Summary
Given the mad, epic, and often nigh-impossible feats that most RPG protagonists are expected to pull off during their adventures, it is somewhat bewildering to find non-playable characters, who demonstrate realistic animations, dialogue, and behavior, utterly oblivious to the greatness of the hero (or antihero) standing before them.
It’s nice to be appreciated, whether for saving the world or being the fasted gun-slash-spell-slash-bow slinger in the land. While they may stay quiet in the early stages of theplayer’s zero-to-hero journey, NPCs in these games will eventually call out to players and call out their achievements, status, skills, or notoriety in interesting or amusing ways once they have attained them.
Raising Street Cred inCyberpunk 2077doesn’t just get a raised eyebrow or admiration from pedestrian NPCs. Aftergrinding Street Credto a high enough level, it can affect the outcomes of quests and even combat encounters. When people know that V is the real deal, they are more willing to put their trust in a mover and shaker with a good reputation and offer a leg up as a result.
Street Cred is improved by pulling off gigs, sick moves, and advancing through the story and Night City’s high society. If V is famous enough, vendors will even offer discounts and access to their “back room stuff,” or in other words, special gear.
At the beginning ofGothic, the player is a lowly prisoner with no connections or renown. By the end of their adventure, they will have crossed just about every faction and defeated every enemy (not without great difficulty) and will have become a figure of legend in the prison. Hearing the player character being referred to as “brother” is a hard-won honor.
When the player is firstlocked up in prison, certain NPCs have no problem slapping the player character aside if they get in their way. By the end, they will think twice and certain NPCs will even run away when the player draws their weapon, knowing that they don’t stand a chance.
By the time ofThe Witcher 3, Geralt of Riveria has already become a figure of legend (despite the mistrust most folk might have for witchers), but that doesn’t mean that peasants in the outskirts will necessarily show favor unless they directly benefit from his monster-slaying abilities.
As the player completes quests (with some ofThe Witcher 3’s quest choicesbeing harder than others), they may notice villagers and city folk gossiping about his exploits. Of course, while Geralt can receive praise for his deeds, he can also receive scorn. If he goes against a faction, NPCs will remind him of it when he walks or rides by. If Geralt squeezes his clients for coins, they will remember his greed. If not, they will welcome their hero with open arms.
Fallout: New Vegasis famous for itsbranching storylines and reactivity. NPCs react to the player in several ways, from barks in the street commenting on how deep the player is in with a faction, random encounters with thugs who are trying to rob the wrong courier, and even story beats where a major NPC will directly recall all the achievements the player has made thus far.
Meetings with Mr House, Benny, or Caesar can go very differently depending on how much work the player’s courier has put in depending on how many quests they have completed or how they completed them. Skipping steps can earn mockery, but even enemy NPCs will begrudgingly acknowledge the player’s accolades if they have enough of them.
Kingdom Come: Deliveranceis a game known for itsstriving for historical accuracy, but one bit of unrealism it indulges in is Henry’s journey from lowly peasant to a knight of acclaim. As Henry moves through the ranks after performing exceptional deeds, he will begin to hear NPCs respond to him as “sir knight,” especially after attaining the shiny sets of armor that make his station more obvious.
Unlike fantasy games, where ultra-expensive suits of armor were just lying around in chests, Henry has to actually earn them by currying favor with his betters. While less dramatic, doing favors for certain NPCs and factions will garner their affection for Henry, which will also spread to the wider community.
Starting out inOblivioncan be rough. The Hero of Kvatch starts out at the bottom, and with no prophecy written about them, must earn respect from people around them. This can be done by accruing skill levels, advancing through guilds, or saving Tamriel from otherworldly threats, all of which require tenacity and dedication.
For accomplishing any of these feats, NPCs will begin to pipe up as the player character passes them by in the street, admiring a strong shield arm, a prestigious member of the Mage’s Guild, or thanking their savior for defending Cyrodiil against a Daedric prince. And who could forget everyone’s favoriteElder Scrollspunching bag, the adoring fan, once the player becomes the Champion of the Arena?
