What is an NPC (NPC)? What is an NPC in games?

Almost every computer game has a large number of characters that you can meet during its passage. Someone will just talk to you, someone will threaten you, some heroes give you tasks, others sell you things. In general, everyone has their own destiny. And they are all called one simple abbreviation - NPS. What is this NPS, how is it deciphered, and what is behind it? You will learn about all this from this article.

What does the term NPC mean?

npc what is

If you are fond of computer games, then you most likely very often see characters in them that you cannot play for yourself. They are simply located within the framework of the world, you can interact with them in various ways, it is simply impossible to take them under control. Such characters are called NPCs. What it is? The NPC is a non-player character (the abbreviation itself is originally an English NPC, which stands for non-playable character). Accordingly, it is precisely because of this that you cannot take control of it - it was originally planned as a hero that will be controlled by a computer. And most often he has his own programmed system of actions, which he adheres to. Sometimes NPCs are capable of only one or two replicas and do nothing else. But in modern games, the possibilities have expanded, and now some characters have extensive programs with the adoption of their own decisions and various reactions to your particular actions. However, some gamers may ask - what is the difference between ordinary opponents and NPS? What is non-player characters that your enemies do not have?

The difference between NPCs and enemies

what is npc

So, you already have a general idea of ​​the NPC: what are these non-player characters, how they behave and what are they for. However, they most often do not include those characters who are your opponents with whom you have to fight. They are also controlled by a computer and have their own program of actions, but you can interact with them exclusively in a hostile manner - which is why they do not belong to the traditional non-player characters, who are called NPS. But this does not mean that the NPC cannot be hostile to you. What can happen to make a non-player character a direct adversary?

The nature of the NPC

npc what is

As mentioned earlier, NPS can be very diverse, as they prescribe their own character, based on which they act. Naturally, if we are not talking about the simplest non-game characters that perform a specific task, regardless of what happens in the game. They will always sell you things and buy your items, they will always give you quests and so on. But not all NPCs are neutral - there are also both positive and negative non-player characters. This can also affect the gameplay - positive NPS will, for example, give you discounts, and negative ones will threaten you and refuse to cooperate with you. In some games, the character and attitude towards you will change depending on your actions in the game world. In general, now you know what an NPC is, as well as the fact that these are not always just wooden heroes who are put at one point, which they occupy throughout the game.

What do NPCs do?

what is npc in games

However, it is not enough to know what an NPS is - you should also understand what goals these characters can serve in a particular game. The most common type of non-player characters are those that give you tasks. With them you can speak freely - they will always answer you. If they have a new quest for you, they will definitely inform you about it, and if you have not completed the previous task that you received from them, they will remind you of what you have to do. However, there are other types of non-player characters. For example, traders are extremely common - these are characters who sell a certain type of item, and also buy from you those things that you no longer need. You can also find NPCs that can heal you, and some may even join you to help you deal with your opponents - these are the many different NPCs. What are these non-player characters, you now have a complete picture.

NPC Change

what is npc in the game

Now you understand what NpC is in games - these are non-game characters with whom you can interact with to obtain any information, tasks, things, and so on. They do not enter into battle with you, however, a situation was mentioned a little higher in which the NPC joined your character. Now he acts as your assistant, but the situation may be the opposite. In some cases, an NPC can get angry at you and turn into your direct adversary. For example, the guards in the city keep order, and if you steal or attack citizens, they will stop communicating with you and begin to attack you. In general, there are various situations in which a non-player character can turn into your ally or, conversely, an enemy. So if you think you know what NPS is in the game, then you can be mistaken, because here everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

Killing npc

In most cases, in computer games it is not allowed to kill non-game characters - most often you simply cannot even attack them. This is due to the fact that these characters will be needed for the development of the plot and for other purposes, so they can not be destroyed. However, in some games this is allowed to be done - in this case, non-player characters will recover themselves over time. If you kill such a hero, it will not be forever. True, there are exceptions, such as the series of games The Elder Scrolls - there you can kill any character you meet in your path at all, but you must understand that this will entail consequences. Firstly, the guards will hunt for you, secondly, you will lose the advantages that this NPC gave you, and thirdly, in some cases, the game may even end if you kill the character that was necessary for further development the plot.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/F7801/


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