Sharknado!

[Zombie Hustler]

Finally logged into chat for the first time (and a hearty thanks to everyone who made it possible!)

Of course, I visited First Ward, one of my favorite zones in the game, right off the bat. And I noticed that the sharks are still there, swimming around.

I'm curious, though- I know there had been some discussion about difficulties of getting NPCs running, due to their AI and other technical info that is waaay over my head- but why are the sharks still running around? Don't they have a similar sort of AI coded into them, or is it just a matter of a small number of waypoints that they travel to and from, and being a relatively simple framework/graphic?

(In any event, it's been fun traveling around; never noticed some of the detail work, and particularly the sounds- I don't recall ever having heard the chimes of the church in First Ward, or seeing Nova Praetoria at night, etc.)

[Codewalker]

The sharks are not NPCs and aren't technically moving at all. They are a particle FX that circles around, similar to the particles that spin around your character when certain powers are active, or the twisting dots around an energy bolt, etc. They are just using a more substantial model for the particle than most FX do.

The anchor point of the effect itself is fixed on the map and does not move.

[HorseManDemon]

Hah, yeah. I was swimming around in there the other day. I have a thing about deep water, and when I noticed them swimming around it gave me the jibblies. *Shudder*

Pretty cool to see them, though.

[Zombie Hustler]

Ah- I figured it was probably something simple like that (even as I secretly hoped I'd stumbled upon some undiscovered secret that would open up a world of possibilities for Paragonchat!  ;))

Thanks for confirming. It's really pretty cool to see, particularly in light of the rest of the empty wasteland.

Only the sharks remain...

[Codewalker]

I believe there are some flocks of seagulls in Imperial City and maybe Neutropolis that use the same principle - a fixed animated effect that appears to move a small animal around for atmosphere.

[Noyjitat]

Crows in parts of Neutropolis and near mother mayhems hospital as well. I don't recall if you can still find any pigeons on the ground anywhere or not though... I remember seeing them ingame and they sorta fly away when you get too close.

[Rejolt]

The sharks are not NPCs and aren't technically moving at all. They are a particle FX that circles around, similar to the particles that spin around your character when certain powers are active, or the twisting dots around an energy bolt, etc. They are just using a more substantial model for the particle than most FX do.

The anchor point of the effect itself is fixed on the map and does not move.

Love to have Sharks for a base though. With laser beams. Ill-tempered even.

[Primus1]

We tried to get some, but it would've taken months to clear up the red tape

Love to have Sharks for a base though. With laser beams. Ill-tempered even.

[Felderburg]

Where are these sharks?

I believe there are some flocks of seagulls in Imperial City and maybe Neutropolis that use the same principle - a fixed animated effect that appears to move a small animal around for atmosphere.

Interestingly, in Icon you can use /benpc and turn into a flock of seagulls.

[Vee]

Where are these sharks?

Interestingly, in Icon you can use /benpc and turn into an flock to seagulls.

omg it works!
https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.fws.gov%2Fnews%2Fblog%2Fimages%2Fopen-spaces-blog%2Fflock_of_seagulls.jpg