What is Non-player Character?

A non-player character (sometimes "non-playable character" or "non-player class"), often shortened to NPC, is a character in a role-playing game or computer game whose actions are not controlled by a human player.

Role-playing games

In a role-playing game, an NPC is controlled by the gamemaster. Non-player characters populate the fictional world of the game, and can fill any role not occupied by a player character (PC). Non-player characters might be allies, bystanders or competitors to the PCs.

NPCs vary greatly in importance—from the NPC innkeeper seen once by the player characters, to the NPC arch-nemesis who comes back time-and-again for an entire campaign. While every inhabitant of the game's world except the PCs are NPCs, very few are given any detail by the gamemaster (GM). In fact, most of the minor ones are invented on the spot as needed—doing this well is in fact one of the hallmarks of a good GM. There is some debate about how much work a gamemaster should put into an important NPC's statistics; some players prefer to have every NPC completely defined with stats, skills, and gear, while others define only what is immediately necessary and fill in the rest as the game proceeds. There is also some discussion as to just how important fully fleshed-out NPCs are in any given RPG, but it is general consensus that the more "real" an NPC feels, the more fun players will have interacting with him or her in character. Gamemasters should remember that just as a player character has hopes, dreams, and goals, so does every NPC, and ignoring such elements tends to lead to 'cardboard-cutout' personalities that are boring and/or over-simplified.

Playability

In some games and in some circumstances, a player who is without a player character of his or her own can temporarily take control of an NPC. Reasons for this vary, but often arise from the player not maintaining a PC within the group and playing the NPC for a session or from the player's PC being unable to act for some time (for example, because they are injured or in another location). Although these characters are still designed and normally controlled by the gamemaster, when a player is given the opportunity to temporarily control these non-player characters it gives them another perspective on the plot of the game. Some systems, such as Nobilis, encourage this in their rules.

Dependents

Many game systems have rules for characters sustaining positive allies in the form of NPC followers, hired hands, or other dependent stature to the PC. Characters may sometimes help in the design, recruitment, or development of NPCs.

In the Champions game (and related games using the Hero System), a character may have a DNPC, or "dependent non-player character". This is a character controlled by the GM, but for which the player character is responsible in some way, and who may be put in harm's way by the PC's choices.

Computer and video games

Non-player character is also used in computer role-playing games to describe entities not under the direct control of players. Nearly always the connotation is that an NPC is allied with, or at least neutral toward, the player, rather than being an enemy.

NPC behavior in computer games is usually scripted and automatic (see artificial intelligence), triggered by certain actions or dialogue with the player character(s). In certain multi-player games, (Neverwinter Nights and series, for example), a player that acts as the GM can "possess" both player and non-player characters, controlling their actions in order to further the storyline. More complex games, such as the afore-mentioned Neverwinter Nights, allow the player to customize the NPCs' behavior by modifying their default scripts or creating entirely new ones.

In some computers games, such as MMORPGs, NPCs may be entirely unscripted, and are essentially regular character avatars controlled by employees of the game company. These "non-players" are often distinguished from player characters by avatar appearance or other visual designation, and often serve as in-game support for new players. In other cases, these "live" NPCs are virtual actors, playing regular characters which drive a continuing storyline (as in ).

In early and less advanced RPGs, NPCs have only monologue. Code directs the appearance of a dialogue box, or floating text, cutscene, or other means of displaying the NPCs speech or reaction to the player. NPC speeches of this kind are often designed to give an instant impression of the character of the speaker, providing character vignettes, but they may also advance the story, illuminate the world around the PC, and give "signposts" directing him/her to the rest of the story.

Similar to this is the most common form of storytelling, non-branching dialogue. When the player interacts with NPCs, the means of displaying the speech may be the same as above, but his/her player character/avatar responds to or initiates speech with NPCs. This serves the same purposes as the above, but enables a delineation of the player's character, and all usual purposes of dialogue in fiction.

More advanced RPGs feature an advancement over traditional fiction, interactive dialogue, or branching dialogue (dialogue trees). A good example are the games produced by Black Isle Studios and White Wolf; every one of their games is multiple-choice roleplaying. The player is presented with a list of dialogue options, and may choose between them. Each choice may result in a different response from the NPC he/she is in conversation with. These choices may affect the course of the game, as well as the conversation, if the code provides for that. At the least, they provide a reference point to the player of his relationship with the game world. True dialogues with NPCs are usually very complex.

Ultima is an example of a game series that has advanced from non-branching (parts I–III) to branching dialogue (parts thereafter).

See also

• Mob (computer gaming)
• Simulated reality