Dungeons & Kingdoms developers have improved NPC behavior and the tree-cutting system.

Dungeons & Kingdoms Developers Improve NPC Behavior and Tree Chopping System

The developers of Dungeons & Kingdoms have released a major patch that significantly revamped non-player character movement and wood harvesting. The updates aim to address long-standing issues and enhance the realism of interacting with the game world.

The team thoroughly revised the pathfinding algorithm for NPCs, striving to minimize instances of characters getting stuck in the terrain. Non-player characters now exhibit more intelligent movement behavior: they prefer flat surfaces and try to avoid obstacles, even if they are technically capable of overcoming them—for example, stepping over boulders or fallen trees. Furthermore, NPCs have learned to move through certain walls and foundations, as well as navigate around ground objects more freely. The improved interaction with trees deserves special attention: thanks to a refined navigation mesh (navmesh), characters now more naturally walk around or step over remaining tree stumps.

The tree chopping mechanic has undergone radical changes. The main goal is to eliminate situations where trees fall incorrectly or workers cannot process them. Trees now always remain "alive": their physical model is constantly active, allowing the player to move the trunk if necessary.

Interaction between workers and felled trees has been significantly improved. NPCs can now process trunks even if they were chopped down by other characters or the player. This not only simplifies clearing the area but also makes the process more logical. Workers also now more frequently help each other when processing a single trunk, leading to them gathering in groups—this is especially useful in case of enemy attacks. If a tree shifts during processing, the worker pauses their task and returns to the position once the trunk stabilizes.

Another important change is the ability to process felled trees in parts. It is no longer necessary to start from the base; now NPCs and the player can chop any section of the trunk.