A Good Roommate

[zprospero]

For one of my mods, the player gets a house and a live-in NPC.

 

This NPC currently does nothing. For story reasons this NPC

cannot be a companion. The NPC is kind of like the fan, in that

they really want you to be happy, but in a sweet way, not the

incredibly annoying, makes you want to throw them off

Dive Rock way.

 

So, what are the most useful, fun, or just interesting/cute things that

you would like to be able to do with a NPC who stays in your house?

 

Essentially, what makes a good roommate in Oblivion?

(Aside from selling things since it doesn't make sense according to my storyline.)

[madman132]

The Roomie may want you too take an interest in his Interrest and so he'll tell you about it. Occassionally, he'd find something that he thinks is useful to you and occassionally, he's right. So he may teach you a trick or two once in a while. Give the Player a random skillpoint for when the roomie teaches him a new trick in some random Skill.

Maybe he learns them from analyzing Books more thouroughly then the Player ever had and so the roomie will get the Ability to give you "new tricks" when you have Lore books in your House.

 

Since the Roomie has lots and Lots of time on his Hands, he could do stuff around the House, fix the Crack, get some Plaster on the Crack in that wall ( replace normal texture with "uncracked" one)...

 

Maybe he could do the Laundry. All the washed items have 10% less weight (the dirt is no longer on them ;D).

[theuseless]

You should make the companion a couch surfer. I think that would be hilarious. You got this tag along that you can't get rid of, so you eventually tell him/her they can crash on the couch or the floor. You could give oblivion its first hippy lol. Just a thought. Or the NPC could be a drifter that just got stuck in a comfortable place in middle age. What happens to all the wandering adventurers that don't make it or die?

 

-edit-

 

What if this person made you stuff? This NPC could do a number of things from forge weapons/armour, brew alcohol (what can I say), make unique clothing. Basically it would do a check on your inventory, say for silver. If this person is a blacksmith, they would require say 5 pieces of silver to forge you a dagger or something. Basically I would like to be able to trade that useless crap into something cool. Such wasted items as cloth spools and the like could find a use. You could get creative and cannibalize stuff, like bring me a basket, a crystal ball and a scythe. In exchange I will make you some crazy new staff (you could then use a staff from artifacts or something to make the player feel a little more special).

[zprospero]

I already have a very specific nature to the roommate. Let me

point of some specifics, I don't want to give too much away:

 

1. The roommate is female

2. She's 20-ish

2. She is related to someone that you have/will meet (She's quite a skilled mage because of this)

3. She is stuck in the house because of it's unique magical properties (she'd die if she left it)

4. She owes you and an associate of yours her life (due to number 3)

 

If you're male she gives the sense that she's smitten with you, since

you're the only male she's seen other than her father (long story)

and if you're female she feels like your her sister.

 

So, she wants to be your friend and make herself useful,

but unfortunately she can't leave this unique house.

 

I particularly like the idea of her being able to craft things from clutter, as well

as teaching you skills randomly. Perhaps, if you have certain items in your inventory

you'd get a 'Can you make me something?' topic with a list of what she can make with

what's currently in your inventory.

 

So, with two cloth bolts she could make a shirt, or something,

with two gold nuggets and a ruby she could make a jeweled

amulet or a ring, etc. If you have filled soul-gems she could

make an enchanted item.

 

Are there any other things that, with this new information in

mind, that you can think of that would be interesting, fun, or

helpful for her to do? Something that makes you look forward

to going back to the house and might actually make you want to

stay in it for a while?

 

Every house that I've gotten in the Vanilla game, I run in to pick up

what I need, or do what I need, and then take off. There's no desire

to stay in the house. I'd like to change that.

[Tarm]

Well I know what I like when I get home and is living with a female ( Yeah I'm male.). A welcome, food, drink, relaxing talk and then doing something lazy together like watching TV.

 

So here's my tips:

 

Welcome: Have her greet you when you get home.

 

Food\drink: Rearrange the kitchen\dinner table with random food stuff every day.

 

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It sounds like she's kinda lonely so livening up her day would make me want to come back. Maybe give her something for her "hobby". Since she's a mage you could give her ingredients and the next day you get a potion.

 

Give her gems and she puts them in display cases in her room? Give her new clothes that she wears when you get back?

 

Actually now that I think of it I'd much more like to do stuff for her than have her do stuff for me in the situation you describe. Doing stuff for her is a stronger reason for me to want to "go home" than the other way around.

[zprospero]

I like that idea a lot.

 

It would also give some point to buying new clothes. I have

absolutely no use for anything other than one outfit, and it

would give you a chance to see various female clothing

mods in-game without playing a female character.

 

She does welcome you home when you arrive. Perhaps

a variable could be kept that would dictate if she gets mad

at you for being away for too long? Then you can give her

a present to cheer her up.

 

Her schedule is mainly reading and performing alchemy,

and then just sort of sadly waiting for you to come home.

 

I give you a kudo for the idea.

[Tarm]

Thanks for the kudo. :)

 

I like the idea that she'll get mad if you're away too long and I have some thoughts that will imho enhance it.

 

If you're away for long and do something heroic like clearing Kvatch she wont be mad and will greet you with a cheer. :P Also if you're away for a very long time she would start to worry and feel relief when you get back.

[zprospero]

I like the idea that she's aware of events. Perhaps having

her stare into a crystal ball for a few hours a day? I've seen

NPCs do that. So she would have some link to the outside world.

 

That would explain how she knows what she does. Then, if you are

a Dark Brotherhood member and recently completed a contract maybe

she says something like "I heard you were in <insert city here>

and that somebody was murdered, I was worried..." etc.

 

It'll be a little difficult to implement, but I think it would

be a nice and immersive feature.

[JCP768]

Personally I'm fond of lot's and lot's of dialogue, because otherwise she'd just be like some faceless nobody that you live with, and maybe this faceless nobody happens to do things for you.

 

Personally, if you want something to gain inspiration from I'd look at Teshekru from Integration. Lot's of dialogue, varied schedules, and if you catch her while she is doing something she will act accordingly. (ie: she won't be up for certain things if youy wakr her up, or she's going to bed, dialogue might be more playful if you catchher dancing, stuff like that.)

 

Basically the best thing a roommate can do, is be an actual realistic, believable, and interesting roommate. Rewards, and such you get enough of in vanilla.

 

*actually reads the topic now instead of just skimming*

 

Yeah sounds good,some of the things I would recommend have already been suggested even. (like getting mad at you if you're away for a long time)