Research Idea/Question (Regarding Rivals)

Game Discussion
1

I randomly thought of this based on something I had recalled from a conversation I once had in AO. Before I state the main question, I’ll go over two key aspects of this question to make it more clear.

As most people might know, the same rival can be attributed to two different players, and that means that multiple people can spawn the same NPC to fight as their rival. As long as you kill the same NPC three times in a row (or assist in doing so) without interrupting the rival streak, the NPC will be your rival, no matter if it was a random bounty or someone else’s rival.

The second component to this is that all bounty NPCs will get stronger as they level up, gaining new magics or fighting styles if they use them, and upgrading their weapons to a higher tier if they use those. We’ll be focusing on the magic and fighting style part here.

So here’s the question:

If you take a low level bounty (20-30, the apparent minimum in the bronze sea) then have two players make the same NPC as their rival before the NPC gets their second magic or FS, and kill the NPC so they level up until they get their awakening, will the NPC have the same magic/FS gained for both players, or will it be different?

The main thing I want to determine here is if NPC skillsets for bounties are preset from the moment they generate, or are added as they reach the threshold levels. If anyone would like to help me test this out, I’d appreciate it.

2

I can help you out, most of my slots don’t have rivals.

3

I’ll have to level a new file cause all 12 of my files have rivals already, but alright
If there’s anyone else who has a free file, then you can do it with them to save time, though of course we have to wait to see if there will be anyone

4

Seems there isn’t anyone

5

i can help

6

Sure
You have a file without a rival right?

7

tons

8

Alright I’m hopping on arcane odyssey, tell me when to join you

9

alr
user is soupsnakesal

10

Remember you both need to be in the bronze sea and pick a lv 20-30 rival

11

And soupsnakesal had to go, anyone else?

12

could always wait for them to return later
leveling a new file would take several hours at least

13

They said they won’t be back for a while so idk

14

I also gotta go for a couple hours, so how about we just try again with Sal tomorrow

15

That works, we’re not in a rush anyway

16

Alright I can get back on now if anyone wants to help

17

@Mr_hyperspace @SoupSnakeSal
Important oversight I realized last night

You’re both going to have to find a magic-using NPC. Weapons obviously won’t work for this test, but I also forgot about potential inaccurate conclusions when it comes to FS. Since there’s only five of them and the NPC already starts with one, that leaves a 1/4 chance of the second one being the same for both players if the second one is procedurally selected (vs a 1/19 chance for magics)

So make sure to check whether the NPC chosen can use magic before you start killing it

18

Alright well I should be able to hop on soon.

19

If there’s no magic NPCs in the server can we choose a fs one?

20

Try swapping servers then
it’s best to not get an inaccurate result
the NPC can be any magic build (including hybrids)

If Sal is busy today then I may just make a new file and we’ll do it that way I guess (let’s wait first)