History Main / NPCScheduling

* ''Franchise/{{Ultima}}'' has been doing this since 1988 at least. ''VideoGame/UltimaV'' was the first one in the series to have it, but since then it became a series staple.

* The HarvestMoon series - All characters have certain schedules set that they'll adhere to for certain days and times. Certain characters can only be found manning a shop on the shops open days, then found wandering around town when it's closed, for example.

* ''VideoGame/MagiciansQuestMysteriousTimes'' is a bit like a hybrid of VideoGame/AnimalCrossing and HarvestMoon's scheduling--the characters do wander somewhat randomly (like they do in VideoGame/AnimalCrossing), but, like HarvestMoon, they have specific places where they're likely to be at certain times of the day. One character, for example, might practice magic at the ruins most afternoons, but spend most evenings by the beach.

* The RuneFactory series - All characters wander around town and are found in their homes and shops at certain times/days.

* ''VideoGame/MagiciansQuestMysteriousTimes'' is a bit like a hybrid of AnimalCrossing and HarvestMoon's scheduling--the characters do wander somewhat randomly (like they do in AnimalCrossing), but, like HarvestMoon, they have specific places where they're likely to be at certain times of the day. One character, for example, might practice magic at the ruins most afternoons, but spend most evenings by the beach.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' - Oblivion introduced "Radiant AI", a formalized system for NPC behavior. While seemingly just a marketing gimmick that didn't live up to the hype, its true value is understood by PC modders who also implement NPCs; it formalizes NPC behavior configuration where previously in Morrowind it involved a kludge of the scripting system. Similarly, Skyrim's "Radiant Story" system formalizes and expands the system that was previously a huge monster of a script system that governed random encounters in Fallout 3.

* ''RadiataStories'' had this as one of its main gimmicks. (Another was the fact that like 50% of those [=NPCs=] were {{Optional Party Member}}s.)

[[folder:Adventure]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Chulip}}'' - the people you have to kiss (yeah, it's a WidgetSeries) either wander about in town, are home, or aren't anywhere you can find them at all depending on the time of day.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' series - most, if not all, of the characters will move about as time progresses; figuring out when and where is the best time to strike without being caught is how one earns the Silent Assassin rating.
** Some missions added difficulty by having the targets enter and leave the map on a schedule, giving you much less time to perform the hit and make your getaway.
* ''TheLastExpress'' - every character, event, and the entire rest of the game runs on a strict schedule. The SaveScumming feature is even based around winding a clock back, mirroring the titular train's scheduled route along the stops of the Orient Express.

* ''TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' - Every NPC moves about the city according to a schedule; and you even get a handy dandy scheduler that shows you when a particular quest is active. More importantly, if you [[spoiler: choose to do Anju and Kafei's subquest, then she'll stay in town to wait for Kafei instead of going to Romani Ranch]].

* ''{{Shenmue}}''

* When visiting Tony the arms dealer's shop in JaggedAlliance 2, his assistant will sometimes inform you that "Tony stepped out for a bit," and is thus unavailable to do business. Both his absences and the times of his return are unpredictable.

* ''MagiciansQuestMysteriousTimes'' is a bit like a hybrid of AnimalCrossing and HarvestMoon's scheduling--the characters do wander somewhat randomly (like they do in AnimalCrossing), but, like HarvestMoon, they have specific places where they're likely to be at certain times of the day. One character, for example, might practice magic at the ruins most afternoons, but spend most evenings by the beach.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' - Most of the them have scheduled "wander" times where they walk around randomly, but they also eat, sleep, go to certain shops at particular times, and sometimes go out to see mudcrabs.

It was tough being an {{NPC}} in the old days. They could only stand in one place or endlessly walk the same path) repeating [[WelcomeToCorneria the same bit of dialogue]] over and over again. Obviously, this isn't very realistic, so game developers have begun to give {{NPC}}s scripted events causing them to appear at different locations depending on what time of day it is according to the InUniverseGameClock.

It was tough being an {{NPC}} in the old days. They could only stand in one place or endlessly walk the same path) repeating [[WelcomeToCorneria the same bit of dialogue]] over and over again. Obviously, this isn't very realistic, so game developers have began to give {{NPC}}s scripted events in which they would be at different locations depending on what time of day it is according to the InUniverseGameClock.

It was tough being an {{NPC}} in the old days. They could only [[WhatAreYouLookingAt stand in one place]] (or endlessly walk the same path) repeating [[WelcomeToCorneria the same bit of dialogue]] over and over again. Obviously, this isn't very realistic, so game developers have began to give {{NPC}}s scripted events in which they would be at different locations depending on what time of day it is according to the InUniverseGameClock.

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' takes it to quite some levels. Every named NPC has a different schedule, and all non-named [=NPCs=] have at least a selected time of the day when they're active. And to top it off the game has loads of [=NPCs=], and many of them either give a quest, or are involved in one somehow. Needless to say, this makes keeping track of where that one NPC is going to be when rather hard. Thankfully, one can turn the in-game clock to whatever time they want whenever they want, so if you're in a hurry to meet an NPC with an odd schedule, it's easy.

* The [=NPCs=] of ''{{Gothic}}'' operate on a realistic schedule, and also judge player's actions based on the time. Standing just inside a shop door during the day is fine. Doing the same at night is considered suspicious behavior.

* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' - Partial example: salespersons walk into a back room at night to sleep, but stand completely still at their sales desk all day long.
* In ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', animal villagers wander about town in real time according to the system clock. Mostly this sets whether the villagers are in their houses, outside, visiting each other or you (if you invite them over), or if they are sleeping. How much time they spend indoors or outside as well as sleep and waking times are also set by villager's personalities.
* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has, oddly, NPC scheduling for the children on the Lighthouse island. They do different things based on the plot, that change as the story progresses. It isn't really useful for anything, though, and is probably a WhatCouldHaveBeen remnant.
* The first two ''BreathOfFire'' games had this. A notable demonstration of this is in the first game, where you had to wait until nighttime to enter the village tower (the guards would block the entrance otherwise) to acquire the Earth Key.

* Along with ''Oblivion'' (from the same company), very well done in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Stand around a town long enough, you'll see people doing chores, going to eat, sleeping, etc.
* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' - There doesn't seem to be any set schedule, but aside from the shopkeeper all of the {{NPC}}s will wander about the town. You'll also get slightly different rewards from some of the residents at different times of day.

* Several of the ''DragonQuest'' games had this, particularly the later ones (#8 comes to mind).
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' dabbled in this; in Lower Jeuno, there were a series of streetlights that needed to be lit every night, and if no player started the quest to do it, an NPC would spawn and walk down the street lighting the lamps. There were also shops that would be closed on certain days of the week and be restocked at particular times--although for some reason, they'd still hang around at their shop counter to tell you the shop was closed.
* The [=NPCs=] of ''{{Gothic}}'' operate on a realistic schedule, and also judge player's actions based on the time. Standing just inside a shop door during the day is fine. Doing the same at night is considered suspicious behavior.
* The HarvestMoon series - All characters have certain schedules set that they'll adhere to for certain days and times. Certain characters can only be found manning a shop on the shops open days, then found wandering around town when it's closed, for example.

* When visiting Tony the arms dealer's shop in JaggedAlliance 2, his assistant will sometimes inform you that "Tony stepped out for a bit," and is thus unavailable to do business. Both his absences and the times of his return are unpredictable.

* ''MagiciansQuestMysteriousTimes'' is a bit like a hybrid of AnimalCrossing and HarvestMoon's scheduling--the characters do wander somewhat randomly (like they do in AnimalCrossing), but, like HarvestMoon, they have specific places where they're likely to be at certain times of the day. One character, for example, might practice magic at the ruins most afternoons, but spend most evenings by the beach.
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' - Most of the them have scheduled "wander" times where they walk around randomly, but they also eat, sleep, go to certain shops at particular times, and sometimes go out to see mudcrabs.
** In fact (unless they're given an infinitely respawning item of food in their inventory) [=NPC=]s who don't eat regularly will starve and it's possible to assassinate an NPC by planting poisoned food.
** ''Oblivion'' and its successors notably take this a step further than most games by not limiting scheduled events to a 24-hour period; characters will close up shop on weekends, then get up later and go to church; have a formal dinner with the count once a week, or go to stay with their cousin in another city at the end of the month.
*** All these behaviors also apply to Skyrim, which is built on a more advanced version of the same engine.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' had [=NPCs=] stand around in one place at all times (or, occasionally, wander in a fixed area) but a [[GameMod third party mod]] did create rudimentary NPC scheduling within cities.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' (and ''Crystal'') have lots of {{NPC}}s that only make appearance on certain days of the week. There's even a set of 7 gift-giving {{NPC}}s that each appears only one day of the week.
** Taken [[UpToEleven to the logical extreme]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', where the stadiums in Nimbasa town open and close at varying times across the day to prepare for and hold sporting matches, [=NPCs=] that only show up on the weekends or weekdays, Swarming Pokemon that change each day, and the changing seasons of the world (which change at the end of each month of real time), which will cause certain [=NPCs=] and areas to become available or be made unavailable depending on the season and the weather. Certain Pokemon are only catchable in the Winter, while a man who trades (the only) Munchlax in the game shows up in the summer, as well as TheCameo by Cynthia occurring then.
* ''RadiataStories'' had this as one of its main gimmicks. (Another was the fact that like 50% of those [=NPCs=] were {{Optional Party Member}}s.)
* The RuneFactory series - All characters wander around town and are found in their homes and shops at certain times/days.

* ''[[VideoGame/LauraBow Laura Bow and the Colonel's Bequest]]'': All of the NPCs can be found at different places (and [[spoiler: their corpses can even turn up in random locations]]) at different times of the night; this is most obvious with Jeeves the butler, who can be seen going about his chores [[spoiler: until you come upon his corpse in the attic]].

* This was one of the selling points of ''LureOfTheTemptress''.

* ''{{Ultima}}'' has been doing this since 1988 at least. Ultima V was the first one in the series to have it, but since then it became a series staple.

* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has, oddly, NPC scheduling for the children on the Lighthouse island. They do different things based on the InGamePlot, that change as the story progresses. It isn't really useful for anything, though, and is probably a WhatCouldHaveBeen remnant.

* The ''{{Hitman}}'' series - most, if not all, of the characters will move about as time progresses; figuring out when and where is the best time to strike without being caught is how one earns the Silent Assassin rating.

* Along with Oblivion (from the same company), very well done in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Stand around a town long enough, you'll see people doing chores, going to eat, sleeping, etc.

* ''{{Oblivion}}'' - Most of the them have scheduled "wander" times where they walk around randomly, but they also eat, sleep, go to certain shops at particular times, and sometimes go out to see mudcrabs.

** Oblivion's precursor ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' had [=NPCs=] stand around in one place at all times (or, occasionally, wander in a fixed area) but a [[GameMod third party mod]] did create rudimentary NPC scheduling within cities.