Ok I'm not sure if there's a real answer or technique to this but I am having the hardest time coming up with things for my NPCs to say.I've written out my storyline, gone and created backstory for the cities and characters in my game. I've been thinking about the big events that's going on in the game and trying to come up with different view points of those events but I find too often the NPCs are all saying the same things. I think the biggest problem is I want this city to seem like.. well a city.I want there to be a good bit of NPCs to at least give the impression that this is a major city but the problem is that I run out of things interesting to tell the player about.Is there any process you guys use to try to figure out topics for your NPCs to talk about?

Quote: Original post by Ovan35
I think the biggest problem is I want this city to seem like.. well a city.I want there to be a good bit of NPCs to at least give the impression that this is a major city but the problem is that I run out of things interesting to tell the player about.Is there any process you guys use to try to figure out topics for your NPCs to talk about?

1. I go out in a city and listen to what people are saying.
2. Or I hire a professional writer.

It's like writing a novel, chiseling people's characteristics. How about poping up an event and ask for friends' response?

1. Play a lot of games that have NPCs in them.

2. Think of different character traits, apply them to different NPCs and then they should respond to various events depending on their traits.

3. Ask for help from friends or other people in general. Don't tell them the story of the game, just give them the information that they would know if they were a NPC in that city, then give them the event or situation they would have to respond to etc. They might come up with something interesting that you didn't think of. They might come up with their own questions about the city, their opinions on the events, city, or the playable character.

4. Have NPCs tell the player a little bit about their day or an insight to their own lives.

Most of the time, NPCs won't really care about whatever your quest is. They are worried about themselves and the problems in their own lives. What are they doing? What would they want to tell you (a stranger) about that stuff?

There's also nothing wrong with having some NPCs who blow off the PC, get annoyed, prefer to preach, feign ignorance, or simply don't know the answer to a question. Realistically, not every person in a city will know where every store is or where every important NPC can be found. Some people might not even know their own leaders or be well-informed on current events. Certain prejudices could also figure into how an NPC reacts to a character.

IMO, try to think of the NPCs in your city as real people living in your game world and not simply as a quest giver, quest objective, or a font of information for the player character.

It depends on the NPC itself. Suppose there is an NPC as blacksmith in an RPG, he may be talking about materials not arriving, or thinking of giving away his sword etc...

Suppose there is an NPC as a Preacher or Bishop, he may be talking about how the world around us has changed, or even heal the player etc...

You can just get different ideas by thinking yourself as the NPC, and let imagination do the job.