Feature: NPC Hero Population

A Cool Idea by Zethfox

Overview

I would like to see if its possible to code AI logic and a system that a persons alts could be seen traveling around and sometimes engaging mobs on the streets of the appropriate level that character is, and can be seen entering different building and such. 
Something to create a little more life on sparsely populated servers
Plus the excitement of running into your own alt would be wonderful
There would be no gain from it except just visual, unless it could become something of a "team with your AI controlled alts" by inviting the ones you find running around to your team

NPC Heroes that fight or move around an active city map.
They can be recruited to join as an ally/sidekick/team up, a la NPC Buddy
They could be generated from offline player characters on the current server, or even get data feeds/characters from other servers to populate in
Introducing a Team-Up mechanic would be very cool to have on smaller servers to give that "Team" vibe even if one is not available

In theory, these would only be spawning offline characters of accounts that are currently logged in so that there aren't any "twins"

Feasibility

Pocket D already has an algorithm for populating a map with random NPCs, so adding in Random Heroes may not be an issue

Ideas for Implementation

Note: the following suggestions are lumped in by suggester in alphabetical order

ChrisKitsch

A lot of the ideas are really

1. NPC Heroes milling about
2. Generate NPCs from Player Data
3. Summon a Buddy
4. Recruit an NPC
5. Dark Souls Ghosts(?)

• Sidebar a Rick Jones Archetype MM : Random Heroes

Chrius

• Randomize names so that you don't have twinned PC and NPC in same place at same time.

Dianae

• Have the spawn/despawn of the heroes be triggered by their movement power
  • Fly(hover) in/out for Flight
  • Zip in for Super Speed
  • Drop in for Super Jump
  • Pop in for Teleport
• Have an ability to reward players with creating them as an NPC (possibly for Costume Contests)

Warpshot (Lexi)

• Set up new NPC Groups, <Fellow Hero>, <Fellow Villian>, <Fellow Praetorian>, etc.
• Servers can configure whether to allow open registration, "requested" registration, or GM-only whitelist
  • If open or requested registration, PCs talk to a Hero Corps Field Analyst (or similar for other sides), and can opt-in

  - If it's "requested" registration, GMs can see the list of requests and manually approve them

  - If it's "requested", this only saves the current name and costume at time of registration - this is to prevent someone having a "normal" costume when requesting then changing it to something stupid after (you can however send an update request through the same method as regular requesting)

  • If it's whitelist-only, then only GMs can add players via the in-game commands /fellowpooladd <NAME> and /fellowpoolremove <NAME> - this can either be used just to be strict, or for them to add costume contest winners

    - Oh also if a character's deleted should probably make sure to delete their saved costume too

• Servers can also set a level and/or badge prerequisite