GUIDE: Non-Player Characters
Oct 14, 2013 9:15:04 GMT -5
Post by Director on Oct 14, 2013 9:15:04 GMT -5
Non-Player Characters:
What is an Non-Player Character?
Non-player characters, or NPCs, play an important role on Gray RPG. Most NPCs are controlled by the administrators. These include random civilians, businessmen, politicians, police officers, faction leaders (unless a player takes over a faction!) -- the list goes on and on. However, it is also possible for a player to request an NPC at the end of their job. If granted, the player has varying degrees of control over their NPCs depending on the NPC type.
What are the different NPC types?
Associate: a player does not have much control over their associates. Associates should be viewed as "partners", not workers. You can do jobs with your associate NPCs, but they will expect a fair share of the profits of the job depending on how much they have done. An example of an associate would be someone who helps a player rob a gas station and expects half of the cash.
Employee: players must pay employees a set amount of money weekly. Employees work at legitimate businesses, such as restaurants and nightclubs, and can boost income and keep the business running. An example of an employee is a chef who works at a player-owned restaurant.
Underling: players must pay underlings a set amount of money weekly. However, players can use underlings to do anything that they are able to (within reason): an underling can be told to protect a business one day, rob a liquor store the next, and kill someone the week after. As long as they have the skillsets, you have the authority. An example of an underling is a low-ranking mafia member working for a player captain.
Contact: you will have almost no control over contacts. You cannot tell them where to go, what to do, or how to act. However, contacts will be able to help you in other ways: they may sell merchandise to you, or offer you work, or help you in any other way. Some examples of contacts include police officers, business leaders, union leaders, or drug smugglers.
How do I get an NPC?
NPCs are somewhat difficult to come by. Unlike similar RPGs, the staff of Gray RPG have been instructed to be somewhat stingy when it comes to giving out NPCs. However, if you feel that you deserve one, simply request the NPC after establishing a relationship with them in a job you have completed. A grader will determine whether or not you receive the NPC upon grading the job. If you are a member of a faction you will be much more likely to receive underlings and contacts.
Can my NPCs be attacked?
Yes, your NPCs can be attacked by other players or even other NPCs. If the NPC is an underling of yours, you will be able to write up a counter to the attack (see the guide on Player versus Player jobs for more information on counters). If the NPC is a contact, employee, or associate, the attack will be graded by an administrator like any other job and you will be unable to defend on your NPC's behalf.
Can NPCs be shared among players?
Yes. In fact, many associates and contacts will be shared among members of the same faction. If you have a contact or associate you would like to introduce to another player, simply do so and make an OOC note on the post verifying that you are sharing the NPC with them. Underlings and associates may be "transferred" to other players if sufficient reasoning and action is taken.