novafarma/NPC_ELECTRICIAN_SPECIFICATION.md

⚡ ELECTRICIAN NPC - Complete Specification

Functional NPC with Repair & Maintenance System

Date: January 9, 2026, 20:22 CET
Type: Functional NPC (like Zombie Statistician)
Priority: 🔥 HIGH (adds depth to generator system)

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👷 NPC PROFILE

Name: To be determined (suggest: "Marko" or "Elektrik Janez")
Role: Town Electrician
Type: Functional NPC (has job, requires payment)
Location: Generator building (spawns there daily)

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🔧 CORE MECHANICS

1. Generator Maintenance

Daily Job:

• NPC walks to generator each day
• Inspects/maintains equipment
• Prevents random breakdowns
• Visual: NPC uses tools, checks panels

Without Electrician:

• Generator has 10% breakdown chance per day
• Player must manually repair (costs resources)
• Downtime = no electricity!

With Electrician:

• 0% breakdown chance if paid
• Automatic preventive maintenance
• Generator runs smoothly

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2. Repair Services ⭐ NEW FEATURE!

Can Repair:

A. Generator (Primary Job)

• Broken generator: 100 coins OR free if employed
• Repair time: Instant if employed, 1 day if hired
• Prevents future breakdowns

B. Power Grid

• Damaged power lines: 50 coins
• Broken street lamps: 20 coins each
• Electrical fires: Emergency repair (expensive!)

C. UV Lights (Basement)

• Broken UV lights: 30 coins each
• Flickering lights: 10 coins (maintenance)
• Full system check: 50 coins

D. Other Electrical Items (Future expansion)

• Town lighting system
• Neon signs (population board)
• Any future electrical buildings

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3. Employment System

Hiring:

• Player can hire Electrician permanently
• Cost: 2 Cekini per day (more than Statistician!)
• Reason: More skilled work

Benefits When Employed:

• Free daily generator maintenance
• Free repairs (normal breakdowns)
• Priority response to emergencies
• Prevents major breakdowns

Without Employment:

• Pay per repair (expensive!)
• Slower response time
• Can refuse work if not paid enough
• Generator more likely to break

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4. Quest System (Optional)

Possible Quests:

Q1: "Power to the People"

• Electrician needs parts for generator upgrade
• Player must find: Copper wire (5), Fuse (2), Motor (1)
• Reward: Generator efficiency +20%, Electrician discount

Q2: "Emergency Blackout"

• Generator breaks at night
• Find Electrician (might be at inn/home)
• Pay emergency fee OR have parts
• Reward: Town gratitude, reputation boost

Q3: "Street Lights Initiative"

• Electrician wants to upgrade town lighting
• Needs resources: Wire (10), Bulbs (20), Poles (5)
• Reward: Beautiful lit streets, safer town at night

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🎨 ASSETS NEEDED

NPC Sprites (11 total):

Idle (4 directions):

• idle_north.png - Looking up
• idle_south.png - Facing down
• idle_east.png - Facing right
• idle_west.png - Facing left

Walk (4 directions):

• walk_north.png - Walking up
• walk_south.png - Walking down
• walk_east.png - Walking right
• walk_west.png - Walking left

Action (2 poses):

• action_repair.png - Using tools on generator
• action_inspect.png - Checking electrical panel

Portrait:

• portrait.png - Dialogue face (Style 32 noir)

TOTAL: 11 sprites

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Equipment/Props:

Tools (carried by NPC):

• Toolbox sprite (1)
• Wire coil (1)
• Multimeter device (1)

Visual Effects:

• Electric spark particles (when repairing)
• "Fixed!" indicator

TOTAL: +5 sprites/effects

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Character Design:

Appearance (Style 32 Dark-Chibi Noir):

• Blue/grey work overalls
• Tool belt with various tools
• Safety gloves (yellow or rubber)
• Headlamp or cap
• Tired but skilled expression
• Age: 40s-50s (experienced worker)
• Build: Average, practical

Personality:

• Professional but gruff
• "Pay me or fix it yourself" attitude
• Secretly cares about town
• Complains about equipment quality
• Loves electrical puns (optional dialogue)

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💬 DIALOGUE SYSTEM

Greetings:

If Employed:

• "Generator's running smooth today, Kai."
• "Found a loose wire. Fixed it already."
• "Everything's under control. For now."

If Not Employed:

• "Need something fixed? Gonna cost you."
• "Generator's your problem unless you pay me."
• "I could help... for the right price."

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Repair Dialogue:

Free Repair (Employed):

• "Part of the job. Give me 5 minutes."
• "Let me grab my tools..."
• "This should hold... until next time."

Paid Repair (Not Employed):

• "That'll be [X] Cekini. Take it or leave it."
• "Emergency rates apply. Double price."
• "Fine, but this is the LAST time I do this cheap."

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Quest Dialogue:

Power to the People:

• "Generator could run better with parts."
• "Copper wire, fuses, a new motor. Get them and I'll upgrade it."
• "Now we're talking! Generator's purring like kitten now."

Emergency Blackout:

• "WHAT?! Generator's dead? This is bad..."
• "I need [parts] or [money]. NOW!"
• "Alright, it's fixed. But you owe me a drink."

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🎮 IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS

AI Behavior:

Daily Routine:

1. Morning (8:00): Wake up, leave home
2. 8:30: Walk to generator building
3. 9:00-12:00: Maintenance work (if employed)
4. 12:00: Lunch break (idle near generator)
5. 13:00-17:00: Available for repairs
6. 17:30: Walk to inn/home
7. 18:00+: Off duty (emergency only)

Emergency Response:

• If generator breaks: Appears within 5 minutes (if employed)
• If not employed: Must be found and convinced
• Player can send zombie to fetch him (faster)

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Payment System:

Employment Contract:

• Cost: 2 Cekini/day (auto-deducted each morning)
• If can't pay: NPC quits after 3 days warning
• Can rehire later (might charge more!)

Per-Service Fees:

• Generator repair: 100 Cekini
• Power line: 50 Cekini
• UV light: 30 Cekini each
• Emergency (night): 2x price
• Bulk discount: 10% off if 5+ repairs

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Breakdown System:

Generator Breakdown Chance:

• Without Electrician:

  • Base: 10% per day
  • Poor fuel: +5% chance
  • Old generator: +10% chance
  • MAX: 25% per day

• With Electrician (Employed):

  • Base: 0% (preventive maintenance)
  • Catastrophic failure: 1% (unavoidable)
  • Emergency only

Breakdown Effects:

• All electricity off
• Street lamps dark
• UV lights stop
• Basement crops slow down
• Population board not updated
• Town NPCs complain!

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📊 INTEGRATION WITH OTHER SYSTEMS

Zombie Statistician Synergy:

Both NPCs Create Town Economy:

• Statistician: 1 Cekin/day (cheap)
• Electrician: 2 Cekini/day (skilled labor)
• Total employment cost: 3 Cekini/day

Benefits of Both:

• Population tracking (Statistician)
• Power grid maintenance (Electrician)
• Professional town management
• Player can focus on farming/exploration

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Generator System Enhancement:

Without NPC (Original Plan):

• Player builds generator
• Player adds fuel
• Works automatically
• Random breakdowns (player fixes)

With NPC (Enhanced Plan):

• Player builds generator
• Electrician offers to maintain it
• No breakdowns if employed
• Professional repair service
• Quest opportunities

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💰 ECONOMY BALANCE

Cost Analysis:

Daily Employment (Both NPCs):

• Statistician: 1 Cekin
• Electrician: 2 Cekini
• Total: 3 Cekini/day

Player Income (Early Game):

• Farming: ~10 Cekini/day
• Zombie workers: ~5 Cekini/day
• Total: ~15 Cekini/day

Ratio: 3/15 = 20% of income
Verdict: Reasonable! Not too expensive.

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Mid-Late Game:

• Income: 50-100+ Cekini/day
• NPC cost: 3 Cekini (negligible)
• Worth it for convenience!

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⏱️ IMPLEMENTATION TIME

Time Estimate:

NPC Creation:

• Generate 11 sprites: 30 min
• Implement AI: 1 hour
• Dialogue system: 30 min
• Payment system: 30 min
• Subtotal: 2.5 hours

Repair System:

• Breakdown mechanics: 1 hour
• Repair interactions: 30 min
• Visual effects: 30 min
• Subtotal: 2 hours

Quest System (Optional):

• 3 quests: 1.5 hours

TOTAL:

• Basic (NPC + Repairs): 4.5 hours
• Full (+ Quests): 6 hours

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🎯 PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION

When to Implement:

Option A: Week 1 (with generator system)

• Implement basic NPC + employment
• Skip quests for now
• Time: 2.5 hours
• Benefit: Complete generator system

Option B: Week 2 (after core mechanics)

• Full implementation (NPC + repairs + quests)
• Time: 6 hours
• Benefit: Polished feature

Option C: Faza 2 (town enhancement)

• Add with other town NPCs
• Part of town restoration
• Time: 6 hours
• Benefit: Complete town ecosystem

MY RECOMMENDATION: Option A

• Implement basic Electrician NPC with generator in Week 1
• Adds 2.5 hours to Week 1 (still manageable)
• Makes generator system feel complete
• Can add quests later in Faza 2

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✅ FINAL SPECIFICATION SUMMARY

Electrician NPC - Complete Feature:

Core Functions:

1. ✅ Daily generator maintenance
2. ✅ Repair service (generator, power, UV lights)
3. ✅ Employment system (2 Cekini/day)
4. ✅ Emergency response
5. ⭐ Quest system (optional)

Assets:

• 11 NPC sprites (idle, walk, action, portrait)
• 5 tool/effect sprites
• Total: 16 sprites

Time:

• Basic: 2.5 hours (NPC + employment + basic repairs)
• Full: 6 hours (+ quests + polish)

Integration:

• Works with generator system
• Synergy with Zombie Statistician
• Enhances town economy
• Prevents annoying breakdowns!

Economy:

• Cost: 2 Cekini/day
• Benefit: No breakdowns + free repairs
• ROI: Excellent (saves time and resources)

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Status: ✅ SPECIFICATION COMPLETE!
Recommendation: Add to Week 1 implementation (basic version)
Total Impact: +2.5 hours, +16 sprites, MUCH better gameplay! 🔧⚡