Wanted to know what some of your ideas where that you want to see implemented the most. Mine have always been being able to own and operate a store that you can sell your product and items scavenged.
Two ways this would have to operate for the towns folk NPC scripting to work properly with the store. First, while your character runs and operates the store manually the front door of the store would have to be locked while it’s operating to prevent your character from leaving only. Reasoning for this is for NPCs to then be able to randomly generate and enter your store visible from the inside only. Essentially you would see a NPC enter the store from the inside, but the scripting for that NPC would still operate as it would normally if they were outside of your store so as to not interrupt their outside schedule. The NPCs would in essence exist both inside the store and outside at the same time, but you will only see them inside until you leave. This would then allow NPCs inside to visibly purchase items at random all while your character is unable to exit the store. This is so you won’t interrupt the NPC scripting outside of the store should you try to leave with NPCs still inside. Then you can have virtually any amount of NPCs randomly show up at your store while it’s operating, and enough NPCs could then generate for you to make enough in sales in a day that’s worth while. When you signal to close your store all NPCs will leave before you, so once your character exits the store all NPCs are automatically back on their regular scheduled routines uninterrupted. Depending on how long you’re in the store while it’s operating, time will continue to pass outside as normal. This is similar to how the game “Moonlighter” operates.
Second, if you want your spouse to operate the store on your behalf, then there has to be a change to the NPC scripting for every NPC. There would have to be a few NPCs that stop by your store during the day to browse your stock to give the impression of realism. The store front door would not be locked preventing your character from leaving while operating, and your character could then enter and exit the store freely while your spouse operates in this case. This is because in the first scenario when your character manually operates and the store is locked NPCs can then randomly generate as many as possible, so you can actually visibly see the NPCs make random purchases in real time and then be able to have a sufficient amount of your stock purchased in a given time due to no interruption from the outside NPC scripting interfering. In the second scenario while your spouse operates and is the one running the store you have to have your character still have full access to enter and exit the store at any given time. Because of this you then cannot lock the store to have NPCs randomly generate walking inside as you won’t be able to see them walk in from the outside. Thus as a result you won‘t be able to see NPCs purchase your stock in real time either. Since you cannot change all the NPC scripting to have every NPC all visit your store in a single day as that would mess up way too much the regular schedule of the town, only a random few of them need to be changed at a time to drop in and browse for realism. In effect this will result in not having enough towns folk NPCs to visit your store in a day to cause any meaningful sales on their own. To correct this while your spouse operates no NPCs that visit can actually make any visible purchases, they would only browse the store. Then at the end of the day a random amount of stock will be sold automatically. This is drastically different from when your character operates the store manually, but would make things feasible to be able to operate both manually and via your spouse. An additional shipping bin can be placed on your farm designated for products deposited in it to be automatically placed and sold at the store by your wife, where as if you manually operate the store you can place the items on display yourself. You could also schedule when your spouse is activated to work from a billboard in the store, and could even set their schedule per week.
A specific plot of land in town can be designated for purchase to build on for the store. Customization of the store would enable you to change the exterior and interior. Exterior options could be siding, colour, and a sign so you can name your store. Interior would be display cases, stands, cash register (potentially set prices), and any other general aesthetics. This would enable you to customize your store to specialize, and sell whatever exactly you want to designated your store as, be it a bakery and you can bake all of your product at home then sell, a general store for all sorts of items and products you wish to get rid of, a produce store which you sell all of your crops grown right from your farm and sold at your own store, a flower store from products grown or foraged, wine and ale store brewed from your farm, fish market produced from your daily catch, antique or artifact store from everything found in the mines, or a bug store should that feature also be added. This adds a role playing element, allowing you to experience the full economy, from the creation of the product to its eventual sale.
