Shattered Kingdoms

Yes, that is obvious. We are now talking about game balance to go along with the change. Either my suggestion, or make more and more of the named NPCs unsummonable.

Neither of your two solutions is the best possible solution, or even addresses the solution outlined in the original post. As usual.

As someone is frequently gates to various people, I often find myself going where I don't want to go. While I admit to being a culprit to this (for RP reasons only, and never very often), I tend to agree with Jardek that this is OOCly annoying, but I would also like to be very quick to point out that no acceptable solution has been proposed. The solution certainly is not to remove the unique names off the NPCs, and I really don't believe the solution is to make the NPCs non-summonable either.

sleeper

I was actually addressing the problem that once a named NPC is gone, no one can use them (specifically talking about the ones that are also trainers). Until someone starting to talk about the named trainer NPCs, I didn't give a rip. Also, your 'solutions' doesn't solve the problem, either. The named NPCs that are not trainers(should also add shopkeeps), let people use them as they see fit. The named trainers and shopkeeps should have additional protection.

Ah, so we're going back to your "it's okay to be unrealistic as long as it suits me" phase.

Just do me a favor, and keep your posts in gameplay and bug discussion to questions

I do not see why making the unique NPCs unsummonable is unreasonable. I am certain someone somewhere can come up with a decent IC reason as to why they would be inaccessible to one's magic. How hard it would be for a shopkeeper to pay a high-powered sorceror to ward the interior of his shop so noone would be able to kidnap him? If that doesn't work for you, I think we can come up with something else.

However, if one is unable to summon said NPC, what is to keep them from walking in, charming them and walking out with them? The problem is still not completely solved. Regardless of that though, keeping the NPCs from being summonable seems like the only logical idea. Granted it may not be the most practical solution but it seems like the only option.

Having the NPCs just gone when you walk into their shop or training location is not only very annoying but discouraging and probably confusing to newbies. I know I've experienced this problem quite recently and as a player of 6 years or so, I was still really miffed.

It's one thing to summon the a trainer from Reyortsed or someone from The Crossroads, but to take Akara Niyana from Nerina's supply shop? I do not see the point.

It kills PCs played by lazy players. That alone is a very good reason.

No need to make it an actual teleport, just make it a variation on the immortal ability to "goto". Give them a poofin and a poofout to mimick the recalling and going away that any normal "person" would do, and they're all set. After all, it may be a great "tactic", but there's absolutely nothing realistic or IC about a bunch of NPCs all being summoned to a place and standing there like deathtrap drones. They're not gonna sit around for that [REDACTED], so just simulate them going away like players would do in that situation.

Its not very realistic they stay at their shop while its closed either is it? Make them go home like the shop keepers in Seawatch and I'll be okay with them not standing wherever I summon them to until someone else summons them back to their shop (what a thought!) or until the mud resets, or they get killed.etc...

This post once again allows me to vent my hate for whatever IMM gave shopkeepers 'Hours of operation'

Will their bamfout recall them to portal stones, where they will wander through wilds they have no idea about in an attempt to get back to their homes? This isn't sounding any more realistic. If someone magically summoned me and told me to sit there, I would sit there.