Post by Judith Eastman on Mar 30, 2020 21:05:49 GMT
I: What Are NPCs?
NPCs are anyone other than a registered character. They can be everyone from a character's spouse (or grandchild), to a waiter, to a superior or subordinate to your character. NPCs have immense potential, and for those who are comfortable using them, they can be a phenomenal storytelling tool.
So, let's dive in.
II: Godmodding and NPCs
Much like regular characters, NPCs shouldn't be godmodded. This means you shouldn't do anything to the NPC (inflict physical harm on them, read their minds), or write their actions, without the permission of the player operating them. In essence, you should treat other people's NPCs as you would characters, in terms of godmodding.
III: The Types of NPCs
As I noted before, there is immense variety in the kinds of NPCs, which is why I'd like to break them down here.
One-Off NPCs:
This is the simplest kind. A one-off NPC is one that features in one scene, and is never seen again. This can be a waiter (if the restaurant isn't to be used again), a random passer-by, or a junior officer. One-offs are any "bit part", or "extra", that you may see in a movie.
Generally, a one-off requires minimal thought. They don't need a thought-out personality.
Roster NPCs:
These are NPCs placed on our roster to fill space, and to provide an easy-access stash of NPCs as the need arises. In general, you can use any roster NPC in your character's department (provided no one else is using them in the mission), if a situation arises that needs your character's department in two places at once.
Some roster NPCs, especially Department Heads, may have established personalities already, so if you're unfamiliar with the NPC you intend to use, you can ask.
Personal NPCs:
Personal NPCs are the creation of one player, and belong to them. These will at times, but not always, be closely connected to the player's character (friends, relatives, etc.). If you have an NPC, and you want to give it a life and story of its own, it's a personal NPC.
A personal NPC should have the basics of their background and personality roughly figured out. You should roughly consider whether they're introverted or extroverted, kind or cruel, and so on.
If you plan to use a personal NPC on a regular basis, it would be helpful if you could list it here, or write a bio for it using the template here.
Mission NPCs:
Mission NPCs are any NPCs that are a component of the mission plot. These can include Admirals and the bad guys.
Mission NPCs will be used by those running the mission.
Non-Sentient NPCs:
Non-sentient beings are, in some sense, also NPCs. Domestic pets especially, but all non-sentient NPCs, shouldn't be godmodded.
IV: Using NPCs
There are four broad purposes that most NPC use will fall into:
You might use a one-off NPC, like a waiter, transporter operator, or person in line ahead of you for the bathroom, to fill a mundane role in a scene.
You might use an NPC alongside your character, in the same scene, to support them. An example of this may be your character's child, accompanying them for whatever reason.
You might use an NPC to pursue a different subplot, separately from your character, either in the same mission/event or in the other one, if you want to be more involved and do more writing.
You might use an NPC to remain active in a mission, if you've inadvertently worked yourself into a hole with your character.
Within these four purposes, there is a broad array of scenarios. In fact, NPCs can be worked into most scenes and situations if you want to.
Keep in mind that NPCs provide an opportunity for you to branch out and take initiative. If you introduce an NPC alongside your character (in the same thread), the mission GMs may not have enough roles to dole out for both, so you may need to create your own B-plot for one. This need not deter you, as creating a B-plot with your fellow players can be a lot of fun!
V: Styling NPC Posts
There are guidelines to how posts with NPCs should be styled, to avoid confusion.
This section in part duplicates the style guide.
NPCs are anyone other than a registered character. They can be everyone from a character's spouse (or grandchild), to a waiter, to a superior or subordinate to your character. NPCs have immense potential, and for those who are comfortable using them, they can be a phenomenal storytelling tool.
So, let's dive in.
II: Godmodding and NPCs
Much like regular characters, NPCs shouldn't be godmodded. This means you shouldn't do anything to the NPC (inflict physical harm on them, read their minds), or write their actions, without the permission of the player operating them. In essence, you should treat other people's NPCs as you would characters, in terms of godmodding.
III: The Types of NPCs
As I noted before, there is immense variety in the kinds of NPCs, which is why I'd like to break them down here.
One-Off NPCs:
This is the simplest kind. A one-off NPC is one that features in one scene, and is never seen again. This can be a waiter (if the restaurant isn't to be used again), a random passer-by, or a junior officer. One-offs are any "bit part", or "extra", that you may see in a movie.
Generally, a one-off requires minimal thought. They don't need a thought-out personality.
Roster NPCs:
These are NPCs placed on our roster to fill space, and to provide an easy-access stash of NPCs as the need arises. In general, you can use any roster NPC in your character's department (provided no one else is using them in the mission), if a situation arises that needs your character's department in two places at once.
Some roster NPCs, especially Department Heads, may have established personalities already, so if you're unfamiliar with the NPC you intend to use, you can ask.
Personal NPCs:
Personal NPCs are the creation of one player, and belong to them. These will at times, but not always, be closely connected to the player's character (friends, relatives, etc.). If you have an NPC, and you want to give it a life and story of its own, it's a personal NPC.
A personal NPC should have the basics of their background and personality roughly figured out. You should roughly consider whether they're introverted or extroverted, kind or cruel, and so on.
If you plan to use a personal NPC on a regular basis, it would be helpful if you could list it here, or write a bio for it using the template here.
Mission NPCs:
Mission NPCs are any NPCs that are a component of the mission plot. These can include Admirals and the bad guys.
Mission NPCs will be used by those running the mission.
Non-Sentient NPCs:
Non-sentient beings are, in some sense, also NPCs. Domestic pets especially, but all non-sentient NPCs, shouldn't be godmodded.
IV: Using NPCs
There are four broad purposes that most NPC use will fall into:
You might use a one-off NPC, like a waiter, transporter operator, or person in line ahead of you for the bathroom, to fill a mundane role in a scene.
You might use an NPC alongside your character, in the same scene, to support them. An example of this may be your character's child, accompanying them for whatever reason.
You might use an NPC to pursue a different subplot, separately from your character, either in the same mission/event or in the other one, if you want to be more involved and do more writing.
You might use an NPC to remain active in a mission, if you've inadvertently worked yourself into a hole with your character.
Within these four purposes, there is a broad array of scenarios. In fact, NPCs can be worked into most scenes and situations if you want to.
Keep in mind that NPCs provide an opportunity for you to branch out and take initiative. If you introduce an NPC alongside your character (in the same thread), the mission GMs may not have enough roles to dole out for both, so you may need to create your own B-plot for one. This need not deter you, as creating a B-plot with your fellow players can be a lot of fun!
V: Styling NPC Posts
There are guidelines to how posts with NPCs should be styled, to avoid confusion.
This section in part duplicates the style guide.
- You must specify the character(s) and/or personal and roster NPC(s) of yours present in the scene, inside the location tag.
- To help distinguish between the words and actions of your characters/NPCs in one scene, you may need to make sure you use names instead of pronouns when referring to them.
- To help distinguish between characters/NPCs in the same scene, it is recommended that you use dialogue colors.
- Please specify the rank and department of your NPC(s), somewhere in your post when you first introduce them. The rank, specifically, should be in the location tag. If no rank is given, the NPC will be assumed to be a civilian.
- Please be consistent about the name of the NPC, and its spelling.
- Please take care to specify the NPC's species, if this is not evident from their name.