Currently the only NPC you can interact with is the trader. The devs have been leaking some info that a new NPC is on the way, though there isn't much info besides it being called "Hildir's Quest". The update involving all of that could also be many months away.

The game is fine solo, but having friends can make it more fun and purposeful. Otherwise, it will end up as you said:

Originally posted by robtock216:

...you just wake up one day and realise your just 1 dude knocking around a massive city you somehow built solo, doing all the menial jobs like smithing, smelting, collecting wood and mining all on your own, for no apparent reason.

No thralls. You can tame a few animals a breed them. Mostly for their meat and pelts but some can follow you into combat.

I've only played solo. Didn't need a massive city. Nice cozy fort with a kitchen, bedroom, storage, portal room, a crafting area and some farm land. I use small outposts for things I couldn't grow at the homestead.

There are other npcs in the game. An unkillable trader with a few bibs and bobs and a couple of his friends later in the game you can kill if you so choose to. They buff ya and share common enemies but not much else.

i dont have much free time for gaming, so multiplayer grinding is totally out for me. So nowadays i just do the things that i enjoy like exploring and building. To get the feel of grinding, i did it a couple of times and once i got sick of it i just console spawn the required item and just continue doing what i enjoy. I just think of it as simulated grinding lol but cutting trees and mining is weirdly enjoyable in this game. Dont do it excessively because it will ruined the experience. But i'm at the age where i'm starting to feel time is precious with so many other stuffs to do rather than spending hours shipping metal back to base by boat. So i resorted to this method. For other online games that i like, i just watch it on youtube.

If you're on the fence about this game, this game have very good atmosphere. Going into the dungeon or the swamp really creep me out and accidentally stumbling into a troll even after all this time really surprised even a cheater like me that have nothing to lose. Well they're not so scary when you spot them far away but accidentally stumbling upon them just a few meters away while exploring is a different story.

The game is beautiful and i found just staring at the ocean waves is enjoyable and surprised at how terrifying it is when the storm appears. You're a lone viking, weather like rain have an effect on you and making a temporary shelter in the wild with a fireplace actually calm you down from the darkness of night. I dont think i've felt like this with other games before.