Hold Alt to Highlight NPCs and Corpses

[Nesano]

It's hard to see NPCs walking across the desert even if they're moving and it's even harder to differentiate corpses from rocks and other ground clutter. If they appear on the screen, they're clearly fair game when it comes to detecting them, so there should be a way for the player to see them so your squad isn't wondering why nothing is being done about that group of hostiles charging at them in the distance.

Update
I just walked right up to a bandit camp because I simply couldn't see it. I was following an icon on the map and I didn't see the camp until I zoomed in on the ground right where the icon was on the map. Thankfully, they weren't hostile for some reason.

[Kwikwilyaqa]

Corpse highlight is a must for Kenshi. Is plain stupid the need to click in each body trying to find a boss or something different than the usual (in a pile of 40 bandids is just painfull).

In the other hand, NPC highlight is for a different game - you can move the camera (the higher, the worst to see things, most camps have light sources (you can see them miles away) and several other reasons, but the most relevant one is: it breaks the WTF! moments (makes the game a click and point adventure where you can avoid the adventure part). They are the best one. And you'll probably crash your game if you highlight NPCs in the shrinking forest or fog islands xP

[Redgard]

great suggestion, i agree.

I've got the same problem to look the bandit leader, etc.

[Nesano]

In the other hand, NPC highlight is for a different game - you can move the camera (the higher, the worst to see things, most camps have light sources (you can see them miles away) and several other reasons, but the most relevant one is: it breaks the WTF! moments (makes the game a click and point adventure where you can avoid the adventure part).

They're putting in a skill called Perception, so they're already going down the "The character sees things, not the player" road. WTF! moments are only immersion-breaking moments. The characters probably saw the bandits coming a mile away, they just never did anything about it because the player didn't see them.

And you'll probably crash your game if you highlight NPCs in the shrinking forest or fog islands xP

It would only highlight NPCs that are in range. They disappear after a certain distance. If other games are anything to go off of, this disappearing is probably going to tie in to the Perception skill I made mention of.

[Hatsune_Neko]

Highlighting the npcs before you can see them is against the games your not special. You are no one.

Knowing where they are is upto you to notice.

Perception is for use with crossbows.

As for knocked out or dead npcs. They need to make sure they dont sink into the land. As for highlighting them, im not a fan of the idea.
Im more worried of them slipping under the map. Or underwater where cant reach them.

[Nesano]

It has absolutely nothing to do with "you're not special, you are no one." If it had anything to do with that concept, there would be a system in place that made it so that they become easier to see as you level up. This system — or lack thereof — has to to with the player, not the character. The NPCs and corpses are visible on-screen, so the information is being conveyed to the player. The fact that this information is so hard to see is bad game design.

[Kwikwilyaqa]

As for knocked out or dead npcs. They need to make sure they dont sink into the land. As for highlighting them, im not a fan of the idea.
Im more worried of them slipping under the map. Or underwater where cant reach them.

That's the problem. And not only land. Rocks, ores and house foundations are the worst. You knock down that Inquisitor that almost kill 80% of your party and simple cannot strip his gear because its inside an iron ore or something. NPC's make no sense include in the game, but corpses had to be in tomorrow.

And not "hold" - toggle button. Trying to loot that valorous egg and accelerate time to max is so stupid (alt-F4, anyone?) xD

[Nesano]

NPC's make no sense include in the game,

NPCs are about as hard to see as corpses, so it makes a ton of sense to make them more obvious. The only thing that makes NPCs more visible is when they move, but by then it can be too late.

[swillo]

NPC's make no sense include in the game,

NPCs are about as hard to see as corpses, so it makes a ton of sense to make them more obvious. The only thing that makes NPCs more visible is when they move, but by then it can be too late.

Actually I think this will be handled with the blood update coming out. don't need a highlight bar if there is a spreading pool of blood on the ground.
I do agree with the frustration of knocked out npcs falling into unreachable locations. Had one that would fall inside the wall under a second story turret. as I was looting the rest of the farm he would pop up and start shooting till some one ran and hit him then he fell back out of reach.
As for highlighting active NPCs, i'm torn. I like the idea of having the names of them pop up if I press a button. That way I can identify the leader of a group more easily. But I like the fact that they can sneak up on me if i'm not paying attention. I was pushing for the stealth skill to apply to NPCs so they would be able to sneak up on you and knock you out without showing up on the map until your perception spotted them.

[Nesano]

NPC's make no sense include in the game,

NPCs are about as hard to see as corpses, so it makes a ton of sense to make them more obvious. The only thing that makes NPCs more visible is when they move, but by then it can be too late.

Actually I think this will be handled with the blood update coming out. don't need a highlight bar if there is a spreading pool of blood on the ground.
I do agree with the frustration of knocked out npcs falling into unreachable locations. Had one that would fall inside the wall under a second story turret. as I was looting the rest of the farm he would pop up and start shooting till some one ran and hit him then he fell back out of reach.
As for highlighting active NPCs, i'm torn. I like the idea of having the names of them pop up if I press a button. That way I can identify the leader of a group more easily. But I like the fact that they can sneak up on me if i'm not paying attention. I was pushing for the stealth skill to apply to NPCs so they would be able to sneak up on you and knock you out without showing up on the map until your perception spotted them.

The nameplate version of NPC highlighting is better, as it gives more useful information. The problem with enemies "sneaking up on you" because you're "not paying attention" is that lack of attention isn't to blame, it's the way NPCs blend with the terrain. The only real way to get around that is to look closely at everything pretty much every passing second and that's bad game design. As for the sneak thing, it could just be like World of Warcraft where they don't show up unless they're detected.