with some NPCs removed, arcs/heart events tweaked, new original NPCs added, with a focus on the main story arc. Your choices really do matter (like deciding an NPCs fate-yes both you &/or the NPCs can die if you are not careful) if you want a specific outcome. If you're not bothered you can play as you would in the non-modded SDV and enjoy watching the "alternative" heart/town events & cut scenes.

NPCs can marry/divorce each other and you will have to compete against a love rival or two for some NPCs. You can in essence play matchmaker for the town with Flor's assistance: help Kent & Jodi re-connect, talk sense into Lewis & Marnie, set Caroline free of Pierre & her past. You can even help Emily pick her suitor with Haley's assistance- if you choose not to date or marry either of them- from Clint, Shane, Sandy & Sophia. If you are on good terms with Riley or Keahi, you can prank the residents once a week, twice if there is a town event, but not on the targets birthday/wedding day- the pranksters are not that cruel.

The Episodic/ extra content mods in the collection, range from the "extra routes/better endings" which add options for the main story arc such as "The Wizard & Elemental Wars" - provides history & background for Wizard, Witch, Krobus & Dwarf with extra side quests, to the "better items/actors voice" which add new key items and voice acting for the NPCs such as "Folly's Fables" - grants access to more pranks, related items and give Riley an alternative career path. "NPC dubstars" - adds voice acting for most NPCs, still buggy atm, but from what I've seen/heard it's promising, just not keen on Jas & Haley's voices - they sound almost identical like an impersonation of Mandy from totally spies, which doesn't fit the characters imo. The other NPC voices are pretty cool though, Sebastian fans will be pleased.

[BCD]

It's one thing to mention SVE NPCs and expect people to be familiar with them (and not everyone was), but lol very few people will know about a mod that is invite-only. I think I'll take a look at its Nexus page, when it has one.

[Elaisren2020]

Originally posted by BCD:

It's one thing to mention SVE NPCs and expect people to be familiar with them (and not everyone was), but lol very few people will know about a mod that is invite-only. I think I'll take a look at its Nexus page, when it has one.

You are right, sorry my bad, I got carried away. Like i say it's just my personal favourite mod set right now. There are lots of others which are great too and obviously the original vanilla SDV is gold if somewhat frustrating at times.

Still, back on topic/returning to my original post - If we consider just the non-modded NPCs,
I would probably say either Penny, Haley or Maru are my votes for best NPC (at least in terms of marriage) - Abigail is useful but whether it's down to RNG hating me or just me i don't know but she's always a pain in the non-modded version. she never lives up to her potential i.e rarely helps on farm/with kids and other than her heart event in the mines with the bats, I've yet to see her appear in the mines, unlike in the modded version where She'll appear/help out more often than not.

Penny, Haley & Maru however have always been more reliable for me in game RNG wise. Penny is a real sweetheart, Maru is cool apart from near killing you & has the bonus of discounts at Robins shop (although by late game it doesn't make that much of a difference). Haley gets better over time, but is not my personal first choice (I like Sebastian & Emily more for some reason).

As for worst NPC, IMO it's tie between Pierre, The Wizard, Pam, Shane, Elliot & Demetrius. They all cause unnecessary drama/problems for little to no reward or their story arcs don't really feel right to me, like they are either incomplete or just rushed in favour of giving more time to other NPCs.

The other NPCs fall somewhere in the middle ground - useful but boring/plain or vice versa - not useful but interesting/fun.

I do have one other thought - Dusty the dog is possibly the best/my favourite NPC.
He fills his role perfectly and never gets in the way. You know where you stand with Dusty. Far better than the darn cat (the dog is slightly better than the cat imo) you can get as a pet on your farm anyway.

[BCD]

I see. I don't think I ever saw all that much of Demetrius (never married Sebastian or Maru), but I get where you're coming from. He doesn't look like a great stepfather, plus there's that weird Maru heart event. Pam isn't great either. I don't mind the Wizard and Elliot, and Shane gets a pass from me cause he's depressed and his progression shows him dealing with it and improving. I actually like Shane.
Penny is my personal favourite. I like Abigail as well, though I don't think she really lives up to all her talk about adventuring. I think her 14 heart event is kinda funny too. You survive serpents and dinosaurs on the skull cavern and then a golem almost kills you bro? And then Abigail feels bad about killing it? If we're gonna assign any value to the monsters' lives the player is the mass murderer from Chara's dreams.

[Elaisren2020]

Originally posted by The Dark Tyger:

Originally posted by Elaisren2020:

I do have one other thought - Dusty the dog is possibly the best/my favourite NPC.
He fills his role perfectly and never gets in the way. You know where you stand with Dusty. Far better than the darn cat (the dog is slightly better than the cat imo) you can get as a pet on your farm anyway.

I've had the dog get in my way plenty of times. :( They're pretty much the same IME, so it's just down to personal preference.

If you mean the pet dog on your farm I agree with you it can be as bad as the cat but for me it's never been as bad as the cat who constantly blocks doorways etc. although I find the watering can does help to shift the cat sometimes. When I mentioned Dusty - I meant Alex's pet dog the one who stays in his kennel, but you can pet in town. I suppose you could argue Dusty doesn't count or that he is plain/boring but he does cheer up NPCs when they are down and has been a true friend/companion to Alex.

Originally posted by BCD:

I see. I don't think I ever saw all that much of Demetrius (never married Sebastian or Maru), but I get where you're coming from. He doesn't look like a great stepfather, plus there's that weird Maru heart event. Pam isn't great either. I don't mind the Wizard and Elliot, and Shane gets a pass from me cause he's depressed and his progression shows him dealing with it and improving. I actually like Shane.
Penny is my personal favourite. I like Abigail as well, though I don't think she really lives up to all her talk about adventuring. I think her 14 heart event is kinda funny too. You survive serpents and dinosaurs on the skull cavern and then a golem almost kills you bro? And then Abigail feels bad about killing it? If we're gonna assign any value to the monsters' lives the player is the mass murderer from Chara's dreams.

Lol, Chara ref so true. Seriously though, I'm not as much of a fan of Shane in the Non-modded version, I understand his story arc and granted it is better than other NPC arcs, but having played the modded version and seen how they dealt with Shane's arc I just prefer that version of Shane - it feels complete if that makes sense. In some modded versions depending on your choices, Shane can either continue down a dark path or like vanilla version he can choose to take action and improve his lot - leaving Joja, staying sober and finding his calling in life, but actually get married and have his own family. Imo, it's kinda cool to see the extra progression he makes, some NPCs make great spouses for him, with some great new cut scenes. Disregarding invite only mods, there should still be a few "better dialog/ending" mods for him on Nexus some of which also offer their fix for NPCs like Pam and try to improve the Lewis/Marnie thing. Although compatibility with other mods (usually any which change the NPCs portrait or key maps) could be an issue.

The wizard is interesting & useful whichever version you play, but I'm still not a fan. The "parent" scandal was interesting in the vanilla version but it never really felt genuine to me. Sure aspects of it worked to a degree but, the conclusion imo needed work it felt rushed/like none of it mattered everyone just carried on as normal after all the build up, it was anti-climatic. Some of the mods out there have put their spin on it, but most either pin it all on the wizard being evil or just a ****, or his "partner" being a *** crazed serial cheater. The latter while possible due to "his Partners backstory" is still a bit far fetched to me. I've always leaned to it being the wizards fault - taking advantage of "his Partner" during an emotional time in their life while still being married to the witch. Although it still doesn't completely excuse "His Partner" if they willingly engaged in the affair -two wrongs don't make a right- something hinted at in the vanilla version. There is also the debate over the wizard's role in the valley - he is meant to be one of it's protectors, yet some of his actions contradict this (I'm not including assisting Krobus in this as I see this as more of a positive than a negative) for example being able to assume any form and spy freely on the residents with only his questionable conscious to prevent him taking advantage for personal gain. I guess i see the wizard as neither pure hero or pure villain but something in between, at least in the vanilla version. In some mods I would think differently, there is at least one where he is truly horrible ( a villain you love to hate) and offers a fitting "closure" story arc wise.

As for Demetrius I think the main reason I'm not a fan is because like you mentioned, his behaviour in Maru's heart event/s is strange given the impression you get from other NPCs about him. It doesn't really match up - similarly his and Robin's interactions are all over the place, one minute they are at loggerheads the next they are a cringe-worthy OTT lovey dovey couple taking walks together or partying at the Saloon. maybe their relationship revolves around extremes I don't know maybe just change the dialog slightly to make it feel like they either work things out like a real couple or something.
There are some good mods, which deal with this - one (I forget which) goes into some depth and has Robin dealing with anger management/communication issues, while Demetrius deals with OCD/ control issues in a joint counselling session. Showing that they are actually a strong supportive couple who just needed a bit of advice/help from experts on how to live with their conditions.

[BCD]

It looks like you know all the mods lmao. You can link some of these here if you want, assuming they're not invite-only.
I think I agree with you about the Wizard, he mostly just seems to be doing his own thing to me. The affair is just a town secret, I wouldn't even say it has a conclusion of any sort in vanilla (though there's some heart events related to it in SVE iirc). I think a lot more could be done with the Wizard, but I don't dislike him either.
Have you seen the new heart event you get for completing Robin's community request? Visit Robin after it's done and she's showing off her new deluxe bed to the family and Demetrius says something like it being a waste to spend so many resources on mere decoration. You can weigh in on the argument too! It's a weird conversation.

[Elaisren2020]

Originally posted by The Dark Tyger:

Originally posted by Elaisren2020:

If you mean the pet dog on your farm I agree with you it can be as bad as the cat but for me it's never been as bad as the cat who constantly blocks doorways etc. although I find the watering can does help to shift the cat sometimes.

I mean...just walking into it long enough phases you through him like with any other NPC... No need for the watering can.

Yeah, but it's kinda fun to wake the lazy cat up with a cold shower from the watering can and watch it scram out of your way then dry out somewhere. it's been a while since I've played the vanilla version so not sure if it works in that or not but in some mods you can actually hoof (kick) the annoying beast over the greenhouse/other obstacles if it's blocking your way to the mushroom/fruit bat cave or whatever on your farm. Although you can't kick it out of the way if it's in your house, but you can still use the watering can.
Not that I agree with/or support animal cruelty you understand.

Originally posted by BCD:

It looks like you know all the mods lmao. You can link some of these here if you want, assuming they're not invite-only.
I think I agree with you about the Wizard, he mostly just seems to be doing his own thing to me. The affair is just a town secret, I wouldn't even say it has a conclusion of any sort in vanilla (though there's some heart events related to it in SVE iirc). I think a lot more could be done with the Wizard, but I don't dislike him either.
Have you seen the new heart event you get for completing Robin's community request? Visit Robin after it's done and she's showing off her new deluxe bed to the family and Demetrius says something like it being a waste to spend so many resources on mere decoration. You can weigh in on the argument too! It's a weird conversation.

Not really, although some of my preferred mods require others to get the most out of them. I've still got a lot of original NPC mods to try out. The Shika? NPC mod on Nexus is one that has been suggested I try along with a new maps/side quests mod "Access all Areas" or something like that, which is meant to allow you to explore Zuzu city a bit and attend SDV's take on Comic con & some sporting events.
Although the base Riley NPC mod as well the Ridge (Ridgeside valley/village?) mod are on Nexus and I would recommend both to all, but add that the Riley mod might not be everyone's cup of tea so to speak. Riley might seem bratty/immature at first but they blossom later. Their heart events are fun, the LARPing with Abigail & Sam is a fav. of mine as you can pick different options in it like you can with Sebastian's & Sam's D&D style event for a different result. Riley also allows you to sleep at their house once you are friends even if you are dating/married to someone else which can be handy, but is rarely needed tbh. One last thing to note is that sometimes Riley will overlap the Maru NPC sprite schedule wise, normally when they are sitting on the bench in town which can be a bit buggy but you can safely ignore it and it usually rights itself either later that day or after you go to sleep just don't try to gift/talk to either Riley or Maru if/when their sprites overlap it can mess your inventory up.

There are also a few mods on Nexus which allow you to date marry NPC's like Robin, Jodi etc. from the ones I've played they are alright, nothing special. The Jodi one is probably the best of that bunch - it's the least buggy and has some nice dialog changes in places. If you don't mind Kent being more or less erased/forgotten from SDV after you marry Jodi. The Robin/Veronica (Robin's "twin" sister) mod is interesting but is still really buggy and needs more work technically - imo it would've been better if the dev/modders of this mod left Robin as is, and just added Veronica as a new NPC to date/marry, she looks identical bar outfit to Robin and has a similar enough personality for those who want to date/marry Robin or at least an NPC like her.

To your question, nope I've not seen that new heart event for Robin's community request, yet. Like I've said it's been a while since I've played the non-modded vanilla version (I really should go back to it for a bit) AFAIK it's not turned up in any of the current mods I'm using, but i do need to update them, so It'll be cool to see when I get to it.