Yup, that's why I mentioned a pop up window (GUI) originally. I went along with what you mentioned that it probably may be a thing for when Dummy NPCs are a thing so I guess we can double back on the whole GUI thing because that's more plausible than the animated way of things. I'd favour the Assassin's Creed manner because it appears to be the "cleanest" of the bunch; Straighforward. What Assassin's Creed has going is awesome that I'd lean more towards that for simplicity sake. That WoW window has me lost because I haven't experienced that yet.
Are you familiar with Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO where you could send your companions off on expeditions for them to return with relics and such? If "you" want to go that detailed then you're free to as well. You would basically select a situation/scenario for them to wander off on with them just wandering off to get relics, resources, and such.... I'm going to assume it's similar to how Assassin's Creed does it for simplicity sake. I however do wonder if we should play around with levels though that the higher their levels the more they can gain from their "expeditions"? Maybe that should come second after the foundation of the whole request.
What originally made me think of this would be the whole KanColle (Kantai Collection) side of things with Azur Lane expedition following off from that with randomized timers & rewards.
http://kancolle.wikia.com/wiki/Expedition#/Expedition_Tables
&
https://azurlane.koumakan.jp/Commissions
I simply love the idea of having closely tied NPCS you see in the same room as you disappear on adventures to then come back with various loots. It's a fun feeling. You start thinking "where is she or he" been?" T he whole leveling them up, giving them accessories, and such so they can handle such expeditions. SW:TOR gave the most unique feeling because it was in space that you could partially "feel" them on other planets and such where I was standing inside a Sith spaceship..... With the way I see Rising World growing I could see them being both present with you + seeing them wandering off to wherever they go in their GUI world, Assassin's Creed style. It be an interesting perspective to work with in Rising World's case with what we know, how it feels it'll evolve as a game, and such. I'm curious.
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Edit;
I re-read the post that I agree that maybe we should have some portraits to choose from (insert our own) to then pay them food or ingots to then make them go on adventures to come back with whatever they found. I would probably fiddle the plugin a bit to place in a portrait of my custom characters to give that illusion that my own characters are in the game until Dummy NPCS & actual NPC Companions are a thing.