CipSoft posted details this week about Persist Online’s NPC overhaul that is meant to amp up the challenge and immersion, directly addressing player feedback from recent tests that encounters felt too predictable.
The Pre-Alpha build has made some changes to the game’s NPCs, who will now boast randomized appearances, changing their faces, skin tones, and subtle body differences to break the monotony of identical adversaries. Visually it will make every encounter feel a little more fresh, despite the general rotting that zombies tend to do.
But CipSoft states the changes are not just cosmetic. NPC combat behavior got a serious upgrade: enemies now collaborate, employing strategic buffs for allies and debuffs against players. This means battles won’t be about brute force anymore. The new NPCs will demand strategic real-time adaptability, as ranged foes will intelligently reposition themselves to maintain distance, while melee NPCs exhibit more erratic, realistic zombie-like behavior. This is partially the fault of the player characters for looking so tasty.
The enhancements the Persist Online team have made will turn combat into a more immediate and genuine test of skill, meant to capture the games perceived unforgiving vibe. The team has expressed that this overhaul is only one of many steps they’re taking to make a more dynamic survival experience.
