Non-Player Characters

Diegetic persons in game worlds that are not controlled by players.

Note: the use of characters in this pattern and the pattern named Characters differs. Here, the usage of character complies to the common usage in the gaming community of referring to the graphical representation of a person in the game world (a sort of non-player version of the Avatar patterns). Although the common usage may also often imply the presence of the Agents and Characters patterns, this is not necessary and not presumed when used here.

Using the pattern

Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences

Detective Structure

Internal Conflicts

Internal Rivalry

Agents Algorithmic Agents Non-Player Characters Characters Enemies Torchlight Character Defining Actions Enforced Agent Behavior Factions

Visual Body Damage Dissectible Bodies Awareness of Surroundings Open Destiny Own Agenda Unpredictable Behavior [edit] Social NPC design with Petri Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences (<- Actions Have Social Consequences) Binding Promises Brokering Competing for Attention Context Dependent Reaction Eavesdropping Either You are with Me or against Me False Accusations Favor Gain Allies Gossip Guide and Protect Hierarchical Factions <- Hierarchical Fraction Linked Destinies Maintaining Lies Match-Making Memory of Important Events My Enemy’s Enemy is my Friend Others fortune affects own Mood Outcast Outspoken Support Requesting Support Social Gatekeeper Diegetic Social Maintenance <- Social Maintenance Diegetic Social Norms <- Social Norm Traitors <- Traitor Initiative [edit] Dialogue design with Jenny Incremental Dialogue Processing Chunk-based Dialogue Processing Single-Initiative Dialogues Mixed Initiative Dialogues Basic Input Feedback Barge-In Canned Text Responses Diegetically Consistent Dialogues (<- Diegetically Consistent Dialogue) Context Dependent Dialogue Contextualized Conversational Responses Gameplay Integrated Conversation Illocutionary Interface Location-Specific Dialogues ( <- Location-Specific Dialogues) Character-Specific Dialogue Colloquial Mastery Delicate Phrasing Ambiguous Responses

Note that NPCs do not actually need to be able to perform actions that change the game state, and more specifically players do not have to able to interact with them at all. The core of NPCs are their role in a Narration Structure, and as such they can exist only as Diegetically Outstanding Features or only be seen through Cut Scenes.

Relations

Can Be Instantiated By

Game Elements

History

New pattern created in this wiki.