Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 04:51 PM
i was thinking about npcs
how a lot of games are, pretty lacking in decent characters
but i thought of a few i like, in games that are otherwise lacking and felt like talking about them
pokemon x & y isn't really the best about this, at all, tbh.. but the old man that you meet shortly before the elite four, and give a pokemon to for company that, dies and leaves you a nice thank you note.. was pretty good. i dunno. i wouldn't argue if you said it was mawkish, but i felt things. there's also, not really a full character, but a trans lady trainer that exists and isn't really offensive or shitty (look i know it's kind of pathetic but this is the fucking gold standard of trans characters in games, or media in general really). also appreciate the professor being gay for lysandre, though they're.. really not all that interesting otherwise
skyrim has, even less. the blacksmith that invites you into his home at the start of the game is a nice, moment i guess? like just an ordinary guy living in this fucked up Sky World. and if you're willing to count mods in, inigo is a great friend that will read adventure books to you. and anum-la is pretty cool and likeable in a fanfic-y way, and.. was probably someone's d&d character first
(also yeah i really like argonians)
Posts: 396
Joined: Apr 2016
Pronouns: she/her
Location: 19th floor
04-15-2016, 05:05 PM
Robopon 2 for the GBA doesn't really set a high bar for NPCs, but I do really like the recurring rival-type character Nick D. His thing is that he runs an orphanage that is steadily losing money. His plan is to hunt down valuable gems called the X-Stones. The problem is that the X-Stones are what you, as the player, have to collect to challenge the rank holders (think gym leaders in Pokemon). So every time you find one, Nick D. is hot on your tail. Every time you fight him, his team is embarrassingly weak, and it's never a challenge to beat him, but as the game goes on, he gets more and more despondent. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that hunting down the stones is a dead-end, and that he's going to have to take on a second job alongside running the orphanage to keep it running.
Not enough monster-collecting games make you feel awful for beating your rival.
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 06:24 PM
ahh dang tba that sounds really sad D:
Posts: 2,487
Joined: Nov 2011
Pronouns: he/his/him
Location:
04-15-2016, 06:28 PM
Bioware has a good reputation for NPCs being cool, especially in the Mass Effect series. Although most of the character appeal in that game comes from the squad who can be considered main/side characters.
I do wish the Elder Scrolls had better NPCs, yes, especially Morrowind. The dialogue system in that game is super awkward and is pretty much just you saying DIRECTIONS, then every character having the same line, or from a list of other same lines.
As for Sycamore x Lysandre, all I can say is let me plug this fanfic I wrote way back https://m.fanfiction.net/s/10399511/1/Sunrise
(just realized I haven't shared my fanfiction here... huh. well there's only one other and both are dead anyways.)
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 06:34 PM
mass effect 2, shadowrun: dragonfall, and undertale are like.. the absolute top-tier for good characters, i think
Posts: 2,487
Joined: Nov 2011
Pronouns: he/his/him
Location:
04-15-2016, 06:37 PM
wait whos the trans lady trainer in x/y?
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 06:42 PM
(04-15-2016, 06:37 PM)Gatr Wrote: »wait whos the trans lady trainer in x/y?
there's a beauty class trainer in the battle maison that says something along the lines of "a year ago i was a black belt! quite the transformation, eh?"
Posts: 396
Joined: Apr 2016
Pronouns: she/her
Location: 19th floor
04-15-2016, 06:48 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-15-2016, 06:51 PM by NonAnalogue.)
Here ya go:
And here's an article confirming that she was in the Japanese version too.
Posts: 2,487
Joined: Nov 2011
Pronouns: he/his/him
Location:
04-15-2016, 06:49 PM
oh yeah that was a bit... subtle i guess. pokemon games will probably be the last to fully embrace LGBTQ culture, but at least theyre getting there. cant believe it was only recently that they started having black characters.
Posts: 1,842
Joined: Sep 2011
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: UK
04-15-2016, 06:57 PM
I'm actually an NPC
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 07:06 PM
(04-15-2016, 06:49 PM)Gatr Wrote: »oh yeah that was a bit... subtle i guess. pokemon games will probably be the last to fully embrace LGBTQ culture, but at least theyre getting there. cant believe it was only recently that they started having black characters.
yeahh, i agree honestly
the last bit is.. actually one of the worst things about them likely not having trainer customization past x/y
(04-15-2016, 06:57 PM)Jacquerel Wrote: »I'm actually an NPC
true
Posts: 1,842
Joined: Sep 2011
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: UK
04-15-2016, 07:21 PM
I'm actually an NPC
Posts: 6,617
Joined: Dec 2014
Pronouns: He/Him (or They/Them)
Location: Hell-Place, Ontario
04-15-2016, 07:22 PM
It's an honour to meet you!
Sig:
Show Content
Spoiler
(03-02-2015, 02:07 AM)Papers Wrote: »i don't know what i expected from reyweld's new hawkspace thread (06-02-2016, 04:16 AM)Schazer Wrote: »Tokyo could kick your scrawny ass (11-10-2017, 06:39 PM)Myeth Wrote: »reach for the stars
And then annihilate them as a powermove (02-06-2017, 01:02 AM)Justice Watch Wrote: »
Show Content
Spoiler
Posts: 6,617
Joined: Dec 2014
Pronouns: He/Him (or They/Them)
Location: Hell-Place, Ontario
04-15-2016, 07:22 PM
Welcome to our village!
Sig:
Show Content
Spoiler
(03-02-2015, 02:07 AM)Papers Wrote: »i don't know what i expected from reyweld's new hawkspace thread (06-02-2016, 04:16 AM)Schazer Wrote: »Tokyo could kick your scrawny ass (11-10-2017, 06:39 PM)Myeth Wrote: »reach for the stars
And then annihilate them as a powermove (02-06-2017, 01:02 AM)Justice Watch Wrote: »
Show Content
Spoiler
Posts: 396
Joined: Apr 2016
Pronouns: she/her
Location: 19th floor
04-15-2016, 07:30 PM
Shout-out to the best NPC, though:
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 07:34 PM
(04-15-2016, 07:21 PM)Jacquerel Wrote: »I'm actually an NPC
*sneaks behind you, replaces everything in your pockets with live rats, and carefully places a bucket over your head*
Posts: 2,487
Joined: Nov 2011
Pronouns: he/his/him
Location:
04-15-2016, 07:34 PM
you're forgetting
Posts: 396
Joined: Apr 2016
Pronouns: she/her
Location: 19th floor
04-15-2016, 07:35 PM
(04-15-2016, 05:05 PM)The Blue Avenger Wrote: »Robopon 2 for the GBA doesn't really set a high bar for NPCs, but I do really like the recurring rival-type character Nick D. His thing is that he runs an orphanage that is steadily losing money. His plan is to hunt down valuable gems called the X-Stones. The problem is that the X-Stones are what you, as the player, have to collect to challenge the rank holders (think gym leaders in Pokemon). So every time you find one, Nick D. is hot on your tail. Every time you fight him, his team is embarrassingly weak, and it's never a challenge to beat him, but as the game goes on, he gets more and more despondent. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that hunting down the stones is a dead-end, and that he's going to have to take on a second job alongside running the orphanage to keep it running.
Not enough monster-collecting games make you feel awful for beating your rival.
I FORGOT THIS GUY GOT A HAPPY ENDING
Posts: 1,842
Joined: Sep 2011
Pronouns: He/Him
Location: UK
04-15-2016, 07:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-15-2016, 07:37 PM by Jacquerel.)
(04-15-2016, 07:34 PM)Loather Wrote: » (04-15-2016, 07:21 PM)Jacquerel Wrote: »I'm actually an NPC
*sneaks behind you, replaces everything in your pockets with live rats, and carefully places a bucket over your head*
I'm actually an NPC .(
Posts: 4,983
Joined: Jan 2000
Pronouns:
Location:
04-15-2016, 07:37 PM
You must be registered to view this content.
Posts: 1,971
Joined: Jul 2012
Pronouns: she or they
Location: the astro plain
04-15-2016, 07:38 PM
(04-15-2016, 07:35 PM)The Blue Avenger Wrote: »I FORGOT THIS GUY GOT A HAPPY ENDING
omg this is the best way his arc could have ended
Posts: 396
Joined: Apr 2016
Pronouns: she/her
Location: 19th floor
04-15-2016, 07:39 PM
I have the sneaking suspicion that he didn't know he could apply for it or something.
A character on fire WOULDN'T say "I am cold."
Offline
Posts: 4,286
Joined: Jan 2016
Pronouns: officially she
Location: the woods
04-15-2016, 10:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-15-2016, 10:11 PM by a52.)
This guy is best npc
i'm rad as hell, and i'm not gonna take it anymore
Offline
Posts: 3,788
Joined: Aug 2011
Pronouns: Male
Location: Male
04-17-2016, 05:13 AM
ok, go play emily short's galatea, which an all-text game that's nonetheless technically dazzling. it's just a conversation with the titular npc, a statue who may or may not be alive, with a whole conversation system that's so sophisticated it actually almost raises meta-level questions about that (at least until you take a look under the hood and the magic dies.)
blue lacuna also attempts to build an npc that lives and breathes in a small world that does likewise but it's just... slightly too janky. the opening prologue is pretty great even if it features neither of those things.
Posts: 2,172
Joined: Jul 2011
Pronouns: she/her!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Location: Imagine Cucumber
04-17-2016, 06:22 AM
dark souls npc's (mentioned because im playing and hype about dark souls) are interesting to me inthat i like the idea of an npc story that you maybe never knew was there and how like sometimes you can go "whatever happened to x" and then get the answer later in the form of a dead body but the execution of it is really like half and half imo
i think that Siegmeyer of Catarina and his daughter best exemplify the strenghts of a Dark Souls NPC quest where like, you help this very passive man grow and get his adventure blood pumping but then you meet his daughter who just wants to find him and come home and now you're less sure about if you should have pumped him up which leads to him jumping to almost his death and its like, playing it through was really neat and the ending to it with him and his daughter is also fitting with how the curse in dark souls works, imo! but then you have solaire who only gets a real ending if he dies lol!
npc's are def hard esp when like, you have to be careful about how much you reveal with them? its a weird line i think... i dont know what im saying
Standing here, The way ahead's becoming clear
All across these new frontiers
In my hands I hold the ones I love
Walk forward through the cold dawn
Always to new horizons
|