This NPC or group of NPCs would function like a non playable player that could do all of the things a player does. They could be of an existing race as well, since assets of them have already been implemented. What I had in mind was that they would spawn (If that's what the player decides) on a new character's first planet (and possibly have a rare chance of it happening on other planets.) There could be a specific task for each NPC (which is probably the easiest to program) or there could be four main groups of tasks the NPC could do with it's day (like, having the morning to mine, midday to build, etc.) I thought of: mining/ collecting resources- using a pickax or even a matter manipulator to mine for resources, and also lay the ground work for a builder to follow behind and decorate with wood, etc. to make it look like the current spawn-mine mini biome or whatever it is... This would be something the NPC could do with, say, only a quarter of the map. building/ crafting- after gathering resources, it is also important to show a player how to build, so the NPC could build structures like a house, or decorate the mine with stairs, ect. selling/buying- the NPC(s) could sell their excess resources, ore, and loot to the player for pixels, meat, etc. straight out of their inventories, or at a "shop." They could also buy excess loot from the player for pixels... hunting/farming/ possible partner for the new player- this NPC/facet of behavior would roam the planet hunting for monsters to kill, as well as maintain a small farm near their base. It could also return to its base to cook for the other NPCs. This will obviously require the hunter/farmer to follow the player, looking for monster spawns, which would help a new player survive their first fights. The new player could ask the hunter to follow them the whole time, and act like a personal bodyguard, but for a price of course, like meat/crops. All of the NPCs would go home to sleep at night, except for the hunter, if it is guarding the player. If an NPC died, there could be a timer that would track when they respawn. All the of the NPCs can defend themselves, depending on what weapons they have crafted/found, except for the Hunter, who could defend itself from first spawning. No resources will be wasted, and all blocks will remain in existence in one form or another. The NPCs could drop their inventories when killed as well, if the player chooses to use them in other ways... The NPCs could also travel at half the normal game speed when out of the player's sight, so the player wouldn't be so overwhelmed by constant progress. This, in my estimation, would be a much better guide than the current setup with a single NPC who simply advises a few things if asked, but is mostly unhelpful. As I typed this, I realized that I am simply describing a multiplayer experience and that this was all totally over the top and probably unnecessary. While now I see that I probably also described half of another game entirely, I also see that this means I probably just need someone to play with... This could make a cool mod, and if someone likes this idea, they can totally use it. All I ask is that I get credit for my idea. Final thought: If someone on the dev team likes this idea, I think it would make a great gameplay mechanic for new players, as well as others who like a game to play itself.
