I don''t like the concept of a NON PLAYER character, (whilst it provides a convenient three letter acronymy for discussion of game design.) The problem that I have with it is that it SEEMS TO take the fact that they are not the player controlled character as the MOST IMPORTANT part of the phrase. Ie. They aren''t being controlled by the player therefore, they are just card-board cut-out characters who play a bit part and are given no sense of LIFE. ---(Rhetoric aside, of course there are characters which have a sense of life and depth, and I am not objecting to the term NPC but the bit-part nature of characters).-- [Rhetoric back on] So what can be done to make Other Game Characters (OGC''s ) have a sense of life, or existence and purpose ? To make them live on in the player''s memory ! Just to give one example: - They have a sense of purpose and initiative, if the player sees that they are competent and likely to survive, then this will increase the feeling that they will live even if the player''s in-game character dies. [Originally posted at PC gamer uk forums]

Reminds me of one of my possible dead-scenarios: one of the possibilities, is that you see yourself dying again, then one of your NPC''s draws his gun and shoots your attacker. Then you take control of one of your followers, mourn your own passing, and try to live on