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Jazuela · 05-17-2006, 08:07 AM

Personally, I'd much rather hire a player-run character as a sidekick. Much more interesting that way; you get to learn each other's personalities, it's interaction between players instead of you just forcing some custom-mob object to do your bidding, you have something to spend your coins on (gotta pay your henchman afterall), and who knows? Maybe he'll turn out to be a spy for the opposition and stab you to death in your sleep some day. An NPC will do only, and exactly, what you tell him to do. While that can be fun and even useful, it would be infinitely boring to use ONLY an NPC who doesn't need to get paid, doesn't need to rest after carrying a couch over his head from the shop to your apartment, doesn't need to eat...he doesn't need anything at all. Ever. Boring boring boring.

As for pets, I feel the same way about them as I do with baby character objects: Just say no. They're worse than cheesy; they degrade the game's integrity of roleplay to the nth degree. Of course if you're playing a furry or a hack-n-slash or some kind of "roleplay in this game simply means not saying "w00t" or talking about a baseball game on TV" then sure, have at it.

But if you're trying to roleplay realistically within the theme provided by a more intensive roleplaying game, it's a slap in the face. Unless of course your pet pooch ****s right outside the fancy establishment you hang out at, steals meat from a noble's plate, begs, barks incessantly, and does all the other really annoying stuff that dogs do, at the most inconvenient moments and in the most inopportune locations.

And of course, it's an equal slap in the face when countless other player-run characters stop to snuggle, smooch, pet, beam happily, and pretend to roll over and play dead whenever they see your REALLY BIG, RAZOR-TOOTHED, SNARLING PUP OF DETH AND DESTRUCKSHUN looming in the corner of the tavern.

NPC pets and babies bring out the absolute worst in players. If not you, then everyone around you. In an RPI or any game attempting to strictly enforce roleplay, it's a bad thing. Otherwise, have fun with the pup.

05-17-2006, 08:07 AM	#10
Jazuela Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New England Posts: 849	Personally, I'd much rather hire a player-run character as a sidekick. Much more interesting that way; you get to learn each other's personalities, it's interaction between players instead of you just forcing some custom-mob object to do your bidding, you have something to spend your coins on (gotta pay your henchman afterall), and who knows? Maybe he'll turn out to be a spy for the opposition and stab you to death in your sleep some day. An NPC will do only, and exactly, what you tell him to do. While that can be fun and even useful, it would be infinitely boring to use ONLY an NPC who doesn't need to get paid, doesn't need to rest after carrying a couch over his head from the shop to your apartment, doesn't need to eat...he doesn't need anything at all. Ever. Boring boring boring. As for pets, I feel the same way about them as I do with baby character objects: Just say no. They're worse than cheesy; they degrade the game's integrity of roleplay to the nth degree. Of course if you're playing a furry or a hack-n-slash or some kind of "roleplay in this game simply means not saying "w00t" or talking about a baseball game on TV" then sure, have at it. But if you're trying to roleplay realistically within the theme provided by a more intensive roleplaying game, it's a slap in the face. Unless of course your pet pooch ****s right outside the fancy establishment you hang out at, steals meat from a noble's plate, begs, barks incessantly, and does all the other really annoying stuff that dogs do, at the most inconvenient moments and in the most inopportune locations. And of course, it's an equal slap in the face when countless other player-run characters stop to snuggle, smooch, pet, beam happily, and pretend to roll over and play dead whenever they see your REALLY BIG, RAZOR-TOOTHED, SNARLING PUP OF DETH AND DESTRUCKSHUN looming in the corner of the tavern. NPC pets and babies bring out the absolute worst in players. If not you, then everyone around you. In an RPI or any game attempting to strictly enforce roleplay, it's a bad thing. Otherwise, have fun with the pup.