I’d love to see some kind of city-wide running events added to the game, like 5Ks, 10Ks, or even full marathons that happen every so often (maybe once per in-game season).
The main idea is that it feels like a real event happening in the city, not just something isolated to your character.
On event day, certain streets would be blocked off from cars and turned into the race route. NPCs would automatically show up to participate, so you’d have a crowd of runners at the starting line, not just your Zoi. It would make the city feel a lot more alive and active.
Your Zoi could sign up ahead of time and choose what race they want to do. There should also be some kind of simple training tied to it, like going on runs increases stamina and helps performance. If you don’t train, you can still join, but you’d just get tired faster or place lower.
The race itself doesn’t need to be overly complicated, just a clean experience:
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Starting line with a countdown
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NPC runners alongside you
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Some crowd or atmosphere along the route
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Finish line with results or placement
NPCs don’t need deep systems here. They can just show up for the event, run at different speeds, and then go back to normal after. The important part is that it feels populated and real in the moment.
It would also be nice to have small rewards tied to it, like medals you can keep, maybe some fitness-related clothing, or something simple that shows you participated.
I also think this ties nicely into everyday gameplay. If your Zoi runs regularly, it actually matters. It gives a reason to build routines instead of everything feeling cosmetic.
To help with awareness, events could show up on bulletin boards around the city or in whatever social/gallery system the game has, so you know something is coming up and can plan for it.
Clothing-wise, having basic running outfits and sneakers would go a long way. Nothing too crazy, just enough to match the activity.
Overall, this feels like a small feature on the surface, but it would add a lot to how alive the city feels and give players something to look forward to and prepare for.