Random Dialogue: Faceless Actors - NPCs
Dialogue, 2004-04-12

My Buddy and Me!

NPC interaction is almost always entirely verbal. Non-Player Characters usually have pre-scripted dialogue they state when interacted with. These scripts, as well as the titles they wear above their heads, allow us to understand what the NPC is there for. NPCs, for the most part, come in three general types: Shopkeepers, Quest Givers, and Colour. Shopkeepers are essentially nothing more than a pretty face between you and a shopping interface. If they do have any dialogue, it's usually going to be somewhat boring. Blurring the lines somewhat, however, shopkeeps who talk are also likely to have a quest to pass on to you. Quest Giving NPCs are typified by the average citizen who has a job they need done but can't accomplish themselves. These folks have problems that need fixing. In a well scripted world, these problems hook into larger plots that surround the area you are exploring. A woman having issues with bandits near her village may be a good example of the overall plot involving the breakdown of control from a government. Some Quest NPCs are just lazy. They're usually crafters or consumers who want stuff that can be dropped from monsters. These too can have a story element, but generally make for less believable NPCs. NPCs, generally, are fairly static creatures. It is conceivable that an NPC you met on the very first day of your adventuring career will treat you in much the same fashion 15 levels later. NPCs should ideally have an idea of what you are and what your position is in the world. Small things like addressing you by name or referring to a past deed can make a big difference in turning a_town_citizen into a living person. For an even more immersive experience, NPCs should reward you with new quests or accolades as you continue to perform acts of heroism for their community. "Colour" NPCs are just that, there to make the place look alive. While they may have conversational dialogue, most likely they are as mute as a fencepost. I feel conversational colour NPCs are a wonderful feature in a MMOG. They add to the backdrop of the plot that is being carried out through quests and events. A woman who is watching her son play in the street one month can be a weeping woman the next, bereft of her son as a result of the recent attacks on the village. Even NPCs that don't do anything per se can have a powerful impact on players.

So you Want to be an NPC?

Aside from what NPCs can do for players, considerations should be made as to the well-being of NPCs as well. What abilities can they have that players take for granted? Do traveling NPC salesmen have access to teleportation or mass transportation? Possibly the most important distinction is whether or not NPCs are attackable by Player Characters. In games where they are attackable, the average NPC level is usually ridiculously high. A 50th level character selling bread seems a bit odd unless you take into account the fact that an annoyed PC might smite them just because they can. Attackable NPCs are the fine edge of an interesting quandary. Do you present your players with a world where they are the ultimate masters, or do you make them recognize that they have boundaries? NPCs should also have goals beyond quest-related ones. "Keep the village safe" is a goal that is easily seen in the NPC guardsmen that often patrol the roads and streets of MMOG cities. You never see a wolf in a city because the NPCs are motivated to make sure their streets are safe.

Non-Player characters are a small but important facet of a Massively Multiplayer World. Next time you're in a tavern, walking down a city street, or turning in a trio of batwings for loot, give your NPC a hug. They're there to make you happy.