TL;DR: The server-side daily NPC simulation now feeds directly into the client-side real-time agent system, so an NPC’s mood, commitments, and yesterday’s events visibly shape their behavior today — sad NPCs withdraw, angry NPCs work harder, and NPCs with goals seek you out for real reasons.
Two sophisticated NPC systems that previously ran in parallel now talk to each other.
The daily simulation (server-side) generates events, mood shifts, relationship changes, and social commitments for every villager. The agent system (client-side) scores 30+ possible actions every ~15 game-minutes to decide what each NPC actually does in real time. Until now, these systems were disconnected — a grieving NPC would socialize just as much as a happy one.
What changed:
Mood affects behavior. Simulation-generated moods (happy, sad, angry, suspicious) now modify agent action scores. A sad NPC withdraws from social activities and seeks comfort. An angry NPC channels energy into work and avoids socializing. A happy NPC is more engaged with everyone around them.
Commitments drive actions. When the simulation assigns an NPC a commitment (deliver goods, guard the gate, visit the temple), the agent system now reads that commitment and scores relevant actions higher. A blacksmith who promised a delivery will prioritize forge work over idle chat.
Approach becomes intentional. The approach_player action — previously a random curiosity roll — is now a fully scored agent action driven by ambitions, commitments, and mood. An NPC who needs help with a quest-relevant goal will seek the player out. One who just had a fight with a neighbor might avoid everyone. The approach system picks NPCs who have reasons to talk, not just proximity.
The result: NPC behavior feels coherent across timescales. What happened yesterday in the simulation shapes what an NPC does today in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does NPC mood affect their behavior in Wanderfolk?
Mood states generated by the daily simulation (happy, sad, angry, suspicious) modify real-time agent action scores. A sad NPC withdraws from social activities and seeks comfort. An angry NPC channels energy into work and avoids socializing. A happy NPC is more engaged with everyone around them. These shifts are visible in how NPCs move around the village and who they interact with.
Why do some NPCs approach the player while others avoid them?
The approach action is now a fully scored agent behavior driven by ambitions, commitments, and mood rather than a random curiosity roll. An NPC who needs help with a quest-relevant goal will seek the player out, while one who just had a fight with a neighbor might avoid everyone. The system picks NPCs who have genuine reasons to talk.
Do NPC commitments from the simulation actually change what they do in real time?
Yes. When the daily simulation assigns an NPC a commitment like delivering goods or guarding the gate, the real-time agent system reads that commitment and scores relevant actions higher. A blacksmith who promised a delivery will prioritize forge work over idle chat, and a warrior approaching a guard shift will head toward the gate early.