Excellent/favorite minor NPC's

[Jarmo]

Not companions, not major enemies, maybe faction leaders.

Traders, quest givers, people you meet and interact with. They can be humorous, they largely set the mood of the whole rpg.

 

Remember any who stood out as particularly awesome?

For what reason?

What kind of NPC's would you like to see in PE?

 

A few examples.

 

Icewind Dale (and 2). Nym the Drow merchant.

 

Now I don't remember what kind of dialogue he had, but I do remember that I do remember him.

Maybe it was just that he had a good selection of items and a some kind of a good reason to have that selection.

Not a good guy, not super evil either. Was there even a chance to fight him in iwd 2?

 

Fallout 2, First Citizen Lynette.

 

OMG what an arrogant uptight b*****. Set the tone for the whole vault city experience just perfectly. It's not an evil place and she's not evil, but... hell. And she's kind of a major NPC, so breaking my own rules straight away..

 

Fallout NV, Little Buster

 

Now he's a minor NPC. Doesn't give missions, doesn't really help you at all, doesn't say much, but every single line he has is quotable comedy gold.

 

 

[Sacred_Path]

Looking through all the RPG's I've installed right now, nothing jumps out at me.

 

Well, maybe your right hand from the Dwarven Noble vignette in DA:O. They struck a really good balance between him being jovial and respectful with you. OMG GOOD BIOWARE NPC

[Jarmo]

Looking through all the RPG's I've installed right now, nothing jumps out at me.

 

 

 

Same here (beside buster), which is something I found somewhat puzzling.

When I started thinking, I was sure there'd easily be a good pile of them given how many CRPG's I've played, but... no. Not easy.

[Sacred_Path]

Ok some jump out at me, but they tend to be the bad kind.

@Obs, do you know what kind of NPC I never need to see again? Celebrities.

 

"I'm Drizzt Do'Urden, level 500 Derpmaster. Pay me my due respects or abuse my poor AI to steal my scimitars"

[Pshaw]

I remember liking Gaelan Bayle from BG2, cooooo~

Farnham from Diablo 1 was always one of my favorite people to come talk to once I got back to town.

In general terms I really like having converstations with alien (meaning foriegn) entities. Anything thinks on a completely different level or in a totally different way that the PC is always fun. Which is one of the reasons Torment was so amazing for me. I just loved talking to all the random NPCs because so many of them were so interesting because they were so different. It's why I also really liked talking with Legion, Sovereign (both not minor, I know) and to a lesser extent the rogue AI on the citadel in ME. Give me AI, demons, elementals, angels, actual aliens or whatever else because to me I tend to find them to generally be the most interesting converstationalists.

[Karkarov]

The only NPC jumping out at me is the one in Two Worlds 2 you meet in a bar and he still talks like the characters in Two Worlds 1 did and your MC makes some quip about "where the hell is he from, he sounds like an idiot".

 

Minor NPC's are only really memorable when they are there for comedic purposes, otherwise they are just "generic NPC #500" and you forget them.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Karkarov

[Jarmo]

A few more.

I do really think minor characters are important and can be somewhat memorable, but at least set the mood.

Most of them do a bad job at it though, being just cutouts or pastiches of something easily recognizable.

 

 

Fallout 2, Renesco the Rocketman

Spells out to the player what kind of town New Reno is "Yeah, I sell drugs in a store".

 

Mass Effect, the ...ummm..security head type in the offices building.

Knows he's faced with impossible task, keeping the order in citadel, but still wants to do things by the book, or there'll be chaos.

Acts as a kind of opposing argument to Garrus who just wants to get things done.

 

Fallout NV, the albino sniper gal in that base with the big statues.

NCR isn't all whiny incompetence, there's a bunch of good fighters out there but they can only achieve that much.

Knowing even competent warriors are frustrated, unable to make a difference, adds to the feel of impending doom.

[Eiphel]

There's a bunch, but the one that immediately springs to mind from Coaxmetal in Torment. In terms of amount of impact relative to his significance in the game, he packed a lot in. Everything about him was utterly unique and fascinating, and every one of his lines was utterly enthralling.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Eiphel

[Valsuelm]

Heya!!

 

Hi, I'm Noober. Nice place, huh?

So, killed any monsters yet?

Ever been to Baldur's Gate? I've been to Baldur's Gate.

Ugh, I think i stepped in something.

Everyone in town used to throw rocks at me and tell me I was annoying.

What time is it?

I haven't had a conversation this long, well...ever!

What's that big weapon for?

Those colours look pretty stoopid on you...

I once knew this guy called Dilby. He threw rocks at me too. Are you gonna throw rocks at me?

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

...

BZZZT!!

...

...

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

What about now?

Gee, you sure are patient. I've run out of things to say.

[Eiphel]

Another one I thought of: Captain Kirrahe in the Mass Effect trilogy. He only gets a few scenes, but they're really characterful and memorable. Yes, a lot of that is hinged on a pretty basic 'gimmick' (his 'hold the line') speech, but that's just the hook - he has a complete personality. In fact he gets two of my favourite interactions in ME3 in his short screen time. (These are playthrough dependent):

 

 

Even when the Salarian Dalatrass has refused to put Salarian forces at Shepard's disposal, Kirrahe tells you on the down low that he'll use his pull in the STG to make sure you have men.

 

Later on, he has one of the most memorable moments in the game, when he displays a truly impeccable devotion to duty on the Citadel...

 

[FlintlockJazz]

Wirt the pegleg boy, Ogden, Farnham, Griswold, Gillian, Pepin. Always thought the destruction of Tristram was a waste of potential.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I liked that evil cleric in BG who raised zombies like they were his family.

[JFSOCC]

I'll probably get some hate for this, but I thought Sis was pretty memorable.

[FlintlockJazz]

I'll probably get some hate for this, but I thought Sis was pretty memorable.

Sis from Alpha Protocol? Dunno why you would get hate for her, she was an awesome character. Should have mentioned her myself.

[Micamo]

I'll probably get some hate for this, but I thought Sis was pretty memorable.

Does she do anything later? As far as I remember she doesn't have any further relevance after that meeting with albatross. I guess that thing you can have Mike say about St. George and the Dragon was pretty cool, but the only thing notable about Sis herself is just how out of place she is in the world being constructed in that game.

[FlintlockJazz]

 

I'll probably get some hate for this, but I thought Sis was pretty memorable.

Does she do anything later? As far as I remember she doesn't have any further relevance after that meeting with albatross. I guess that thing you can have Mike say about St. George and the Dragon was pretty cool, but the only thing notable about Sis herself is just how out of place she is in the world being constructed in that game.

She can appear to rescue Mike if you choose Albatross as your handler for the last mission, but its still pretty minor. She appears to have been the victim of cut content making her a minor character but for the bits she's in she is excellent making her an excellent minor NPC as per the thread title.

[FlintlockJazz]

Does Stephen "Don't call me Steve" Heck count as a minor NPC? Because he does need mentioning...

[Kore]

Narlen Darkwalk from the Thieves Guild in BG1 was tremendous. I love the unique way that he had for talking, and the writing he had wasn't too shabby. He was just fun, it made his quest chain twice as fun to do.

[WotanAnubis]

I'm not sure if he counts as minor, but Beckett from Vampire: the Masquerade: Bloodlines was pretty great. He was basically this neutral observer character who was willing to help you out, but not hold your hand and who constantly snarked about pretty much everything without being mean-spirited about it.

 

I also liked Scarlet from Alpha Protocol for... well... pretty much the same reasons, actually. Except for the bit where she's willing to jump into bed with Mike just because he's sent her a bunch of info.

[Lephys]

Aria T'Loak, from Mass Effects 2 and 3. Really good voice acting, and she did a pretty damned good job of being "bad" without being "evil."

[TXTwilight]

Aria T'Loak, from Mass Effects 2 and 3. Really good voice acting, and she did a pretty damned good job of being "bad" without being "evil."

Except, that she killed a lot of people just for the sake of power. I consider this quite evil.

 

BTT: I tend to forget most NPC´s, even though if they are well written and interesting characters, but there are some, which jumped into my mind, like the Dustman who want´s to commit suicide in PsT. Interesting dialog there, like with most Planescape NPC´s.

The Enclave officer with which you can chat in Fallout 2. Great reference and a good voice actor.

Not really a minor, but Jaenette and Therese from Vampire: The Masquaerade - Bloodlines is somehow memorable.

[milczyciel]

Fallout 2, First Citizen Lynette.

 

OMG what an arrogant uptight b*****. Set the tone for the whole vault city experience just perfectly. It's not an evil place and she's not evil, but... hell. And she's kind of a major NPC, so breaking my own rules straight away..

 

My God... That! That, multiple times! After all, internet didn't nicknamed her "First Bitchizen Lynette" without a reason. I literally hated her and I can easily recall that overwhelming mischievous joy I've felt, after I struck a deal between Gecko and Vault City behind her back, with the help from Councillor McClure.

And then after completing this particular quest, going to her office and telling her just about HOW I "solved" the Ghoul/Gecko problem, for no other reason as pissing her off! There were no additional xp gain, no change in story (doesn't change ending for VC and Gecko, so obviously she swallowed her pride, the only apparent change was in her behavior towards PC). SOOO satisfying.

In fact I think there were bunch of more or less minor NPCs that were simply great in both F1 and F2, but just to emphasize the greatness of Lynette design I wont mention any of them :D

Edited July 17, 2013 by milczyciel

[Lephys]

 

Aria T'Loak, from Mass Effects 2 and 3. Really good voice acting, and she did a pretty damned good job of being "bad" without being "evil."

Except, that she killed a lot of people just for the sake of power. I consider this quite evil.

 

Meh... mostly a bunch of evil people who were prepared to kill her just for the sake of power. She didn't just go around slaying babies and laughing. If she killed someone, it was for a reason. She basically just instituted martial law on her own terms, simply because it's either that or complete chaos in Omega. Did she like what she did? Sure. But she still had a good reason for doing it, and that reason wasn't just to make her feel better. *shrug*

 

I just liked the conversations with her and such, and her general character style, even though you only talk to her like 5 times. Of course, I didn't play the Retake Omega DLC, which I don't understand being DLC and not just an inherent part of the game. But I digress.

[Micamo]

Aria always seemed to me like that 11 year old punk who starts selling pot in the halls at middle school and thinks he's a hardcore gangsta. Nowhere near as cool as she thinks she is. The writers were trying to hard to sell her as this badass mastermind but I just never bought it.

[Ulquiorra]

All minor character from Vampire Masquarade Bloodlines, i never saw a game with this level of "well done" minor characters.