4 Year Vet Reward npc cheering

I'm a new adventurer, strolling the streets of Qeynos, looking for things to do.
Need someone to carry that package to Nettleville? Looking for someone to go fetch you a new broom? Need ten rats slain? No problem! I'm just starting out, but I can certai-
...Why are you cheering at me? Looking, it's nothing really. I'll just go and get this d-
Would you please stop that. It's really rather disconcerti-
Why is this other person cheering at me also? Look, I'm all for being cheerful and welcoming but this is-
Okay, now that whole group of people are all cheering at me. In perfect unison, too. This is nuts.
Why is this happening? Am I dreaming? *pinch* No... Not dreaming...
Perhaps I've done something incredibly brave and I don't know it yet... I don't recall slaying any dragons...
Oh, come on! The baker, too? Leave me alone!
Is it something in the water? Have you all gone insane?
Why won't anyone explain this to me?!

I've just finished testing the veteran rewards for the much-maligned (at least among roleplayer circles) npc cheer flag. Turns out that the [Veteran Reward - 4 year] package is the culprit. Just claiming it doesn't do anything, but unpacking it causes the character flag to be set. Or perhaps it's receiving a particular item within the package that sets the character flag.

Whatever the cause, the reason I bring this up is that although the cheering was cute at first, it's now gotten to the point that having random ecology and merchant npcs everywhere in every city, regardless of alignment differences, whip around to cheer at my characters silently, in entire synchronized groups no less, has grown extremely tiresome.

This is especially annoying when npcs have something nasty to say when I'm not welcome there, but feel compelled to give me encouragement with their silent and creepy cheering anyway. Why are Freeporters so enthusiastic about my goody characters sneaking around their city? Even in same-alignment cities, I'd really rather not have everyone cheering for my dark and thoroughly vile Necromancer and my evil, bloodthirsty Freeblood Assassin. These npcs should be wary of calling attention to themselves around these characters, not turning around to face them directly and waving their arms about. It looks ridiculous.

Especially in Neriak, where you'd think no one would be cheering for any reason.

I realize that this is a paltry detail, that it has no impact on gameplay from a technical standpoint. I realize that there are quite a few other things that could be addressed instead. But what am I do to? This feature, while probably amusing and cute to a great many players (or at least easy to ignore) really bothers me. It detracts from the fun I have, and yanks me out of my enjoyment of this fantasy world by reminding me that I'm playing a game. And it does this with a frequency that ensures that I'm always aware it's happening. The only way to avoid this irksome npc behavior is to not visit any cities. Ever.

This feature forces npcs to react to my characters in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with who they are within Norrath. In roleplay terms, these npcs are being forced to god-mode. They see the flag on my characters that they have due to me, the player, claiming a reward I receive access to by having subscribed to the game for a considerable length of time. These npcs are meta-gaming. I want to grab each and every one, and demand that they explain themselves!

But even if I could do that, they probably wouldn't have any idea why they do what they do. They, as townies, are just there hanging about, strolling along the various streets, sometimes offering tasks to brave adventures or errand boys in need of some coin and world experience, depending on whether the quest is to go slay something or take a letter or package to someone in the next zone over. And while they're doing this, they are, with a frequency that is at the very least irksome, suddenly and randomly gripped by the irrepressible urge to cheer at the player characters that approach them. It's unnatural. Clearly the work of Coercers. Or Bristlebane.

All jokes aside, ideally, this flag should have been applied via a claimable item that explains what it is for, or stays in our bags and allows the effect to be toggled back and forth. That would have been entirely acceptable, and even useful for roleplay! But instead, it was secretly and forcibly applied, with no means provided to reverse it. And that's what really bothers me. An irreversible ninja-toggled flag for a player's characters, the effects which they see often and which may run contrary to their character or to the way the game world is supposed to work, is probably not going to make the game more enjoyable, and will mostly likely have the reverse effect. In my particular case, it has.

I'd really, really appreciate a means of turning it off. A slash command. A new claimable "potion" that reverses the flag, whatever is easiest to arrange. But I want a choice. I'd really, really appreciate it.


Thanks for reading!


Or, alternatively, if you didn't read:

TLDR: Claiming and unpacking the 4 Year Veteran Reward causes city npcs to randomly cheer at my characters. I don't like this and find it distracting and annoying. I'd really appreciate a way to turn this off.

Completing 5 heritage quests gets them to cheer for you as well. You've flagged your character with the requirements to get them to recognize you due to the title that came with the vet reward.

Cusashorn wrote:

Whatever the cause or causes, I want the ability to turn it off if I like.

I am in agreement with Tock. I have known people to simply refuse to claim the 4year vet rewards for this very reason. Maybe it was cool when it first came out, but currently it can be a visual pain, distracting from the gaming experience. Let people have the option to turn it off and on. You can even set it up like some sort of buff you have the option of having on you or not.

You can't. Get used to it, because one you're flagged, you're flagged.

Cusashorn wrote:

There is no current method to disable the flag. But it's just a flag. It can be turned off. There's just no way for players to do this currently, which is what I'm asking for.

Cusashorn wrote:

Which is, yanno, probably the reason he started this thread. To see about getting it changed.

I always wondered about this myself, and while I didn't mind my evil former member of the Militia getting cheered at... they did it to her in Qeynos too! Now that I just found silly. Especially after what she's done against the city (quest wise as well!)
And I completely agree. No cheering or merrymaking allowed in Neriak! It's not right! What would the Queen say?

The ability to turn it on or off would be lovely for those of us not wanting it.

It is pretty funny to be cheered by members of the opposite city. The Coalition of Tradesfolk and Freeport Militia worship the ground I walk on.

Cusashorn wrote:

Ya know, it always irks me when you tell others to "get used to it" or "get over it" or whatever when they're asking for a small change to the game to suit their playstyle that won't affect any others, but you will go on for days about how you want a change that is probably isolated only to you and how important that change is and needs to be implemented.

As to the OP and his request: I'd like to have the cheering toggle-able, too. Whether from the 4-yr reward or completing a number of heirtage quests. It is distracting and can be disconcerting.
Though, Rijacki (mad as a hatter) thinks the crowds must be cheering for someone behind her and Rjack (vain as a peacock) is sure they have all heard of her cuteness and of course are overwhelmed with joy at finally getting to view it. It is, though, more of an issue on my alts for various reasons. I choose to ignore it, mostly, but I wish I didn't have to.

Well excuse me for being jaded. If the option to turn off mission XP isn't going to be put in, then I really can't see how the option to turn off NPC cheering will.
"It's trivial for a developer to spend time on this when there are much more important issues at hand." This is what everyone says to me about my desires that won't affect the majority of the population, so I can't help it if this is how I come off for other suggestions that also won't affect the majority of the population.
Sorry for being so negative and cynical. I'm not against the idea, but I just can't see that something like this would be added in if something a bit more game-changing like turning off the forced XP that missions and public quests gives you won't be either.

I had no idea why all of sudden people were cheering for me - and WILDLY inappropriate people at that. Freeport? Cheering on my templar? Really highly doubt it.
I'd love something to disable this as well. I'm certainly no one special enough to deserve cheering by city guards. Well.. except that one alt - but we don't talk about her. She's weird.

Heheh I dont even notice it much anymore. TBH I always thought it had to do with your guilds accomplishments and not individual accomplishments. It is kind of annoying but I'll tell ya, I find it even more annoying that that blasted high elf chick and that darned froglok lady in Qeynos is always insulting my Ayr'Dal swash's parentage or being compared to a troll no matter what she does for the good of Qeynos. What's makes that froglok think she has any room to talk about smelly trolls when she smells like stagnant water! After so many years of playing this character it would be nice if the I guess I'd called them flavor NPC citizens verbal responses (even if it wasn't an audible response) changed in accordance with your character accomplishments/level - maybe tie it to the points in the achievement system... I'd like to think by now that she'd have earned at least some measure of respect from even the most stuck up residents of the city. After all if citizens and guards, etc... are cheering at my character in the streets because they've heard about her exploits, surely those two can be at the very least civil and not condescending to her. LOL

I have to support this one from the OP's perspective. While its more an RP aspect to the whole thing, I would like to be able to shut down the cheering from the NPCs at random times. My characters are not heroes of the city, not by a long shot.

On a personal standpoint, though, it would be nice if we did get a toggle for this or something. I'm sure most folks wouldn't give much care to it, but there is a small group that would appreciate being able to turn this 'flag' on or off.

I never noticed this lol... I had done all the HQs long ago & past 7 year reward, and claimed the 4 year. I guess I'm used to it? I know the text changes on some NPCs based on your 4 factions within your city. I do notice cheering and saluting, but I did not notice it when I was in the opposite city, which I do pop in to make trouble from time to time. There is TONS of repetitive NPC spam, that's what annoys me. Go afk a half hour in South Freeport and I have to scroll up a mile to get to a /tell.
I agree "shut up and deal with it" is not a good reply, everyone should be allowed to say how they would like their game to work, and of course people can say if they think it's a good or bad idea.
This game has evolved a large part on what people said they hated or loved, and some part of what certain other MMOs are doing and sometimes the devs just make stuff up and we're all like what the.........

For what earthly reason would you want to turn mission xp off? It's AA. AA's are a pain to get and good. If you don't want them, don't spend the points...which I think is a rather silly thing to do.
My little girl coercer when she is qeynos should not be cheered at. She broke the minds of several npcs in the last war we played on AB. They should want to hunt her down and well, end her existance. Not cheer for her.

Ah well. It's a minor rp thing in the scheme of things and while it'd be nice, so will sit and lay

Lillya@Antonia Bayle wrote:

It's not a matter of not spending points. It's making sure that the XP I get from quests, names, items, locations, and collections don't go to waste when I complete them. Forced mission XP ruins this for me. I know it's a stupid notion to play this way, but it's how I like to play. It's more fun to challenge myself by restricting my advancement in this way. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for the option to turn it off.
I don't think it's unreasonable for the option to turn off NPC's cheering either, but, well.. I just cant see them doing something like this for a cosmetic change if they aren't willing to do something for a mechanical one.

But hey, maybe the mechanical aspect really would involve a lot of time and work, and the cosmetic one would just take a few moments to do, so it's possible.

I started a thread on this exact thing some time ago. Not much response and nothing from developers (not that I expected it). The thread faded away but my annoyance with this didn't.
My characters haven't done anything much heroic so why the fuss. Even if they had done something heroic, my characters would never want the entire population to be forever beholden to them and be obligated to show such deference each time they walked by.
I'd happily make use of the means to turn this off if possible. I find so much auto-cheering very immersion breaking.
Found my old thread, lol: http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=466084

This has been bothering me for a while, too. Would love to see a way to turn this off.

Cusashorn wrote:

That's great. You're not everyone.

Cusashorn wrote:

Having NPCs cease their annoying behavior and return to the way they acted previously sounds like a lot less work than coding in a mechanics change for an entirely new feature. Granted, I am no programmer, but this sounds logical to me, thus it does not seem unlikely they would turn off the cheering and yet not put in an XP suppression feature. In fact, it seems eminently obvious.
This is a case of apples and Yugos. I sympathize with your desire for a certain feature that you do not have access to - hell, there are half a dozen things I am convinced would make my gameplay better - but the devs will make the changes they either want to, or are allowed to make, in their own good time.