Excellent/favorite minor NPC's

[Silent Winter]

Wouldn't say 'favourite' or even 'likable' but Neb from BG Flaming-Fist prison was memorable.

To escape, you basically had to let him go (at least until you met up with him later in BG2 for some butt-kicking justice).

In my first play-through, I killed him in the prison ... but then couldn't get out myself.  Had to reload.

[LadyCrimson]

I still remember how horrified and sad I was when I saw that I had to fight Griswold in Diablo 2.  That whole Tristram level was like having to kill everything that I liked about that game,

While it wasn't by my character's hand, I felt even worse about Cain in Diablo3. And it ticked me off even more because I felt like Cain was so iconic to series.

 

Oddly, Wirt's peg leg in Diablo2 just made me giggle. Guess I didn't like him enough, the over-priced jerk.

[sffrrrom]

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

[Jarmo]

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

 

In what way?

What did they bring that made the game or game world better?

 

Not as an argument, I just don't remember those. Not just by name at least.

[sffrrrom]

 

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

 

In what way?

What did they bring that made the game or game world better?

 

Not as an argument, I just don't remember those. Not just by name at least.

 

 

Well, Raven is probably a bit of a false inclusion - I just like her. Geoffrey is funny and the only character I can think of off the top of my head who represents evil magical snobbish Victorian aristocrat well. Madame Lil I loved for the running of quests for the owner of a brothel; I just can't remember ever getting to play sleazy errand-boy/problem solver in a game before.

 

Lianna Del Par I always remember; she provides a ton of information and flavor to Cumbria. Plus she just seems badass; pretty much anyone who ever played a thiefish character in Arcanum spends most of the start of the game robbing everyone in the first city and/or Dernholm, checks out that sword she's got, tries to pickpocket it, inevitably fails, and then watches as she annihilates you in like two swings.

 

And Cedric Appleby is entirely optional as far as ever interacting with him, but he just makes so much sense as the jealous slightly deranged rival of Bates.

 

I guess I just think a lot of the side characters in Arcanum are realistic and written really well - from the guy who wants proof that his flying machines worked, to the mob bosses in the Boil, etc. They're not just there to be fonts of XP, you really feel like they're somewhat real, with normal people motivations. I always feel bad for Liam's mother when I have to come back and tell her that her son got ganked by a bunch of lizard creatures - even though that's pretty much the only interaction with her in the whole game.

[milczyciel]

In what way?

What did they bring that made the game or game world better?

 

Not as an argument, I just don't remember those. Not just by name at least.

You made me want to replay (again!) Arcanum, just for the sake of this topic!

 

I have two major problems with examples from "the best game evah":

1) some time ago I realized that I'm an absolute fanboy of the game, and thus all my opinions about it are biased... like, very much

2) all characters I remember are IMO too important to call them minor, so even being a blinded, rabid fanboy, I must restrain myself.

But let me end F:NV so I can focus solely on Arcanum and I will come up with names. You'll see

 

Until that happens, let's settle with a gnome henchmen from a half-ogre conspiracy quest - and yes, I can't get more biased as that's my #1 sidequest ever.

This is it, the peak of my zealousness. Let us proceed.

I refuse to remember the name of that disgusting worm and though it has a zero impact on the game (thus proving he was right saying his death won't change anything) I never, ever let him go. And never will.

To this day I fantasize that after the credits rolled, my char took upon himself to wage a vendetta against gnomes occupying important positions all over the continent. Probably assassinating many innocents and turning into involuntary evil in the process...

But you have to understand - my favourite char was a too smart for his own good half-ogre. It was personal

 

/zealot mode off

[Sir Chaox]

 

Glad to see people mention Diablo 1 characters... Such a memorable game. My friend often quotes the guy outside of the cathedral that talks about the Butcher.  Perfect example really of a memorable minor character.

I still remember how horrified and sad I was when I saw that I had to fight Griswold in Diablo 2.  That whole Tristram level was like having to kill everything that I liked about that game, as none of the new characters I met seemed to have as much personality as they did.  Wirt, the witch, Cain, Ogden, Farnham, all seemed to have stories that felt cut short...

 

 

Technically, the witch, Adria, survived and was in Diablo 3.

 

OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I MENTIONED THAT GAME, I HATE MYSELF 

 

(Wait a minute, nothing has changed...  )

[Sir Chaox]

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

 

Definitely loved a lot of Arcanum characters. You forgot Garfield Thelonius Remington III (Gar)! Loved that guy. Unfortunately, after a lot of characters join your party, they mostly add no input back into the game. Some characters do at key points, but otherwise, a lot of wasted potential with NPC party member interaction.

[FlintlockJazz]

 

I still remember how horrified and sad I was when I saw that I had to fight Griswold in Diablo 2.  That whole Tristram level was like having to kill everything that I liked about that game,

While it wasn't by my character's hand, I felt even worse about Cain in Diablo3. And it ticked me off even more because I felt like Cain was so iconic to series.

 

Oddly, Wirt's peg leg in Diablo2 just made me giggle. Guess I didn't like him enough, the over-priced jerk.

 

Oh, I giggled when I got Wirt's leg, I'm only human (yet) after all, though I did also feel sad that he died, despite all his scamming the little...

[sffrrrom]

 

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

 

Definitely loved a lot of Arcanum characters. You forgot Garfield Thelonius Remington III (Gar)! Loved that guy. Unfortunately, after a lot of characters join your party, they mostly add no input back into the game. Some characters do at key points, but otherwise, a lot of wasted potential with NPC party member interaction.

 

 

Yeah, it did feel like you zombified them or something. Yes, Master! Although IIRC wasn't there sort of a not-really-fleshed-out romance with Raven and/or Z'an Allurin? It's been a long time since I played.

[Primator]

Ohh there are so many which I forgot about

 

The few I still have in mind are:

 

Calo Nord from KotOR

Garbad the Weak from Diablo 1 "Something for you I've been maaaaahahahahaking!"

 

In some game there was an NPC following you all the time after talking to him, cannot remember anything more.

[Lioness]

Serena from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (2000 or 2001 game)

 

She was a Companion playable character in the first half of the game, the Dark Age part and I grew attached to her...

 

I remember desperately looking for her in the second half, the modern setting part.

[Reever]

If you remember this guy then you have slept for 8 hours.

 

 

 

Haha, yeah. Free lodging :D

[Sir Chaox]

 

 

No Arcanum love? Arguably nearly every character in Arcanum is minor, and many of them are awesome. Geoffrey, Raven, Madame Lil, Lianna Del Par, Mr. Appleby - so many great characters in that game. 

 

Definitely loved a lot of Arcanum characters. You forgot Garfield Thelonius Remington III (Gar)! Loved that guy. Unfortunately, after a lot of characters join your party, they mostly add no input back into the game. Some characters do at key points, but otherwise, a lot of wasted potential with NPC party member interaction.

 

 

Yeah, it did feel like you zombified them or something. Yes, Master! Although IIRC wasn't there sort of a not-really-fleshed-out romance with Raven and/or Z'an Allurin? It's been a long time since I played.

 

 

Yes, but it is so minor. It's one of those things that's like "We should hook up after this whole thing is over." Nothing really happens. I could find more interaction with the sheep at Madam Toussaude.

[lolaldanee]

Serena from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (2000 or 2001 game)

 

She was a Companion playable character in the first half of the game, the Dark Age part and I grew attached to her...

 

I remember desperately looking for her in the second half, the modern setting part.

yes,

very much yes

too bad they made her die in the castle at the end

btw the name of that game is redemption not bloodlines

[Ffordesoon]

Steven Heck. I love Steven Heck to death.

 

But, really, this may be where PST shone brightest of all. The amount of minor NPCs in Sigil who felt like they deserved their own games is staggering. Reekwind, Coaxmetal, the Crier of Es-Annon, that archer dude who used to travel with you that you can only talk to if you use Stories-Bones-Tell, Hargrimm, Pharod, the girl who's scared to go through any door, the guy who wants his name to crack the obelisk in two, Mebbeth, the fishwife, Jumble Murdersense, and on and on and on. It's not just the companions who are brilliantly drawn, it's every single character, down to the repeating NPCs that threaten to cut you if you don't leave them alone.

[fortuntek]

I got one for you guys.

 

It's gotta be Bub Snikt, from BG1. He's a random hunter you can encounter in the wilderness southwest of Beregost near where you find the Worn Whispers boots of sneaking on a Hobgoblin. 

 

Bub... now, who do we know that uses that nickname a lot....

 

Snikt... wait a sec... this is all coming together rather familiar...

 

Then I saw the dialogue option to ask him what he does for a living, and in his reply he claims to be the best there is at what he does, but that what he does isn't very nice.

 

Okay so this wasn't exactly deep character writing and more of a cheap reference gimmick but I sure got a kick out of it :D Especially since it completely went over my head the first bazillion times I played BG1