Cataclysm-dda: NPC Arsonist burns down refuge center

[WizardOfOoo]

If the arsonist sees a zombie they burn the place down trying to attack it.

Any way to maybe get him to spawn outside or to keep him from burning the place down?

[pisskop]

feature

[Taberone]

NPCs with flamethrowers or molotovs in general will accidentally burn down anything inbetween them and the zombie, not just Makayla Sanchez (The static-spawned NPC mutant arsonist at the refugee center). They're incapable of recognizing what collateral damage is. Could be worse, though. IIRC, Makayla and dynamic spawn NPC arsonists used to spawn with actual flamethrowers, but now they only spawn with molotovs.

[pisskop]

the problem is. npc not recognising the need to preserve their home. its okayish for a random npc to burn it all down, but a static one?

other issues with npcs exist.

• npcs have no concept of the level of threat they face
• npcs have no concept of 'home base'
• they dont _need_ to eat or drink, and thus dont need items
• they have no concept of friendly fire other than 'dont hit pc' and 'dont directly kill allies'
• the shelter is poorly defended and zeds spawn literally inside it

[WizardOfOoo]

What if we gave Makayla Sanchez a nice sub-machine gun instead? Arsonist /= pyrophiliac. They are someone who burns down houses and harvests nails to sell. The would need a gun to defend themselves beyond Molotov's.

[Leland]

There is a low-level (and oooold, #120) implementation of a "base" through a bulletin board.

It's only used right now to define an area to tell friendly NPC to go back to, but it might be a good launching-off point for the issues described here.

[pisskop]

ive always felt like the bulletin board also reduces monster spawns in the immediate area

[WizardOfOoo]

If (standing on floor tile) do not (throw Molotov / use flamethrower) It could be applied to all NPC attacks. Plus we could give the Arsonist a flamethrower again.

Not perfect, but it might reduce buildings being burnt down to a more acceptable, but yet still !!FUN!!, level.

[DangerNoodle]

At least you are well warned with the arsonist being named as such, unlike random companion NPCs or dynamic ones.

[Leland]

Closing due to lack of recent discussion. Feel free to ping me to reopen if there's interest in discussion/development on this.

[WizardOfOoo]

I don't think this is the intended behavior.

This is a bug.