@Flor3nce2456 Thank you for sharing your opinion!
Let's see...
1.) new NPCs
1. gravedigger. I agree that being able to buy gravestones is barely necessary, so that wouldn't be a very important NPC. another idea for him though, what if he would sell all the other gadgets too, other NPCs sell when housed in a graveyard biome? so, like the painter's special paintings, the black, goth/funeral/whatever themed clothes from the clothier, etc.?
that is, only if he is housed in a graveyard biome AND said NPCs is also presents somewhere in that world, so no paintings without painter, and no echo blocks without cyborg, etc. this could alleviate the trouble to move NPCs back and forth for their special gadgets.
he could look like Dampé from Zelda games or something.
2. alraune (or whatever). yeah, I read the wikipedia article, and yeah... I understand what you mean. but, generally isn't that something part about mandrake root to begin with? anyway, I dunno is most people associate it with such things, rather than just a plant-humanoid.
I thought it could work in some way, like (I would need help with that, how to code though)
After queen bee is down, if the professor is housed in the jungle, he would sell an item like "alraune map" or something with a tooltip like "a map to a mysterious creature. drawn by the professor, so it's hard to decipher" and, if player has that in inventory and wenture down the underground jungle, has a chance to encounter something that looks like a plantera's bulb, (but the fact that it can be found pre-hardmode too would tell it's obviously not that) that could be purified in a similar fashion as the tortured soul or something, and then said creature moves in, and sells fruits or dunno.
point being, like, making a small adventure sub-quest to find this NPC, to partly balance out that it would allow access to fruits, which are rare.
but, it could be something else too instead, like an elf or something (not the Santa's helper sorta elves, but the tall and pretty forest elves with large pointy ears.) There's no elf town NPC at all in any mods I think? Even though they are popular in fantasy. I just wonder should it be a beautiful elf girl, or a handsome elf boy...? or perhaps a cute elf boy or a handsome elf girl? XD
If it's an elf, what way would it be good to have him/her move in? to make it balanced enough.
I also wonder about his relationship with the demolitionist XD because dwarves and elves don't like each other much? but they can make a great team and great friends too. yay for Legolas x Gimli bromance? XD
3. waitress. now that you mention research, indeed, that is certainly something to mind too. where such an NPC could be quite helpful I guess. these foodstuff are waaaay too rare drops from monsters. there just should be some way to balance it out. How...?
Also, what looks would fit her? a maid dress? a china dress? a retro diner uniform? or...?
2. shop stocks
1. I know that. But besides that one special seed, both can't be aquired in the same world, I think. which is very odd. The crimson fangirl sells flesh cloning vat (and meat grinder too, I think) in hardmode, it's simply that the corruption fangirl should sell its corruption counterpart too! (which she didn't do before, because decay chamber didn't existed before)
- to begin with the two fangirls could come in really handy to fill out the bestiary too, because they sell all the gadgets to create artifical evil biomes relatively easily.
2. yes. I don't mind fishing that much now, because the angler actually gives better stuff usually, but it still took me like 75-100 crates in hardmode to get enough for an anvill and forge to be able to gear up a bit better prior to smashing any altars.
3. what you mean by special decoration?
+1. aaah, and, considering the professors love for interesting insects... yay, Prismatic Lacewing! yes, he should sell that too, from the time they start spawning (post Plantera or something), similarly how he sells truffle worms too. I have a feeling that many would appreciate that a lot. I still didn't seen any of those insects, they're just so rare XD
3. Happiness
1. Yeah. I mostly thought the forest, because it's the most generic biome, and they could be easily housed as neighbors, because they like each other. but by similarities with their favorite biome, the graveyard also would fit Corru, because of just how "dead" the corruption is. The jungle could fit Crim too, indeed, because both are quite full of life XD
2. pickloc and arms dealer. that actually could be interesting! I didn't thought about that, but they could like each other as neighbors. something like old friends, sounds nice.
3. I thought scam artist would like the forest, simply because the merchant likes that too. plus, it's probably a better place to attract customers.
I'm actually not quite sure about her backstory XD. The merchant is one of my favorite vanilla town NPCs (maybe because he's the first to move in usually, and he has a nice personality and quite funny too, he's alltogether a very loveable character, so that's maybe part why I thought to do something regarding him. I also thought that lost girls are very intriguing, but due to them being naked, no mods will use them. so, I just used a lost girl as base and designed an outfit for her. and then, there is a painting called "the father of someone" (I know, it's a reference to a real life painting, whatever) featuring the merchant. so... he's the father of someone? cool, but... who is that someone? and then I thought... oh, yes, let's do that! Let's make the scam artist her daughter. she learned most things from him, just she takes it to a bit extreme levels XD
But, as for the actual backstory? Who knows, maybe the old con man used to be an adventurer himself back in the days. And maybe not all nymphs are inherently hostile or don't know.
Also, I think there are several nymphs in the world, so I don't think the scam artist and the guide would have the same mother XD I'm not quite sure where is that lore from though, that the guide is the child of a nymph and the moon lord XD lol
By the way, I wonder, looking at the zoologist's unique behavior of changing to a werefox at full moons and blood moons, if the scam artist should do something like that too, turning into a nymph at certain times? (naturally, she would stay clothed, just her skin turns green, and maybe she says some less friendly quotes. she generally would never hurt the player though. I guess her love for money is stronger than her nymph instincts or whatever.
4. Yes, the professor's outfit was designed after that archetype, similar to archeologist or something trainers in Pokémon series, and other similar characters, like professor Porter from Tarzan. His two main areas are obviously the desert and the jungle where he fits in well. I dunno if he would hate the forest, it might be well-researched, but it offers a wide variety of insects still, he seems to love to collect. if there is a biome he might would hate it might be the snow, because he's not quite dressed for that, and because of the lack of bugs. XD I think he originally had some quotes for when he's in the snow like "turn on the heater please... what?! what you mean you don't have one?!" and such, but those might been removed, since there was no reason to house him in the snow. now... are there snow biome crates? then he can be housed there too, but he would probably hate that. "achoo! ah... what... my coat? I think I left it at home agai... ooh, look, shiny!"
4 Guards and civilans
1. Yes! Given guards can be aquired easily, you could have them giving a handy little buff for most areas you want to have them. and it makes some sense too, like how instead of the whole would being undiscovered, unguarded wildreness, the king sends his guards to tame the area so towns are well protected, and roads can be traveled safer. or various kings/lords, etc. both to protect towns and cities, and important routes. Fear not, traveling merchant, the trade routes are guarded too. Just mind if some adventurer wants a fancy feathered hat...
2. Yes, I know that. I have no idea how that works code-wise, but that was the basic idea why I thought it could work. and it would be probably something quite preferable. and this would also render civilians most likely placed in towns and not as much randomly on the roadside where they belong a bit less. but players are still free to place them anywhere for deco.
3. dunno. maybe. that's why I'm asking for opinions.
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Thank you very much. it's very helpful to brainstorm about these things! If you have ideas for looks of guards, or maybe even sprites too, please do share those too!
And, yes, thank you! You too, take care, and stay safe!
