My new ASMR is watching Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 NPCs harvest a big pile of discarded player items

Sometimes, to relax, I enjoy watching timelapse videos of ocean creatures, like starfish colonizing patches of the sea floor. Whether they are gracefully devouring a seal’s carcass or moving to escape danger, I find a strange beauty in the nature of it all.

A similar fascination can be found in Warhorse’s recent RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. By dropping dozens of items in a random town square, passing NPCs will gradually gather them up based on their preferences dictated by class. A video showcasing this phenomenon was created by Redditor Mcloganator, featuring three thousand groschen worth of goods being scavenged.

[KCD2] Timelapse of 300 thousand Groschen worth of goods being scavenged from the streets of Kuttenberg.
byu/Mcloganator inkingdomcome

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(Here is a link, in case you can’t see the video embed.)

The mesmerizing sight of Kuttenberg townsfolk collecting a heap of items aside, the underlying social systems in the game are truly intriguing. NPCs choose what to pick up based on the item’s value and their social status. Nobles may ignore cheap items while beggars will gladly pick them up. This behavior is governed by the game’s node-based AI system, as explained by Warhorse programmer Patrik Papšo.

Papšo also shared insights about abandoned features, such as a system where dropping a stolen item could lead to repercussions if the original owner spotted it. However, this feature was removed due to gameplay complexities. Another bug involved NPCs mistakenly taking items from players’ inventories.

The concept of NPCs actively acquiring, exchanging, and discarding objects opens up a realm of possibilities for immersive gameplay. Imagine tracking an item that was stolen from you, only to see it being worn by someone else hours later. This dynamic world-building is reminiscent of games like Dwarf Fortress where dwarves claim items for their own use.

Perhaps there is a simulation out there that replicates this concept. For now, the idea of following an object’s journey through various hands is a fascinating prospect.